12 Photographers Win 2017 Guggenheim Fellowships

Mary F. Calvert, Maggie Steber and Zoe Strauss are among the 12 photographers who have been named Guggenheim Fellows for 2017, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation announced on April 7. The Fellowshipsprovide grants of undisclosed amounts to support projects by artists, scholars, scientists and writers. This year's Fellows in the category of photography are:Marina BerioMary F. CalvertDaniel W. CoburnKenneth Gonzales-DayThilde JensenLeigh LedareMichael LundgrenAmanda MeansShaun O'BoyleMaggie SteberZoe StraussBradley Temkin

In addition, Zackary Canepari, director of the 2015 documentary T-Rex was named a Fellow in the Film-Video category. Zinadu Saro-Wiwa, who incorporates her own photos and video in her installations, was named a Fellow in the Fine Arts category.

This year, the Foundation chose 173 Fellows from close to 3,000 applicants. Past Guggenheim Fellows have included Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Jon Lowenstein, Carlos Javier Ortiz, Lyle Ashton Harris, Brenda Ann Kenneally and Alex Soth.

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Source: 12 Photographers Win 2017 Guggenheim Fellowships

How Ten Women Photographers Are Reconfiguring the Gaze

The front page of the Daily Mail newspaper last week featured a photograph of two of the UK's most powerful political figures, the prime minister Teresa May, and Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon. The headline screamed: "Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!"

Obviously, the outrageous front page – and the accompanying article by Sarah Vine – has been slammed as sexist, but what about the photograph itself (taken by Reuters' Russell Cheyne?) If the headline text had been different, would we have read this picture any differently? The history of depicting women's bodies as objects of heteronormative desire is so long-established and so widespread that our eyes are trained to pick up the cues, to survey the sexual appeal of any woman who appears in an image. In photography, this is particularly problematic, since nearly all the photographs of women we come across are trying to sell us something. If we cover the words, what do we really see in this photograph? Two powerful political figures? Or two women, with nice legs? We're more familiar with the latter view.

Three years ago I started researching the photographs women have been taking, of themselves and of others. I interviewed 40 women from 17 different countries about their work, and these artists now feature in a book, Girl on Girl. Whether working in fashion, advertising, photojournalism, or art, I learned that women photograph women differently to men, and that women see far more than a female body when they point their camera on one.

Photography has a huge influence on us, and the fact that more women than ever are now getting behind the lens is significant, because we are seeing things about ourselves we've never seen before. Until now, most of the images of women we've been exposed to have been created by, or for, men. This is the beginning of the age of the female gaze.

Coral, Huntington Beach, CA, 2013Photography by Deanna Templeton, Courtesy of Laurence King 1. Deanna Templeton

Deanna Templeton has been taking photographs since she was a teenager; at punk shows, skate parks, on the streets and at the beach. During the 1990s and 2000s, if Templeton hadn't been taking pictures, there would be few documents showing how girls have been part of the skate, punk and surf scenes in California. Her ongoing, expanding portrait of women is tender and timeless, and she is clearly drawn towards women who she feels connected to – women on the cusp of realising their power: "a lot of the young girls remind me of myself when I was young, or how I wish I could have been," Templeton told me. She's long overdue an in-depth survey, and I really hope she will get one soon.

UntitledPhotography by Maisie Cousins, Courtesy of Laurence King 2. Maisie Cousins

"I'd probably be a vandal if I hadn't had Instagram," Maisie Cousins told me when I visited her at home to talk about her work. At school her teachers didn't 'get' her art, but she kept going and made her own success. Inspired by the photography in vintage cookery magazines, among other things, Cousins' work is sensory and sensual and her bodily compositions say something far more truthful about bodies than the usual photographs we find in magazines. She combines classicism with the high gloss of fashion magazines, but her images aren't clean and neat; they visualise the messy relationship between indulgence, consumerism, and our bodies.

Field 1Photography by Isabelle Wenzel, Courtesy of Laurence King 3. Isabelle Wenzel

Isabelle Wenzel's work – also the cover image for the book – is, in my mind, the perfect visualisation of the female gaze. Wenzel's photographs at first might appear as though they're concerned with femininity, or feminism, because we see a female body before we see anything else, reinforced by the high heels, tights, and teacups Wenzel tends to use. But Wenzel isn't interested only in the female body – she just happens to inhabit one, and this is what she uses in her spontaneous photographs which mix design, sculpture and architecture with photography, something like Erwin Wurm's one-minute sculptures. She understands space and form intuitively – as she puts it: "My body organically knows what to do, in a way that the camera becomes almost like an extension of it, a synthesis of man and machine."

