Kourtney Roy, Desperate Dreamer
In eccentric self-portraits, Kourtney Roy embodies atypical characters. She enjoys the world by using it as a film set, transforming reality into fiction. In this film, you will follow the photographer in Cancùn, in the footsteps of her latest project, The Tourist, published in book form by André Frère.
Joakim Eskildsen, Nothing Special
Joakim Eskildsen is a Danish documentary photographer praised for his work on the Roma people and poverty in the United States. After traveling the world to document the stories and the lives of others, Joakim is now telling his own story and that of the people around him in this 38-minutes film. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like their stories are anything special.
Masterclass With Charles Traub
Charles H. Traub is an American photographer and educator, known for his ironic real-world witness color photography. He founded the MFA program in Photography, Video, and Related Media at the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1987, which was the first program of its kind to fully embrace digital photographic practice. In […]
Masterclass with Andrea Modica
Andrea Modica’s images are made with a large 8X10” camera and appear in major magazines and museums. In this video, she tells her philosophy of portraiture and shows the platinum printing. For more images by Andrea Modica, click here.
Masterclass with Duane Michals
The poetic work of American artist Duane Michals, famous for his existential photo series and for his wacky personality, is punctuated by portraits. Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, writer Stephen King, the father of dadaism Marcel Duchamp, painter René Magritte. He tells here in video his approach to the genre. For more images by Duane […]
Masterclass with NOOR Photographers
NOOR Images takes its name from the Arabic word for light. The organization is a global, multilingual collective of highly accomplished journalists, authors, photographers, artists and filmmakers documenting, investigating and witnessing our world. They approach their work with integrity, passion, and respect. They believe stories have an impact and inspire action. They believe in the […]
Shooting a Long-Term Documentary Project, by Kadir van Lohuizen
A member of NOOR Images, Kadir van Lohuizen has covered conflicts in Africa and elsewhere, but is probably best known for his long-term projects on the seven rivers of the world, the rising of sea levels, the diamond industry and migration in the Americas. In this 4-chapter course, he will give you his advice on […]
Shooting Architecture With a Medium-Format Camera, by Bénédicte Kurzen
Bénédicte Kurzen’s photographic career began when she moved to Israel in 2003, covering hard news as a freelancer in the Gaza Strip, Iraq and Lebanon. She won a World Press Photo for her collaborative project with NOOR Photographer Sanne De Wilde for “Land of Ibeji” in 2019. In this 4-chapter course, she will give you […]
Street Photography in New York City, by Nina Berman
Nina Berman is a documentary photographer, filmmaker, author and educator. Her wide-ranging work looks at American politics, militarism, post violence trauma and resistance. Among her passions stand street photography. In this 4-chapter course, she will give you her advice on how to roam the streets of New York, and take advantage of the luminous beams […]
Using the Smartphone for Storytelling, by Jon Lowenstein
Jon Lowenstein, from NOOR Images, specializes in long-term, in-depth documentary explorations that confront the realms of power, poverty, racial discrimination and violence. Through the combination of photography, moving images, experiential writing and poetry, he strives for unsparing clarity by revealing the subjects of history that lack voice. In this 4-chapter course, he will give you […]
Using an Analog Camera for Portraits, by Francesco Zizola
A member of NOOR Images, Francesco Zizola has documented the world’s major conflicts and their hidden crisis, focusing on the social and humanitarian issues that define life in the developing world as well as in western countries. In this 4-chapter course, he will give you his advice on how to take portraits with an analog […]
Shooting Portraits With Artificial Light, by Sanne de Wilde
A member of NOOR Images, Sanne De Wilde explores the medium of photography and effectuates this in regards to subjects related to the role genetics, identity and perception play in people’s lives and how this shapes and affects communities and makes people vulnerable in the eye of society. In this 4-chapter course, she will give […]
Shooting Indoor Architecture Photography, by Francesco Zizola
A member of NOOR Images, Francesco Zizola has documented the world’s major conflicts and their hidden crisis, focusing on the social and humanitarian issues that define life in the developing world as well as in western countries. In this 4-chapter course, he will give you his advice on how to produce indoor architecture photographs, and […]
Shooting With Flash on Assignment, by Nina Berman
A member of NOOR Images, Nina Berman is a documentary photographer, filmmaker, author and educator. Her wide-ranging work looks at American politics, militarism, post violence trauma and resistance. In this 4-chapter course, she will take you with her in Coney Island, New York, to photograph the famous Mermaid Parade. Watch the entire class below, choose […]
Shooting Architecture With a Tilt-Shift Lens, by Jon Lowenstein
Jon Lowenstein, from NOOR Images, specializes in long-term, in-depth documentary explorations that confront the realms of power, poverty, racial discrimination, and violence. Through the combination of photography, moving images, experiential writing, and poetry, he strives for unsparing clarity by revealing the subjects of history that lack voice. In this 4-chapter course, he will give you […]
