Photographer #423: Kahn & Selesnick

Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick, both 1964, UK, are two photographers / installation artists based in the US who have been working together since 1988. They met at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1995 they started using photography as the way of telling their stories. Together they have created a large number of series that can best be described as "complex narrative photo-novellas." The fantastical and extremely wide panoramic images are accompanied by texts. They conceive an alternate reality, use costumed actors, construct detailed three-dimensional miniatures and combine all these elements into their compelling and mythical photographs. Even the website takes the viewer on a journey through the world of Kahn and Selesnick. Their work has been released as books on numerous occasions and has been exhibited throughout the world extensively. The following images come from the series Mars: Adrift on the Hourglass Sea, Apollo Prophecies, City of Salt and Scotlandfuturebog.

Website: www.kahnselesnick.com

Photographer #408: Stephen Gill

Stephen Gill, 1971, UK, is an experimental, conceptual and documentary photographer. In 2005 he founded his publishing company in order to gain maximum control over the publication process of his books. He has released an impressive amount of books. For him a book is not merely a vessel or a shell in which to house and show his photographs, it should be the finished expression of the images. Various techniques are used as cut printing, spray paint or rubber stamps are used to what he considers "the key final stage in the production of his photographic works." The images for the series Outside In were made in Brighton where he featured objects found in the local surroundings that he literally put inside of his camera and started making images of street sceneries. To finish the images he used a magnifying glass to concentrate the sunlight onto some of the negatives in order to create markings. Other negatives were dipped into the sea hoping that the finished series would become something like the regurgitated contents of a giant vacuum cleaner. For his series Billboards he photographed the backsides of these large objects taking us to strange places that are normally hidden from our point of view. His work has been exhibited extensively throughout the world. The following images come from the series Outside In, Billboards and Hackney Flowers.

Website: www.stephengill.co.uk

Photographer #398: Jason Larkin

Jason Larkin, United Kingdom, 1979, is a documentary photographer who was originally trained as a photojournalist. He concentrates on developing larger bodies of work that engage and reflect on current affairs. He focuses on the less reported aspects of the Middle East and Africa, trying to achieve a "more comprehensive viewpoint of an often misunderstood and ignored reality". In his series Cairo Divided he photographed the construction sites in the deserts outside of Cairo. The city has grown at a fast pase, and even though it's growth was bounded by the narrow strip of fertile land, irrigated by the Nile, the elite class of the city is starting to move to new urban centers in the desert in an attempt to escape the chaos and growing amount of slums. Mistake of Nature is a series photographed in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan. While being a region that has suffered one of the worst environmental disasters, the disapearance of the Aral Sea, which in turn has caused a collapse of its industry and economy, the people are slowly demanding their independance. The people that wish not to have an independent state are largely leaving the region. In recent years Jason has exhibited his work in several European cities as well as Boston, Toronto, Dubai and Cairo. The following images come from the series Cairo Divided, Mistake of Nature and In the Footsteps of the King.

Website: www.jasonlarkin.co.uk

Photographer #386: Richard Learoyd

Richard Learoyd, 1966, UK, graduated in Fine Art Photography at the Glasgow School of Art. He has a very unique way of working which creates absolutely unique photographs. He build a giant camera that can best be described as a huge camera obscura. The camera is comprised of two rooms. In one room is the model or the object in a light source. In the other room, behind a large lens, is a huge piece of photographic paper. Once exposed, a unique, life-size direct-positive print is created. Unlike the pinhole camera images, Richard's photographs are clear of distortion, sharp and very detailed. Apart from the technical aspects, he manages to create poetically stunning imagery. He places people, clothed and nude, as well as objects in front of his lens. The exposure takes 8 hours, so the models have to sit still while being under hot lights for the same amount of time. The final and approved images, he destroys the one's that are imperfect, have a painter-like quality to them with soft tones and melancholic poses. He considers the method to be a natural step in search of the ultimate image.

Website: www.richardlearoyd.com
For more work visit: www.fraenkelgallery.com & www.mckeegallery.com

Photographer #378: Marcus Bleasdale

Marcus Bleasdale, 1968, UK, is an engaged photojournalist and documentary photographer who uses his work to influence decision makers and policy makers around the world. He has concentrated on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo for many years, highlighting the reasons behind and the devastating effects of the conflict. The first book covering Congo entitled One Hundred Years of Darkness was released in 2002. In 2009 he released his second book about the conflict called The Rape of a Nation. Other projects have taken him to countries as Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, Darfur and China. Marcus has exhibited his work extensively and at important spaces as the US senate, The US House of Representatives and The United Nations amongst others. He has been awarded numerous awards for his photography which has also been featured in numerous magazines as Stern, The New Yorker and Time. Marcus is a full member of the VII Photo Agency. The following images come from the series Congo - The Rape of a Nation, China - Internet Revolution? and Darfur - Never Ending War.