Photography by Pinar Yolaçan, Courtesy of Laurence King 4. Pinar Yolaçan

Turkish-born photographer Pinar Yolaçan takes years to complete her series of photographs, which makes her unusual for a young artist. Yolaçan graduated in fashion from Central St Martins but then turned to photography, creating handmade costumes from meat, latex, fabric, or paint for her subjects. Her long process begins with getting to know the women she photographs, from those living in remote Candomblé communities in Brazil to BBW models in Los Angeles. Again, Yolaçan doesn't see her work as feminist in the strict sense; she looks at how we treat bodies and flesh in art and photography, and as a woman, it's only natural she should be interested in those of women, and what happens to them.

Photography by Yvonne Todd, Courtesy of Laurence King 5. Yvonne Todd

Yvonne Todd was one of the most exciting discoveries for me in putting together Girl on Girl. Based in New Zealand, Todd's work hasn't yet received the recognition abroad it deserves. Her photographs – some in which she appears, others featuring models – are among the most unsettling and memorable photographs of women I've ever seen. Todd's not empathetic towards her consumer addicted characters, but her criticism cuts deeper – we're all part of this warped capitalist world, and women are both the victims and the perpetrators of it.

Photography by Phebe Schmidt, Courtesy of Laurence King 6. Phebe Schmidt

Also dealing with capitalism and consumerism – while simultaneously shooting for brands – Schmidt uses a really interesting visual language which is so different to that of women selling us stuff that we're used to seeing. From the models she uses, to the way she juxtaposes discordant objects (eggs, butter and cheese with high fashion accessories, plastic bags with perfect beauty) Schmidt creates an 'un-realism' which erects a far more truthful reality than the airbrushed version of it we're accustomed to.

Reconstituted Meat SlicesPhotography by Juno Calypso, Courtesy of Laurence King 7. Juno Calypso

It's hard to miss Juno Calypso's work – the London-based photographer has become one of the biggest names in contemporary photography in the past year, exhibiting from London to Lagos, and she's still only in her 20s. What I like about Calypso is not only her extreme care in constructing her images – she famously shot her most recent series on solo romance at a love hotel in the U.S. – but the fact that she refuses to overproduce. It's rare to find an internet famous artist who holds back like Calypso does, carefully considering every work she creates.

Women of CanterburyPhotography by Marianna Rothen, Courtesy of Laurence King 8. Marianna Rothen

When women want to make women beautiful, they know how to do it devastatingly well: Marianna Rothen's female characters (some herself) are not just seductresses, however – they are complex heroines, caught in the midst of some turmoil, inspired by the protagonists of film noir, exploring the female gaze in cinema and photography. "I like my women to be more iconic than realistic. Showing something bluntly to me doesn't have the same potential for narrative," Rothen explains. Her narrative frames the question: who is looking? And at what?

Photography by Petra Collins, Courtesy of Laurence King 9. Petra Collins

The biggest name to emerge from photography since the introduction of the front-facing camera is undoubtedly Petra Collins. What's so interesting about Collins, on top of the fact that she knows how to take a good picture (she cut her teeth assisting Ryan McGinley), is that she's introduced feminism to a generation of teens who might not have thought it was cool before. Love or loathe her, Collins is here to stay, and she's going to be shooting a lot more of the photographs we see around us in years to come. Following in a long line of male photographers who document their own generation, it's about time a woman took the lead.

Photography by Monika Mogi, Courtesy of Laurence King 10. Monika Mogi

A young photographer working between New York and Tokyo, Mogi mixes work in fashion, advertising and art, and is one of several practitioners influencing a shift towards the female gaze in our day-to-day lives. Her work in the Japanese context is particularly rare and important, making an effort to cast all kinds of women, and to create images which don't pander to stereotypes. It's very obvious from Mogi's photos that she has a good time with her subjects, and that sense of female-centred fun is a glimpse of women's world, free from the male gaze.

Girl on Girl: Art and Photography in the Age of the Female Gaze is published by Laurence King and available now.

Source: How Ten Women Photographers Are Reconfiguring the Gaze

Freelance photographers say these are the best outlets to pitch

Photo via Pexels

Freelance photojournalists have to hustle. Many make it work by balancing longer personal projects, quick day-rate assignments, commercial photo work, and even other jobs such as teaching or bartending.