Shooting Portraits with Instant Film, by Pep Bonet
A member of NOOR Images, Pep Bonet is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer who has traveled extensively capturing profound moments that represent the unbalanced world in which we live. In this 4-chapter course, he will give you his advice on how to take portraits with instant cameras such as Polaroids, and you will follow his […]
Night Reportage with Natural Light, by Sanne de Wilde
A member of NOOR Images, Sanne De Wilde explores the medium of photography and effectuates this in regards to subjects related to the role genetics, identity and perception play in people’s lives and how this shapes and affects communities and makes people vulnerable in the eye of society. In this 4-chapter course, she will give […]
Portraits in an Uncontrolled Environment, by Sebastián Liste
A member of NOOR Images, Sebastián Liste is a documentary photographer and sociologist immersed and devoted to document the profound cultural changes and contemporary issues in Latin America and the Mediterranean Sea area, regions where he grew up and knows well. In this 4-chapter course, he will give you his advice on taking portraits in […]
Documenting a Sports Community, by Sebastián Liste
A member of NOOR Images, Sebastián Liste is a documentary photographer and sociologist immersed and devoted to document the profound cultural changes and contemporary issues in Latin America and the Mediterranean Sea area, regions where he grew up and knows well. In this 4-chapter course, he will give you his best advice on documenting a […]
Using Natural Light for Portraits, by Olga Kravets
A member of NOOR Images, Olga Kravets is a journalist by education and she started to take photographs as an alternative means of expression in Russia, where press freedom continues to be a struggle. In this 4-chapter course, she will take you with her to the city of Saint-Denis, near Paris, and give you advice […]
A History of Documentary Photography, Part I
The peculiar thing about documentary photography is that, since the inception of the medium, documenting has been the very purpose of photography as a whole. Historian Guillaume Blanc takes an in-depth look at what many consider to be the nobility of photography.
A History of Documentary Photography, Part II
The peculiar thing about documentary photography is that, since the inception of the medium, documenting has been the very purpose of photography as a whole. Here, historian Guillaume Blanc continues his in-depth look at what many consider to be the nobility of photography. Read the first part of the course here if needed.
A History of Portrait Photography, Part I
In photography, portraiture is a constantly evolving genre. Writing a history of portrait photography amounts to writing a history of photography itself. Historian Guillaume Blanc gives us insight into a practice appreciated by many photographers.
A History of Portrait Photography, Part II
In this second part of our lesson on the history of portrait photography, the historian Guillaume Blanc continues his exploration of the genre by theme, starting with the social question. Read the first part of the course here if needed.
Gaia Squarci: “Opening a Door to the Experience of Others”
Gaia Squarci is a photographer and videographer who divides her time between Milan and New York, where she teaches multimedia at the International Center of Photography. She’s a contributor to major publications such as The New York Times, the New Yorker, or The Guardian, and produces both photographs for the press and personal projects with always the same goal: tell a story that hasn’t been told. In this interview, she tells us her approach to documentary photography and its importance in our society.
Amy Lombard: “I Like it Messy and Lived in”
While some portrait photographers insist on structuring the setting and controlling the composition, Amy Lombard’s approach embraces the unpredictable moments that inevitably happen on a shoot. “I like it messy and lived in,” she says. So do the New York Times, New York Magazine, Vice, and Time, among others, who regularly send her to photograph the people and phenomena making an impact on American culture.
Robert Beck: “How to Stand Apart From the Pack”
One of the most respected sports photographers, Robert Beck has photographed many of the world’s greatest athletes and captured top sporting events in his particular way. He tells us about his experience and his love for both sports and photography.
Podcast: Sarah Blesener on Documentary Photography
Sarah Blesener is a documentary photographer based in New York City. While in University, she worked as a photographer for the organization Healing Haiti based in Port au Prince, Haiti, covering events surrounding the 2010 earthquake. Her latest work revolves around issues of youth culture and movements, focusing on Russia, Eastern Europe, and the United […]
Podcast: Timothy Archibald on Portraiture
Join this intimate chat with award winning photographer Timothy Archibald who talks about portrait photography, and both personal and commercial projects. Timothy Archibald defines himself as the photographer agencies call to make empathetic images of things that are a little bit different, a little bit curious. For more information and images by Timothy Archibald, click here. […]
How Wildlife Photography Can Teach Us to Respect Nature
Each year, the prestigious Wildlife Photography of The Year competition honors the best wildlife photographers from around the world. The images taken by the winners allow us to stop and take a concerned look at our environment.
