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Submit your Best Project to Win a Solo Exhibition this March!
Submit your Best Project to Win a Solo Exhibition this March!
Sirli Raitma
Sirli Raitma
Sirli Raitma

Sirli Raitma

Country: Estonia
Birth: 1975

Sirli Raitma is a London based photographer. She was born and grew up in Suure-Jaani in Estonia. Sirli's images span portraiture, landscapes and interiors, but portraiture - especially involving ambiguity via costume or displacement - is her heartland.

Project - Eha

EHA is a series of portraits of my mother, portrayed in a series of unusual situations, poses and attire. Eha was born in Estonia in 1950. Widowed, suffering from epilepsy and lacking great command of English, Eha stayed tightly involved in our lives. In 2015 Eha began to suffer from depression. Life became bleaker. Something had to be done. I came up with a plan to give her something new to focus on, beyond her new procession of doctor's appointments and medications. The 'EHA' project was born.

'Eha revealed herself to be a natural model, happy to play along with my increasingly imaginative visual fantasies. The 'EHA' project has had an effect on both of us. It is encouraging to see that the results for us are also having a resonance for others. The project has featured in UK and Estonian magazines. The feedback from readers has been fantastic and is consistent it that it has prompted many to look at their own family situations and how they treat each other.'
 

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More Great Photographers To Discover