It can be even harder for photographers to stay motivated with typical industry malarkey like terrible rates, waiting months to get paid, and editors disappearing when freelancers attempt to check in. "Returning a phone call to say 'Hey, I'm working on this and haven't forgotten about it,' takes less than five minutes," says Erin Trieb, who has shot for ESPN The Magazine and Rolling Stone. "There's no reason why that can't happen more."

CJR went looking for silver linings by spotlighting publications that treat photo freelancers well. Similar to our story about the best news outlets for writers, we spoke with 30 freelance photojournalists with a focus on aspects like pay, relationships with editors, and respect for photography. We encourage those with positive freelancing experiences to contact Carlett Spike at cspike@cjr.org, so we can update this story.

Here are six outlets that multiple photo freelancers recommended:

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The Washington Post

What it is: Recently branded with a new slogan, "Democracy Dies in Darkness," The Post is the paper of record in DC with burgeoning national ambitions digitally. Freelancers credit Chloe Coleman, The Post's photo editor, with respect and thoughtfulness in working with photographers.

What they pay: Multiple freelancers confirm The Washington Post's day rate is $350.

What freelancers say: Freelancers said they like working with editors at The Post because they clearly respect photography. Maddie McGarvey, an Ohio-based photographer who has worked with a number of publications including Mother Jones, USA Today, and NBC News, tells CJR that she enjoyed her experience and the assignment she was given. "They called me for a long assignment in Kansas, working on a story about a Muslim girl just sort of navigating life," she says. She met an editor a few months back at a portfolio review who liked her work. McGarvey appreciated that he remembered her and thought she would be a good photographer to cover the story.

RELATED: The Washington Post's secret weapon

Harper's Magazine

What it is: According to its website, Harper's is the oldest general interest publication in the US. Freelancing for the monthly, award-winning magazine is a dream for many photographers and writers. Harper's, which tackles charged topics around politics, seems to equally value the importance of photography alongside written stories.

What they pay: Harper's is one case where it was hard to nail down a standard day rate. Reported rates ranged from $500 to $1,000. Freelancers said those assigned to conflict work make $1,000 per day.

What freelancers say: Yumna Al-Arashi, who's worked with The New Yorker and The Guardian, tells CJR she most likes working with Harper's because they are willing to take on unconventional stories. Another freelancer, Victor Blue, adds that he appreciates that the magazine is doing more with photography to enhance its overall storytelling. "They are dedicating more pages to photography than almost any other publication in the United States," said Blue, whose photography has appeared in Time and Newsweek. Blue adds that Harper's art director Stacey Clarkson James, and deputy art director Sam Finn Cate-Gumpert, are really pushing the envelope when it comes to documentary photography. "[James] is someone you can get in touch with and you can pitch to. She's down to talk."

National Geographic

What it is: Known for its deep dives and explorations with a science focus, National Geographic dedicates a lot of space to photography. Some recent photo essays featured on its website include a beautifully shot piece on grass-eating monkeys, one on women in Nepal exiled for menstruating, and one story showing the other side of Russia.

What they pay: With multiple verticals in print and online it is difficult to give one set day rate. We did find that National Geographic Traveler pays $425 per day, according to its website. Also, Joel Sartore, a photographer who has worked with National Geographic Magazine, notes on his blog that its day rate is between $400 and $500 per day.

What freelancers say: Brendan Hoffman, a Ukraine-based documentary photographer who's worked with others like Getty Images and Newsweek, tells CJR that he found National Geographic to be receptive to pitches and accommodating of challenges on the ground. He pitched a story about illegal amber mining in Ukraine and got the okay to work on it for five days. Around the same time, Hoffman went out to get photos, there was a police crackdown on amber-mining activities that delayed his work. Despite this, his editors saw the value in the story and worked with Hoffman. "After 6 months I finally was able to get the picture. They were very patient and didn't put a lot of pressure on me and just let me figure it out," Hoffman says.

 CNN

What it is: The 24-hour network offers a wide range of coverage across multiple mediums. With a worldwide reach, including over 1.5 billion digital pageviews per month, working with CNN gives freelancers great exposure. The network has also done more with photography in the past few years, including launching a photography blog in 2011. Bernadette Tuazon is CNN Digital's senior photo editor, and she accepts pitches here.

What they pay: Multiple freelancers confirm CNN pays a day rate of $650, plus $150 for post-production editing.

What freelancers say: Freelancers liked CNN because they offered a better day rate compared to most newspapers. Demetrius Freeman, a New York-based photographer, says CNN displays its photography thoughtfully. CNN featured one of Freeman's projects in 2015 on the declining state of Hoyerswerda, Germany, after the fall of the Berlin Wall. CNN featured 14 of his photos in a slideshow format, and an accompanying article reflects on his experience and artistic vision for the work.

