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Masis Usenmez
Masis Usenmez
Masis Usenmez

Masis Usenmez

Country: Turkey/France

I was born in 1979, in Istanbul, Turkey. Since 2017, I'm living in Rennes, France with my wife and two kids. I started photography in my 30s. I graduated in economics from Yildiz Technical University in 2000, MBA degree From Istanbul University in 2002, Photography undergrad at Anadolu University in 2013, and Master of Photography at Marmara University in 2019.

I compete in many competitions and gain more than 300 acceptances and some medals. I participated in exhibitions in Turkey, Europe, and the USA. I honored with an EFIAP degree from FIAP.

Statement
My passion is street and documentary photography. On the street, I like to shoot with a rangefinder or mirrorless camera with a 35mm/50mm lens. I mostly transfer images to black and white with high contrast and grain. I like to use Black & White for give a more clear but surreal feeling in my images. It removes the distraction of color and help us focus on textures, shapes and patterns. With use of high contrast and grain, I can give my images a timeless mood.

Websites

www.masisusenmez.com

@masisus

 

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Katerina Belkina
Katerina Belkina
Russia
1974
Katerina Belkina was born in Samara, a city in the South-East of the European part of Russia. She grew up in an artistic atmosphere; her mother is a visual artist and, in herplace of birth, she got an education in the art of painting at the Art Academy. She continued her education in 2000 at an Academy for Photography also in Samara and exhibitions of her mysterious self-portraits ensued in Moscow and Paris. Katerina Belkina was nominated for the prestigious Kandinsky Prize (comparable to the British Turner prize) in Moscow in 2007. At the moment, Katerina Belkina is living and working in Moscow and Berlin.AAP: Where did you study photography?I started in a studio of photography and then I decided to study photography in an Art College. After several years I learned photography at the Photo Academy in Samara, Russia.AAP:How did you become a photographer?I think of myself as an artist in the broad sense of the word. For me photography is just a medium like a painting, drawing etc. However I like to use photography as a basis for my works. This form of art was always interesting for me. As well as drawing. I was influenced by my family in my childhood to like both mediums.AAP: Do you remember your first shot? What was it?When I was in fifth grade I took my school photo-group. Otherwise everything around me: school friends, street dogs, home yard.AAP:What was your first paid assignment/job?It was for an inexpensive portrait. The client was a girl who looked very similar to Marilyn Monroe. I found out that only when I looked at her in the viewfinder.AAP: What or who inspires you?Other people working in my field. When I see good results and when I see how they work. AAP: Do you spend a lot of time editing your images? For what purpose?Yes, a lot. At first I like the process of editing. In my case it is a combination of photo elements and then layer by layer drawing or correcting and making post-productions. I like when any art work include skills and labor. Every good idea should be perfectly executed.AAP: How do you choose your subjects?I always choose a topic that could be interesting for me at that moment. Then comes the process of thinking about. In the beginning ideas are always abstract. After a while it takes a shape: I choose a subject, composition, color combinations and details. AAP: Can you explain the process that you use to set up a portrait?When the idea takes shape in my mind, I draw a sketch, prepare all the necessary things for shooting and then start. Despite the fact that I know very exactly what I want for my future composition, I like to allow improvisation in the process. Because the result can be interesting and unexpectable. To take self-portraits I use a stative and make it by myself or I ask an assistant.AAP: Your worst souvenir as a photographer?Oh yes I remember! A meeting with a client who paid me and thought the world should rotate around him just because of that.AAP: What advice would you give a young photographer?Shoot a lot, take everything that could be interesting for you. Try new things, make discoveries. This is the most important thing. Don’t listen to anybody when they want to teach you something especially when it is in a critical way. AAP: What mistake should a young photographer avoid?Don’t try to be or to do like someone else. Your photography style will become unique over time. You need to be interested by what you are doing even if other photographers or artists can inspire you.
Spiro Bolos
Spiro Bolos
United States
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Sascha Ali
Sascha Ali
Trinidad and Tobago
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Tatsuo Suzuki
Tatsuo Suzuki
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Born in 1965 in Tokyo. Living in Yokohama,nearby Tokyo today. Started shooting in 2008. Mainly shooting Tokyo streets,also recently shoot portraits in Tokyo Streets. My aim to shoot the street is to show how the world is beautiful,interesting,wonderful and sometimes cruel. By means of photography and through my own eyes with my gear. I'm so happy and glad when someone feels some emotion when they see my shots. This year, June 2020, my first book has been published from STEIDL. 'Friction / Tokyo Street' Selected Awards 2015 LensCulture Street Photography Awards Finalist Miami Street Photography Contest Finalist ND Awards Photography Contest 1st Place (Street Category) 2016 San Francisco Street photo contest Finalist LensCulture Street Photography Awards Finalist ND Awards 2016 Street Category 1st Place Steidl Book Award Japan Winner 2017 The Fence 2017 Street Category Winner The Independent Photographer Competition Winner / May Theme Portrait London Street Photography Festival 2nd Place,Series Category LensCulture Street Photography Awards Finalist 2018 Head on portrait prize finalist