Leandro Frutos: “Creating a Bond With Music Bands”
Mixing his passion for music and photography, Leandro Frutos has photographed live indie concerts in Buenos Aires for the past 10 years. Every week he is backstage with a musician or intertwined in the crowd capturing the energy and feeling that music brings. He shared his experience and his insight with us.
Matt Eich: “I Don’t Dress Loud, I Don’t Walk Loud, I Don’t Talk Loud”
Among many other gifts, Matt Eich has been blessed with a long attention span: his widely praised look at a struggling community in rural Ohio began more than 13 years ago, and he’s been returning to Baptist Town—a Mississippi neighborhood wracked by poverty and violence—for seven years. The result of his ongoing focus? Intimate, seductively subtle stories that sometimes feel like memory itself. Eich’s eye for moments loaded with emotion, combined with a considered approach to the role—and limits—of documentary photography, has led to frequent assignments from the likes of the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Time, and National Geographic, among others.
Corentin Fohlen: “I am like a stage director”
Corentin Fohlen has worked as a photojournalist since 2005. Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan: he has crisscrossed the world documenting conflict and poverty. To take a break from reporting, he often does celebrity portraits in France: political figures, filmmakers, actors, and singers; every time the subject must be “managed,” as he puts it, to create original, surprising images.
Calendar of Grants and Prizes for Portrait
Grants and photography competitions are often a way to develop one’s artistic practice, to get one’s work out, to lead a long-term project. Here you will find a list of all important prizes and awards dedicated to portrait photography with a calendar of submissions, grant amounts and useful information. Submit your work.
Calendar of Grants and Prizes for Documentary
Grants and photography competitions are often a way to develop one’s artistic practice, to get one’s work out, to lead a long-term project. Here you will find a list of all important prizes and awards dedicated to portrait photography with a calendar of submissions, grant amounts and useful information. Submit your work.
Book Advice: Technique and Theory in Documentary Photography
Making a photograph of the instant when a real moment in life unfolds is what documentary photography is all about. Staging and editing a scene removes the reality, but learning about photojournalistic techniques and theory like “The Decisive Moment” can allow amateur and professional photographers to master their skills. The following selection of books are filled with these kinds of advice.
Book Advice: Fine Art Portraits
In this selection, you will find the most important photo books of photo portrait history. These include the works from the greatest photographers that have highly influenced the art form, from the fashion world to socially oriented subjects. Ranging from different time periods and artistic intentions, this list is a great starting place to dive into the essence of portraiture.
Revisiting the Hedonistic Bliss of New York’s Legendary ‘90s Nightlife Scene
A new book looks back at the iconic 1990s nightclub scene when sex, drugs, and dance music created the perfect cocktail for iconic parties that catered to revelers every imaginable whim. Let’s revisit the blissfulness of New York 90’s club scene.
Book Advice: Technique in Portraiture
Whether you’re an experienced professional or starting to get into photography: there are always new things you can learn about taking pictures. Photography books are great tools to improve one’s technique. This list is a selection of books intended for all photographers looking to overcome common portraiture challenges like those of lighting and posing.
Once Upon a Moon
With over five hundred images and five films, the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris pays homage to Sarah Moon’s work and honors her unclassifiable, yet instantly recognizable style. “Have you seen Loulou?” Thus begins a 1980s’ commercial for Cacharel perfumes that marked a whole generation: over a few seconds, Gabriel Fauré’s haunting music unfolds in […]
The Thousand Lives of Cindy Sherman
The star of American photography, Cindy Sherman, is given pride of place at the Vuitton Foundation in Paris. Her show features a multitude of mises-en-scène that caricature our society. Forty-five years: this is how long Cindy Sherman has photographed herself. The American artist started out in black and white while still a student in Buffalo, […]
The Hidden Pictures of Alberto di Lenardo
Recently discovered in an attic, 11,900 pictures taken by Alberto di Lenardo depict his native Italy with Kodachrome’s rich colors. Blind spoke with di Lenardo’s granddaughter who shined light on these magical photographs.
A Summer in Europe with Sergio Purtell
Published against all odds, Sergio Purtell’s book Love’s Labour is an infinite, timeless ode to summertime Europe. The American photographer reveals a series of captivating, sun-filled photographs, beautifully edited nearly forty years later.
Photographing derelict sites, by Jonk
Jonk travels around the world in search of derelict sites he likes to photograph. He has just published a book, Goodbye Lenin, featuring places in the former Soviet Union and its satellite countries. He offers us advice and shares some thoughts on the art of photographing decay.
Lázaro Roberto: photography and activism in Brazilian black communities
For over forty years, Lázaro Roberto has photographed black Brazilian communities in the Bahia region of Brazil. Photography and black rights activism are so intrinsically linked for him that they have come to form a life struggle that is one and the same. Like much of the world these days, Lázaro Roberto is confined and […]