The Wall Street Journal

What it is: The business-centric newspaper published by Dow Jones also covers national news, world news, culture, and politics. With a stated mission to ramp visuals across all platforms, the Journal promoted Lucy Gilmour to director of photography in 2015.

What they pay: Freelancers report that The Wall Street Journal pays $400 per day for assignments and will typically cover expenses.

What freelancers say: Libby March, a photographer based in Northern Michigan whose clients include The New York Times, AARP, and Bloomberg, tells CJR she found the editors gave good directions and know how to communicate with freelancers. "They tell you exactly what they want and are looking for in the photos," she says. Another photographer, Daniella Zalcman, tells CJR she really enjoyed doing a story for the Journal about a Jewish community in North America. "It's this magical, stunning place in the middle of the Mediterranean, and the community feels slightly unstuck in time." She adds, "Amidst so much journalism in that region that centers on chaos and ever growing tension, it was nice to find this quiet pocket of relative calm."

RELATED: Two dozen freelance journalists told us these are the best outlets to pitch

The New York Times

What it is: Many photographers we spoke with work with the Times but had a hard time endorsing it as a top choice for freelancers because of its low day rate.*

What they pay: Times editor for photography Michele McNally told CJR that The New York Times recently increased its day rate to $450, from $200.

What freelancers say: For most freelancers, working with the Times ends up being a tradeoff—sacrificing pay for the experience to work with great editors and reach a wide audience. "The pay is not good, but the work was so consistent over the years that I was able to cover my bills by treating it almost like a [day] job. I was working most days of the week for them," says Kirsten Luce. Another freelancer, Andrea Morales, shares similar sentiments, but tells CJR the editors there are what she most appreciates. "I've loved every editor I've worked with there," said Morales, who has also worked with for The Wall Street Journal and ProPublica. "They really position you for as much success as they can."

Honorable Mentions: We wanted to note a few publications that did not make the list, but still received a fair number of endorsements. Those include Bloomberg Businessweek, Time, and AARP.

Other Resources: Many freelancers who spoke with CJR also highly recommend that freelance photojournalists look into grants and other opportunities to help support them and their work in such a tough industry. Here are a few with links for photographers:

Alexia FoundationGetty ImagesVSCO Artist InitiativeEugene Smith Fund

RELATED: Two dozen freelance journalists told CJR the best outlets to pitch

* Editor's note: This story has been updated with a new day rate for freelance photographers working with The New York Times. The newspaper boosted its rate this month. 

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today. Carlett Spike is a CJR Delacorte Fellow. Follow her on Twitter @CarlettSpike.
Source: Freelance photographers say these are the best outlets to pitch

Internationally known photographers to speak at Hastings College

Hastings College students and the community at large will have the opportunity to learn from "two of the finest photographers in the world."

That is how Brett Erickson, associate professor of visual arts at Hastings College, described photographers George Nobechi and Kate Breakey, who will give artist keynote lectures that are free and open to the public Wednesday and Thursday.

Nobechi will speak Wednesday, and Breakey will speak Thursday. Both lectures begin at 7 p.m. in French Memorial Chapel on the college campus.

"Honestly, they're (the public) going to get a global perspective and global insights from two of the finest photographers in the world," Erickson said.

Nobechi is a Tokyo-born, Japanese/Canadian photographer, and a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a bachelor of arts in history and international relations.

He has garnered international awards and recognition for his work, with some highlights including selection as a finalist to "Critical Mass" as a global top 200 emerging photographer in 2016, a gold prize in the first annual Tokyo International Foto Awards, selection by curators for the Norman Rockwell Museum to a fine art exhibition in Lenox, Massachusetts, and a feature on "The Candid Frame," one of the most prestigious photography podcasts in the world, as well as numerous group exhibitions around the country.

He has taught photography at the American School in Japan, Tokyo, the British School in Tokyo, and for the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops in New Mexico and in Japan. He now splits his time between the expansive desert landscape of southern Arizona and the Japanese countryside.

"It's a rare opportunity to hear an photographer as talented and articulate as George Nobechi speak, especially when one considers he is emerging as one of the great new talents in international photography," Erickson said.

Breakey, an Australian, is internationally known for her large-scale, richly hand-colored photographs including her acclaimed series of luminous portraits of birds, flowers and animals in an ongoing series "Small Deaths."