Flor Garduño
Flor Garduño
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Laura Aguilar
Mexico/United States
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Samuel Bourne
Samuel Bourne
British
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Samuel Bourne, an English photographer born in 1834, is celebrated as one of the foremost figures in early Indian photography. His journey into the world of photography began in Nottingham, England, where he initially worked as a bank clerk. However, his passion for the burgeoning art of photography soon eclipsed his banking career, leading him to pursue it full-time. Bourne's meticulous attention to detail and his technical proficiency quickly set him apart in the photographic community. In 1863, Bourne embarked on an ambitious voyage to India, a decision that would define his career and cement his legacy. He arrived in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and joined forces with the established photographic studio Howard & Shepherd, which later became known as Bourne & Shepherd. This partnership allowed Bourne to explore the Indian subcontinent extensively, capturing its diverse landscapes, architecture, and people with an unprecedented level of precision and artistry. Bourne's expeditions were both challenging and groundbreaking. He undertook several arduous journeys to remote and often inaccessible regions of India, including the Himalayas, where he captured stunning photographs of the mountains, rivers, and valleys. His images of Kashmir, Simla (now Shimla), and Darjeeling are particularly renowned for their clarity and composition. Bourne's work required immense physical stamina and technical skill, as he often had to transport heavy photographic equipment through difficult terrains. Throughout his time in India, Bourne produced an extensive portfolio that vividly documented the subcontinent's natural beauty and architectural grandeur. His photographs provided a window into India for the Western world and were widely acclaimed for their artistic merit and documentary value. Bourne's work was regularly featured in British photographic journals, and he received numerous accolades for his contributions to the field. Samuel Bourne returned to England in 1870, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of photography. He continued to be involved in the photographic industry but never again embarked on such extensive travels. Bourne's Indian photographs remain a significant historical record, offering a glimpse into the 19th-century Indian landscape and culture. His pioneering efforts not only advanced the technical aspects of photography but also set a high standard for future generations of photographers. Samuel Bourne passed away in 1912, but his work continues to be celebrated for its artistic and historical importance.
Ebru Sidar
Ebru Sidar
Turkey
1975
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Miguel Rio Branco
Miguel Rio Branco
Brazil
1946
Miguel Rio Branco (born 11 December 1946) is a Brazilian photographer, painter, and filmmaker (director and cinematographer). His work has focused on Brazil and included photojournalism, and social and political criticism. Rio Branco is an Associate Member of Magnum Photos. His photographs are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Rio Branco was born in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands. His parents were diplomats and he spent his childhood in Portugal, Switzerland, Brazil and the United States. In 1976 he moved to New York City, where he earned a BA, and took a one-month vocational course at the New York Institute of Photography. In 1978, he moved to Rio de Janeiro and studied at the Industrial Design College. He has been an Associate Member of Magnum Photos since 1980. He lives and works in Rio de Janeiro. Rio Branco's Silent Book (1997) is included in Parr and Badger's The Photobook: A History, Volume II.Source: Wikipedia Miguel Rio Branco (born in Las Palmas in 1946) is a Brazilian artist (photographer, painter, filmmaker and creator of multimedia installations) living and working in Rio de Janeiro. In 1966 he studied at the New York Institute of Photography and in 1968 he left to study at the School of Industrial Design in Rio de Janeiro. Between 1970 and 1972, he worked in New York as a director and cinematographer, and in the following years directed several experimental feature and short films. At the same time, he began exhibiting his photographs in 1972. From 1980 he became a correspondent for Magnum Photos and his photographic work was published in numerous magazines (Aperture, Stern, Photo Magazine). Considering the book as an essential medium of expression, he conceived many books including Sudor Dulce Amargo (Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City, 1985), Natka (Fundação Cultural de Curitib, 1996), Silent Book (Cosac & Naify, 1997), Miguel Rio Branco (Aperture, 1998) and Maldicidade (Taschen, 2019). His work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions, including Beauty, the Beast at the Art Institute of Boston in 2003; Plaisir de la douleur at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris in 2005; Solo at Kulturhuset Stockholm in 2011; Miguel Rio Branco: Nada Levarei quando morrer at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in 2017 and Miguel Rio Branco at the Moreira Salles Institute in São Paulo in 2020. His works can be found in many European and American public and private collections, including: Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro; Museu de Arte de São Paulo; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego; MoMA, New York.Source: LE BAL
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