Quentin Shih
China
1975
Quentin Shih (a.k.a. Shi Xiaofan), born in Tianjin, China in 1975, lives and works as a camera artist, and filmmaker between New York and Beijing. A self-taught photographer, he began to shoot photos in college for local underground musicians and artists. After graduation, he came to Beijing to develop his career as a professional photographer/artist. From 2000 to 2002, he participated in exhibitions in China and America with his fine art photographic works and his works have been collected by American museums, such as the Danforth Museum of Art and the Worcester Art Museum. During the last few years, he has been producing work for top commercial clients and international publications such as Adidas, Microsoft, Sony, Siemens, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Esquire. His advertising campaigns work have won numerous prestigious international advertising and photography awards. In 2007, Quentin was named 'Photographer of the Year' by Esquire Magazine (China). In the following years, he joined lots group exhibitions and solo exhibitions in China, Europe, Southeast Asia and United States. As one of the leading Chinese photographers, Quentin Shih is well recognized for his individual artistic style which utilizes vast sets and dramatic lighting to engage in emotional narratives. Now, he is returning to his roots in fine art photography and challenging its techniques and concepts into his commercial and fashion photography in order to achieve a unique symbiosis. At the same time, he is also working on his film projects, A Parisian Movie (2011) was his first short movie shot in Paris, France.
Emin Özmen
Turkey
1985
Emin Özmen (born 1985) is a Turkish photographer, photojournalist and film maker based in Istanbul. He has worked especially on Turkey, on refugees and in the wider Middle East, including Syria and Iraq. In 2013 he founded a photography cooperative named Agence Le Journal, which is based in Istanbul. In 2017, he became a nominee member of Magnum Photos. He currently lives in Istanbul.Source: Wikipedia In 2008, he published two photobooks, "Humans of Anatolia" and "Microcredit Stories in Turkey", a collection of stories on women who were able to access a microcredit in Turkey. That same year, he obtained a degree in media photography and documentary (photography) at the University of Art and Design in Linz, Austria. In 2011, his work on drought in Somalia was published in a book and he worked on the disaster of Tohoku Earthquake and economic protests in Greece. The following year, he covered the Syrian civil war and ISIS crises in Iraq. Since 2012, Emin Özmen is working on his longterm project "Limbo - Les Limbes" and has undertaken a long work of photographic documentation with the populations uprooted by the spiral of conflicts. He has traveled many times to Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Italy and France to meet people who were forced into becoming “refugees”.Source: www.eminozmen.com Emin Özmen is concerned with documenting human rights violations in his home country of Turkey and around the world. His deeply affecting work has brought attention to the suffering of those who are victim to natural disaster, civil unrest and corruption. Since a few years, he has been working on his two long-term projects: Limbo - Les Limbes, which documents the populations uprooted by the spiral of conflicts and Hidden War about the Kurdish conflict that has simmered for decades in Turkey. He worked in South Sudan in 2018 on the adversity and resilience of life in a Protection of Civilians camp and surrounding villages. In 2019 he travelled to Venezuela, where he covered the humanitarian crisis inflicting the country. His work has been published by TIME Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Le Monde magazine M, Paris Match, Newsweek, among others. Özmen has won several awards, among them two World Press Photo awards and Public Prize of The Bayeux Calvados awards for war correspondents. He was a member of the jury of 2016 and 2018 World Press Photo Multimedia contests.Source: Magnum Photos
Mohammad Sorkhabi
Mohammad Sorkhabi was born in Mashhad-Iran in 1985. He has been engaged in portrait photography since 2013. Most of his artworks are inspired by Renascence and Baroque portrait paintings so he mostly uses the classical lighting techniques and pictorial editing of the works with a subtle expression-filled by emotions and poetic feelings that indicate social issues. Mood Photography is the style of Mohammad which makes the audience communicate with the poetic feeling of his art better. His portraits emphasizing on social issues through deep abstract feelings and delicate expressions in the eyes of his models. Awards: Fine Art's first reward in Canada Tirgan Festival-2015. Two artworks of him have been chosen for the final section and have been displayed in Malaysia-Kuala Lumpur portrait contest-2015. Also second and third place in beauty and portrait category and four honorable mention in Moscow photo awards(MIFA)-2015. Winning medal in Asahi Shimbun photo contest, Japan 2017 Mourning for the father War is defined as a long-term structured conflict involving the use of arms and weapons between nations, governments and different groups, which is associated with severe hostility, social disruption, and excessive financial loss and casualties. Today, we constantly witness such conflicts across the world, with the media spotlighting the loss of thousands of soldiers and death of civilians during wars. However, we are rarely informed on the survivors of wars and their destiny. What becomes of them? How does war influence the lives of those who have lost their loved ones? How do women mourn the deaths of their husbands, fathers, and brothers and cope with such grave tragedies? These contemplations have urged me to start a project in order to shed light on these events and reflect the grand suffering of war survivors only partly. My photographs have been inspired by the works of Renaissance painters, and this can be seen in the classical lighting techniques and pictorial editing of the works. In addition, the black veils on the models signify the spiritual aspect of the photographs, symbolizing the catharsis born out of a plethora of grief and agony.