Her work has appeared in more than 110 solo exhibitions and in more than 50 group exhibitions in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

"Kate Breakey's photographs are among the most beautiful and important of our time," said Erickson.

Breakey's work is held in many public institutions including the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University in San Marcos, the Austin Museum of Art, the Australian National Gallery in Canberra and the Osaka Museum in Osaka, Japan.

In addition to Small Deaths, her books include "Painted Light," "Las Sombras / The Shadows," "Slow Light," "Flowers/Birds" and "Our Backyard."

In 2004, she received the Photographer of the Year award from the Houston Center for Photography. She teaches regularly at the Santa Fe Photographic workshops, and Italy's Spirit into Matter workshops.

"You'd have to travel to Santa Fe or Los Angeles, New York, in order to hear these people," Erickson said.

During their time in Hastings, Nobechi and Breakey will work with Hastings College students.

Breakey will lead 10 students on Thursday painting and hand-tinting photographs. At the same time, George Nobechi will talk with a few students and he'll work them through what it means to photograph in the documentary style of the Magnum photo agency, which Erickson said is the most prestigious photo agency in the world.

"He will walk them through how to shoot and how to make 'more powerful documentary photographs,' " Erickson said.

Nobechi and Breakey are coming to Hastings as a favor to Erickson. The three became friends working together as instructors at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops.

"Hastings College and the department of visual arts, as well as the new photo program, it has shown that it has a draw for these kind of artists to come in and it gives residents of the area a chance to really hear how some of the world's greatest artists see the world and to talk about their work," Erickson said.

Source: Internationally known photographers to speak at Hastings College

Learn from Pro Photographers with 500px's Newest Online Classes - 500px ISO

What if you had the chance to learn cool new photography skills from pros all over the world?

With 500px Classes—exclusive to 500px Awesome members—we're teaming up with top photographers to offer online photography classes on a wide variety of subjects. Classes give you the opportunity to try something new—to develop your skills, to test out new techniques, and then to get feedback on your work.

We're excited to announce our roster of Class instructors for April and May. Read about these 5 talented photographers and why you should sign up for their Classes. Stay tuned for more Classes coming soon!

Use any lens to bring emotionApril 6-8

Photographer: Mikhail MalyuginWho he is: A commercial photographer based in Moscow. He specializes in beauty, portrait, and advertising photography, and he's been a finalist in the International Photography Awards and an Adweek Talent 100 laureate. Read more about Mikhail on his website and check out his photos on 500px.What you'll learn: How to bring emotion and drama to your portraits. The lens you choose matters—learn why, and start making your images more dynamic.

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How to make your good landscapes greatApril 29-May 1

Photographer: Marcin SobasWho he is: A landscape photographer who plays with light to portray places in a dreamlike and fantastical way. He loves capturing rolling farmlands and foggy mornings. Read more about Marcin on his website and check out his photos on 500px.What you'll learn: The breakdown of how to take your landscape photos from okay to outstanding.

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Creating levitation shots—who said people can't fly?May 11-13

Photographer: Rob WoodcoxWho he is: A fine art photographer and creator of surreal portraits who loves collaborating with all kinds of artists. In his work, Rob is "sewing the threads of life between dream, memory and reality." Read more about Rob on his website and check out his photos on 500px.What you'll learn: How to make it look like people are levitating in your photos. Learn the whole process, from conceptualization to compositing to color-correction.

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Thought to shot—steps to take for a kickass photoshootMay 18-20

Photo by Joel Bear

Photographer: Joel BearWho he is: A director and photographer in Los Angeles who knows the ins and outs of professional photography. He's worked for clients like Lululemon, American Express, and Google. Read more about Joel on his website and check out his photos on 500px.What you'll learn: How to handle a photo shoot like a pro, from planning to shooting to delivery.

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Photograph the night skyMay 25-27

Photographer: Tanner Wendell StewartWho he is: An Emmy award-winning photographer who loves telling stories with his photography. He's experienced in a wide variety of genres, from landscape photography to wedding photography. Read more about Tanner on his website and check out his photos on 500px.What you'll learn: How to take incredible photos of the night sky.

Register for Tanner's ClassReady to develop your photography skills and get motivated to take better photos? Get a 500px Awesome membership and get unlimited access to 500px Classes for a year.

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Source: Learn from Pro Photographers with 500px's Newest Online Classes - 500px ISO

The best autofocus most photographers never use

Photography is so complex that there are a million approaches behind it. However, there is one thing that almost every photographer can agree on: you have to focus right! Otherwise it ends up blurry and the photo doesn't clearly portray what you wanted to present. Blur isn't necessarily bad though. If you want to convey a sense of abstraction, it works very well. Even if you didn't nail the focus, an otherwise incredible photo remains great despite that flaw. Sometimes it even makes it seem more real and vivid.

Although manual focus is certainly a precious option, I'd say that most photographers shoot with the three primary autofocus modes. Some prefer continuous autofocus, others pick the one shot autofocus and yet others love the convenience of the automatic autofocus. We could debate for hours which one is technically the best for any given situation, but at the end it's up to you. Your choice of autofocus largely depends on your style of shooting and your subjects. Whatever helps you focus on what you want to capture is the best autofocus for you, right? There is no right or wrong, there is just a right and wrong for you and your photography.

In order to perfectly capture the golden moments in front of me, I tried all three modes individually for months on end. For a long time I had the feeling that a mix of all three was my final solution…till I realized that my solution was the problem. I spend so much time and energy on these three modes that I didn't even think about looking for something else. I only discovered the fourth, hidden autofocus mode when I ended up in a bad rut in 2012. I was so lost with my photography that I couldn't even focus on taking photos at all anymore.

Frustrated and sad I looked at my camera back then and thought to myself: "What have I done wrong?" I loaned money from my sister to trade in my Canon 500D for a Canon 5D Mark II. I finally got the gorgeous 50mm prime lens I wanted to have for a long time. To make sure that it wasn't my lack of knowledge, I educated myself constantly. I read all sorts of photography articles online and bought an extensive photography 101 book.

It almost drove me nuts after a few months. "How is it possible that my photos don't really improve?" I wondered. I had the best gear, knew every little rule, trick and technique in the book and I took photos every day. I was stuck so badly that my biggest passion in life was dying right in front of my eyes. The only thing that kept me sane was the fact that I tried it all. There was not one single thing I didn't try to bring my photography back to life.

Till I discovered one cold evening in February 2013 that there is a secret fourth autofocus mode. Nobody I've met up to that point ever mentioned it to me. I'm sure someone somewhere wrote or talked about it, but it seemed nonexistent to me. It dawned on me when I read a quote by Charles Bukowski about the ideal conditions and myths of creativity. To put it in a nutshell, he said: "If you truly love creating, you'll do it after a 16 hours day in a coal mine, whether you are on welfare or take care of 3 kids in a small room."

Although I'm not the biggest Jay-Z fan, I listened to one of his most famous songs called "99 Problems". I looked at my Lightroom library filled with thousands of photos and jokingly sang "I solved 99 problems, but at least "ich" ain't one!" In German, "Ich" means "I". All of a sudden it hit me like a ton of full-frame battery-pack bricks. Yes, I solved 99 photography problems, but I forgot to solve the biggest of them all: me.

I'm the problem behind my photos.

It's not my camera,

it's not my lenses,

it's me.

How could I claim to know the ins and outs of photography if I couldn't even produce the photos I envisioned? I knew every camera brand, every type of lens, every focal length, every technical setting and all of the three autofocus modes by heart, but the one autofocus mode that truly captures my heart, I didn't. Optimizing things that don't relate to you as a person are always easier to do, aren't they? To this day I'd rather look for the law in my unemotional gear than in my emotionally vulnerable self. Even though it hurts to do it, I'd rather suffer for a while to create the unique self-portraits I want my photos to be then comfortably present technically perfect "descriptions" of life. Once you switch your focus towards yourself, you are the marble and sculptor at the same time. It demands a lot of suffering as Alexis Carrel famously claimed, but boy will it pay off!

I tried anything out there to solve my photography problem with little to no effect. However, when I focused on myself through "autofocus", my photos reached levels I have never even dreamed of before. Doesn't that by implication mean that I focused all the time on the 1%, while the true challenge lies in the 99%, which relate to me as a photographer? I mean if you had to improve someone's novels, would you start with the typewriter or pen?

I wasn't sure whether I should publish this article or not. I'm already looking forward to the comments saying "Sweet dude, yet another 'gear isn't that important' article". To be honest, they are right. I'm not going to argue with them. In order to underline the importance of the photographer, I have to shift the focus away from the gear. This article states that gear and basic rules are the ABC and grammar of photography and nothing more, but it doesn't stop there. If you understand it well, you know that it goes far beyond that statement. It opens a whole new world if you dare to explore it. You just have to ask yourself, whether you want to write visually well-written, factual description of life around you or truly express your inner creative child through a genuine connection between your inner and outer Universe.