Daniel Sackheim
United States
1962
Daniel Sackheim, born in 1962 in Los Angeles, California, is a photographer and film and television director and producer living and working in Los Angeles. As a director, Sackheim is best known for his work on multiple highly acclaimed television series. Some of his directorial credits include: Game of Thrones, True Detective, The Americans, The Walking Dead, Jack Ryan, Servant, Better Call Saul, The Leftovers, The Man in the High Castle, Ozark, and more recently Lovecraft Country. He has received multiple Emmy nominations, more recently in 2017 for directing the Ozark episode "Tonight We Improvise," which is a category he won in 1997 for an episode of NYPD Blue. In addition to his television work, Sackheim directed the Sony feature film, The Glass House, starring Leelee Sobieski, Diane Lane, and Stellan Skarsgard, and he produced the film, The X-Files: Fight the Future, for 20th Century Fox. Alongside fellow HBO alum Tony To, Sackheim is the co-founder of Bedrock Entertainment, which produces prestige content programming streamers and premium cable platforms. Sackheim's photographic practice translates the filmic league of his career into still photography that explores the nature of mystery, urban environments, and narrative ambiguity. His attraction to spaces dominated by shadows stems from his love of film noir and its predilection for heightened reality. A member of a number of photography centers, he is also a curator for www.streetfinder.site which is a growing community for street photography. Statement A camera is like a keyhole through which one can peer into dark spaces in search of a hidden narrative I've come to define as the unknown. Using photography, I am endeavoring to shine a light on that narrative, bringing it into sharper relief. My work occupies a space dominated by shadows. This attraction to the dark and ambiguous stems from my love of film noir and the heightened reality this filmic language personifies. Like noir, my photography aims to access the subconscious, exploring a world of omnipresent solitude and alienation. Article Exclusive Interview with Daniel Sackheim
Maxime Du Camp
France
1822 | † 1894
Maxime Du Camp was born on February 8, 1822, in Paris, France, into a prosperous family. His father, a successful surgeon, ensured that young Maxime received a thorough education, which was typical for children of the bourgeoisie. Du Camp's early years were marked by a strong inclination towards literature and the arts. He studied at the Collège Bourbon (now Lycée Condorcet), where he developed a keen interest in literature, history, and languages. His education extended beyond formal schooling; he was an avid reader, absorbing a wide array of subjects that later influenced his literary and journalistic career. In the early 1840s, Maxime Du Camp embarked on extensive travels that profoundly shaped his worldview and literary work. His first significant journey was to the Near East in 1844, where he visited Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. Traveling with a sense of adventure and a desire to document the cultures and landscapes he encountered, Du Camp honed his skills in photography, an emerging technology at the time, and became one of its early pioneers as a documentary tool. This journey had a substantial influence on Du Camp. The cultures, histories, and landscapes of the Near East provided rich material for his later writings. He published his travel experiences in "Souvenirs et paysages d'Orient" (1848), which combined vivid descriptions with keen observations of the places he visited. This work marked the beginning of his career as a travel writer and established his reputation in literary circles. One of the most significant relationships in Du Camp's life was his friendship with the famous French novelist Gustave Flaubert. The two met in 1843 and quickly formed a strong bond based on their mutual interests in literature and travel. In 1849, they embarked on a journey to the Middle East, which took them to Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey. This expedition was particularly important for Du Camp as it allowed him to combine his passion for travel with his budding interest in photography. During this trip, Du Camp took numerous photographs of ancient monuments, landscapes, and people. These images were later published in "Egypte, Nubie, Palestine and Syrie" (1852), one of the earliest photographic travel books. The collaboration with Flaubert during this journey also had a lasting impact on both men's work. Du Camp's photographs provided valuable visual documentation for Flaubert's future literary works, while Flaubert's meticulous approach to writing influenced Du Camp's style. Du Camp's literary career was diverse, encompassing travel writing, novels, poetry, and journalism. His early works, such as "Souvenirs et paysages d'Orient" and "Egypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie," were primarily travelogues that showcased his ability to capture the essence of distant lands through both words and images. In the 1850s, Du Camp turned his attention to fiction. His first novel, "Mémoires d'un suicidé" (1853), was a reflection on the social and moral issues of his time. Although not as commercially successful as his travel writings, this novel demonstrated his versatility as a writer and his willingness to explore different genres. Du Camp also made significant contributions to poetry. He published several collections, including "Les Chants modernes" (1855) and "Convictions" (1858), which were characterized by their reflection on contemporary society and politics. His poetic style was influenced by the Romantic movement, but he also incorporated elements of realism, a reflection of his broader literary interests. In addition to his literary pursuits, Du Camp was an active journalist. He contributed to various newspapers and magazines, including "La Revue des Deux Mondes" and "Le Constitutionnel." His journalistic work covered a wide range of topics, from politics to culture, showcasing his ability to engage with contemporary issues. Du Camp was also known for his critiques of French society, often addressing the tensions and contradictions of his time. Maxime Du Camp was not only a man of letters