If you'd rather create visual poetry though, you have to switch on the autofocus from now on. How much of Stephen King's success as an author do you attribute to him and how much percent to his typewriter? Would you attribute 99% of Picasso's success to his pencils? Whether you look at Kurt Cobain, Alfred Hitchcock, Vincent Van Gogh or any other insanely creative person, they all used to autofocus as much as they could. The final creative answer to photography never lies in the world around you nor in the tools you use to capture it, it lies within you. You can even calculate it. Count the seconds it takes to find a golden moment and figure out a unique way to capture it and the seconds you actually use your camera. Click!

As long as you don't auto-focus, you are neglecting your inner Universe, which makes you and your photos 100% unique. Without autofocus, you can only see a blurry signature of yourself in your photos. If you don't feel your own photos from the bottom of your heart and soul, they are probably not from there in the first place. They depict reality aro und you, but not your reality. Your perception of the outer Universe, i.e. people, animals, things and places around you, is 100% determined by your inner Universe. That to me consists of the creative trinity between your eye, heart and soul. Maybe you define your creative spirit differently, but for me this philosophy worked incredibly well. The connection of the world around you and within you is what I call a 100% unique photograph that can't be replicated. The more you express it, the more a signature appears that can't be replicated. It's yours! That's how you stand out among 2.6 billion photographers by default.

Explaining to someone how the three classical autofocus modes work takes 10-15 minutes. Give them an hour to practice and they know how to do it. However, as you can imagine, it takes time and effort to master the hidden autofocus mode. It's much more complex and not only involves you as a photographer, but especially as a human being. It's a holistic approach to life and photography as far as I understand it. How could you capture the best black and white photos, if all you see are colors around and within you? If your current job drains sucks your soul and energy out of you, there is no fire in your heart left to express your true soul in your photos. If you constantly lie to yourself in the mirror, how could your photos depict a 100% honest version of yourself?

Your photos don't begin with your camera – they end there. Don't analyze the finish line, focus on every single step to get there. The road, your state of mind and what happens around you. Some marathon runners are motivated by the company of others, some aren't. Even though there are 2.6 billion runners next to you, at the end of the day everyone has a different starting time. When you finish or not is not determined by an external finish line, it's your own. If you autofocus well enough, you are so emerged in your very own journey that you only vaguely perceive the other participants. But who says you can't motivate each other and celebrate tiny and big victories together?

Photography begins the second you experience your first conscious moment of the day. Whether you capture it as a memory is a whole different process that doesn't create the moment in the first place. It's you, it was always you and will always be you.

To be honest, I divide my photography journey into pre auto-focus and post auto-focus. From 2011-2012 I only used the three regular modes and I created photographs that I liked, but rarely loved from the bottom of my heart. They lacked depth to me. From 2013 till today I've been using the fourth, hidden autofocus mode and it changed my life and photography forever. I left my old office job a year after I discovered it and nowadays I work as a fine-art photographer full-time.

Whether you aspire to do photography for a living, doesn't really matter. The more you look within you, the more your life and photography gains the true focus it needs. The best photo in the world does not only show a golden moment in perfect focus, it also focuses on the photographer that created it. Whether you consider this article pure bliss or absolute bogus, at least ask yourself this:

If you discover a hidden road somewhere, isn't it tempting to take just a few steps to see…

…where it might take you?

Marius "VICE" Vieth is an award-winning fine-art photographer, entrepreneur and coach based in Amsterdam. His brand new Label Eye, Heart & Soul (www.eyeheartandsoul.com) empowers uprising and established photographers worldwide. Make sure to check out his website, connect with EHS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to level up your photography game! This article was also published here and shared with permission.

Source: The best autofocus most photographers never use

Wedding Photography Workshop On The Cornish Coast

We regularly sing the praises of attending creative workshops here on RMW, as although most of our gorgeous readers are brides, lots of you are also budding wedding industry professionals (some are both)! So when the super stylish Elle, of Inspire Hire contacted me about a creative photography workshop she's hosting, along with Amber of Liberty Pearl Photography and Renate of WIT Photography, I knew I had to share.

The workshop will be full of practical advice about building your photography brand, attracting the couples you'd like to be shooting, social media best practices and getting your work published. These workshops sell out fast and tickets for day one are already gone, but if you'd like to attend the 6th April course, read on for more details…

The 5th and 6th of April will see a coming together of talented wedding industry creatives on the stunningly beautiful Cornish Coastline to provide a workshop for wedding photographers.

The two days of workshops have been created to give photographers the chance to hone their skills and build their portfolios with coastal and destination style photography. These intimate workshops will feature coaching from two renowned wedding photographers – Liberty Pearl and WIT Photography alongside stylist Elle Winsor Grime, of Inspire Hire.

The workshops are organised by Amber Leach, founder of Liberty Pearl Photography, an award winning wedding photography business. Amber started the workshops in April 2016 and they have been a huge success, with spaces selling out every time. Amber has captured couples all over the world for the past 3 years including Cape Town, New York and Ibiza.

Amber has partnered with Renate from WIT photography who is an established destination wedding photographer based in Holland and her work is just STUNNING! Renate is a workshop expert and has attended some of the most awesome workshops around the world. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things weddings!

Also on board is amazing stylist Inspire Hire. Elle will be styling a Mediterranean Inspired Beach Shoot, and a Miami Inspired Destination Wedding photo shoot and will be giving a session on "Styling tips and how to get your work published".

Elle's work is absolutely beautiful and is widely published, with frequent National and Regional press coverage, both online and in print. Elle also works with businesses wishing to create on brand images for their websites, brochures, advertising and for general PR. She creatively directs and styles for photography/film shoots for products, lifestyle and interiors as well as wedding and event styling.

Amber at Liberty Pearl

"I love empowering people to reach their full potential, inspiring them and seeing their businesses thrive! It is so amazing to know that I have the opportunity to change someone's business and their life! I am passionate about photography and I love everything about weddings and I know that if I had attended a workshop like this my business would have excelled much quicker. It took me 2 years to reach my ideal client because I was photographing the wrong types of weddings; I didn't have the portfolio to reflect the style of weddings I wanted to shoot and clients I wanted to attract. I have set up this workshop to give photographers the head start that I never had, to tell them where I went right and where I went wrong.

I LOVE running the workshops; I love meeting new people, teaching people and sharing my journey and my experiences with other photographers to help make their business bloom!I believe that everyone has the ability to create a business that they are not only passionate about, but completely in love with! I love to travel around the world, so destination wedding photography combines two of my favourite hobbies! I am a huge fan of the beautiful workshop venue St Moritz Hotel." Amber at Liberty Pearl Photography

THESE WORKSHOPS ARE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO…

Increase their portfolio, improve their skills, learn more about engagement shoots, styled shoots, getting their work published and increase bookings, work more productively and attract the right clients for the type of weddings they wish to shoot.

The second day of the workshop focuses on destination weddings and elopements, and is perfect for those who wish to build and refresh their wedding photography portfolio. One of the primary focuses of the workshop is learning how to shoot to get their work published in wedding magazines and on top wedding blogs such as RMW, and Elle will go through the ins and outs of planning a styled shoot.

The workshops are great for established wedding photographers who would like a boost or for photographers who would like to start a career in wedding photography switching from another type of photography.

TESTIMONIALS

"This workshop gave me the opportunity to try out some ideas, something not always possible when shooting for a real bride and groom at a time constrained wedding. I now have much more confidence to test my creativity at weddings in the future.

It has provided me with some fabulous promotional material to build my own professional website and my images have also been published in both an online wedding blog and printed magazine. The expense of attending the workshop has already paid for itself by securing me with a number of weddings for 2017 already. I've got a lot to thank Liberty Pearl for, both at the workshop and with the wealth of help and advice since. I can't wait to book onto another workshop soon!" Mimosa Photography

"I wanted to go on a workshop to practice posing and get some gorgeous styled pictures for my portfolio. I really enjoyed the whole day! Learning about flat-lay styling, discussing blogging, seeing how Amber edits in Lightroom and of course shooting alongside Amber and the other photographers were all absolutely fab! I have had an image from the day selected by Lookslikefilm to go on their blog and have had a massive response to the images from the workshop in general! I would thoroughly recommend these courses to anyone – as long as I'm booked in first!! xx" Michelle Cordner Photography

"Absolutely loved Ambers workshop! All her tips where incredibly helpful, the day was put together perfectly, and all the suppliers she got together to put on an amazing day where lovely!" Angel Wade Photography



If you would like more info about the workshop or to book tickets, please check out the website. Be speedy though, as tickets for day one have already sold out!

Author: Fern Godfrey Fern spends most of her time dreaming about weddings and trying to convince her long-suffering boyfriend to propose. Lucky enough to live in sunny Cornwall, if you need her – you'll find her at beach.
Source: Wedding Photography Workshop On The Cornish Coast