but also an engaged citizen. He was a staunch supporter of the Second French Empire under Napoleon III and was involved in the political discourse of his time. In 1851, he joined the ranks of the Saint-Simonians, a socialist group that advocated for social reform and the improvement of the working class's conditions. His political views were reflected in his writings, where he often addressed social justice and the need for societal progress. Du Camp's political engagement extended to his role as an editor. In 1862, he co-founded the influential literary magazine "Revue des Deux Mondes" with Charles Buloz. This publication became a significant platform for intellectual and literary debate in France, featuring contributions from leading writers and thinkers of the time. Despite his busy career, Du Camp continued to travel extensively throughout his life. His later travels took him to North Africa and Europe, where he continued to document his experiences through writing and photography. His later works, such as "Le Nil: Égypte et Nubie" (1877), reflected his ongoing fascination with the places he visited and his desire to share these experiences with a wider audience. Maxime Du Camp's contributions to literature, photography, and journalism have left a lasting legacy. His pioneering use of photography in travel writing helped establish the medium as a legitimate form of documentation and artistic expression. His travel books remain valuable records of the places and cultures he encountered, providing insights into the 19th-century world. Du Camp's literary works, though not as widely known today as those of his contemporaries like Flaubert, offer a rich exploration of the social and political issues of his time. His ability to blend personal reflection with broader societal commentary makes his writings relevant to contemporary readers. As a journalist, Du Camp's contributions to French intellectual life were significant. His engagement with political and cultural debates helped shape public discourse in 19th-century France. The "Revue des Deux Mondes," under his editorial guidance, became a cornerstone of French literary and cultural life. Maxime Du Camp passed away on February 8, 1894, on his 72nd birthday, leaving behind a diverse body of work that continues to be appreciated for its depth and breadth. His life was marked by a relentless curiosity and a desire to explore and understand the world, qualities reflected in his writings and photographs. Du Camp's legacy is that of a true Renaissance man, whose contributions spanned multiple fields and left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of his time.
Daniel Beltrá
Spain/United States
1964
Born in Madrid, Spain, Daniel Beltrá is a photographer based in Seattle, Washington. His passion for conservation is evident in images of our environment that are evocatively poignant. The most striking large-scale photographs by Beltrá are images shot from the air. This perspective gives the viewer a wider context to the beauty and destruction he witnesses, as well as revealing a delicate sense of scale. After two months of photographing the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill, he produced many visually arresting images of the man-made disaster. Over the past two decades, Beltrá's work has taken him to all seven continents, including several expeditions to the Brazilian Amazon, the Arctic, the Southern Oceans and the Patagonian ice fields. For his work on the Gulf Oil Spill, in 2011 he received the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award and the Lucie Award for the International Photographer of the Year - Deeper Perspective,. His SPILL photos toured the world independently and as part of the Prix Pictet exhibitions. In 2009, Beltrá received the prestigious Prince's Rainforest Project award granted by Prince Charles. Other highlights include the BBVA Foundation award in 2013 and the inaugural "Global Vision Award" from the Pictures of the Year International in 2008. In 2006, 2007 and 2018 he received awards for his work in the Amazon from World Press Photo. Daniel's work has been published by the most prominent international publications including The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Le Monde, and El Pais, amongst many others. Daniel Beltrá is a fellow of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers. Source: danielbeltra.photoshelter.com Born in Madrid, Spain, Daniel Beltrá is a photographer based in Seattle, Washington. His passion for conservation is evident in images of our environment that are evocatively poignant. The most striking large-scale photographs by Beltrá are images shot from the air. This perspective gives the viewer a wider context to the beauty and destruction he witnesses, as well as revealing a delicate sense of scale. After two months of photographing the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill, he produced many visually arresting images of the man-made disaster. His SPILL exhibit premiered in August 2010, toured around the globe in 2011 and will continue into 2012. Over the past two decades, Beltrá’s work has taken him to all seven continents, including several expeditions to the Brazilian Amazon, the Arctic, the Southern Oceans and the Patagonian ice fields. For his work on the Gulf Oil Spill, in 2011 he received the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, the Lucie Award for the International Photographer of the Year - Deeper Perspective, and was chosen as one of the six finalists for Critical Mass for Photolucida. In 2009, Beltrá received the prestigious Prince’s Rainforest Project award granted by Prince Charles. Other highlights include the inaugural “Global Vision Award” from the Pictures of the Year International in 2008. In 2007 and 2006 he received awards for his work in the Amazon from World Press Photo. Daniel’s work has been published by the most prominent international publications including The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Le Monde, and El Pais, amongst many others. Daniel Beltrá is a fellow of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers. Source: edelmangallery.com
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AAP Magazine #55 Women
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