Website: www.marcusbleasdale.com

Photographer #363: Phil Poynter

Phil Poynter, 1973, UK, is a fashion photographer working in the photography markets of London, New York, Paris and Milan. He started his career as a creative director of Dazed & Confused. During the five years of collaboration with the magazine he became a regular contributor as a photographer. He focuses on fashion and advertising photography as well as celebrity portraiture. His work has appeared in large and influential magazines as Vogue, Numero, L'uomo Vogue and GQ Style. He has done large production photoshoots for commercial clients as Lacoste, Louis Vuitton and Thomas Pink. For Prada he shot large groups of people creating fashionable images that remind us of the North Korean Mass Games. The following images come from Ponystep Monotone Symphony and from his archive.

Website: www.philpoynter.com

Photographer #362: Araminta de Clermont

Araminta de Clermont, 1971, UK, is a documentary photographer who has created several bodies of work in South-Africa. In her series Before Life she portrayed girls on the Cape Flats, an area full of problems as poverty, crime, teenage pregnancies, drug addiction and gangs. The girls are all dressed up for their Matric Dance, a South African tradition for graduating 12th grade. These girls are often the first matriculants of their family, having been disadvantaged by the apartheid era. In Life After she focused on the tattoos and lives of South-Africa's prison gangs after having been released into society. The men have often been imprisoned for many years, if not decades. The tattoo's, forbidden in the prison system, show life stories, hierarchy, testimonies and personal statements. Araminta has worked a lot for the life style section of The Sunday Times in South Africa and has exhibited her work in a few solo and several group exhibitions. The following images come from the series Before Life, Life After and A new Beginning.

Website: www.aramintadeclermont.com

Photographer #332: Antony Crossfield

Antony Crossfield, 1972, UK, is a photographer who digitally manipulates his images. He tries to "question and undermine traditional conceptions of corporeality whilst exploring the relationship between the body and identity." Much like a painter he combines his subjects with each other or other objects, presenting the body as unstable and constantly in flux. In his series Foreign Body he constructed the final photographs from various elements shot at different times and angles. He carefully puts every aspect of the images together, also thinking about the decor and the objects in the room as narrative symbols. The process of making an image can take up to several months. The following images come from the series Foreign Body, Missing Mass and War Dance.

Website: www.antonycrossfield.com

Photographer #328: Finlay MacKay

Finlay MacKay, 1973, UK, is a Scottish commercial and editorial photographer. He studied Fine Art photography at the Glasgow School of Art. In 2002, after having assisted various photographers in London, he began working for himself. He has done commercial shoots for a large number of major brands as Diesel, Virgin Atlantic and Absolut. Finlay also works with athletes and does photo shootings for Nike, Adidas and Umbro. He has done a lot of editorial work for the New York Times Magazine and in 2009 he became a lead photographer for Time Magazine. The following images come from campaigns for Lavazza and Adidas and from his portfolio Celebrities & Musicians.

Website: www.finlaymackay.com

Photographer #307: Jake Chessum

Jake Chessum, 1967, UK, is an editorial portrait photographer who lives and works in New York. He did a foundation course at the Central School of Art and received a degree in graphic design at the St. Martins School of Art. Jake was already concentrated on the photographic medium during his studies which resulted in him solely focusing on photography during his third year at St. Martins. After doing a vast amount of small jobs, slowly climbing the ladder, he finally moved to New York in 1999. Today Jake has had an amazing amount of celebrities in front of his camera, from Robert De Niro to 50 Cent. Amongst his clients are GQ, New York Magazine and Paper. He released two books; The New York Look Book, images on the streets of New York and Rubbish, photographs of discarted items at various locations around the world. The following images come from his portfolio People and his books Look Book and Rubbish.

Website: www.jakechessum.com

Photographer #271: David Chancellor

David Chancellor, 1961, UK, works and lives in South Africa. He studied at Kent Institute of Art and Design. His work, for which he travels extensively, can be best described as documentary reportage. His series Hunters, which will be released as a monograph in 2011, explores the relationship between man and animal. South Africa currently has the largest hunting industry. His series Elephant Story won a World Press Photo award in 2010. We see local villagers in Zimbabwe that fall upon the body of a dead elephant. Within two hours they reduce the large animal to bones. Besides his documentary work David also focuses on landscape and portrait photography and also photographed his wife and son. His photography is very clean, sharp and bright and takes us deep into the subject of human behaviour. Chancellor was named Nikon photographer of the year three times. The following images come from the series Hunters, Cotton and Elephant Story.

Website: www.davidchancellor.com

Photographer #251: James Mollison

British photographer James Mollison, 1973, born in Kenya, published his latest book Disciples in 2008. For three years he photographed fans outside various concerts. He was fascinated by the different tribes of people and how they copied their favourite stars. In 2004 the book James & Other Apes came out. James was struck by the similarity of the human face to the faces of monkeys. He photographed the monkeys in various places on this planet using the aesthetic of the passport photograph. The following images come from the series The Disciples, James & Other Apes and Hunger.

Website: www.jamesmollison.com

Photographer #248: Percy Dean

Percy Dean, 1973, Great-Britain, started photographing at a young age around his love of skateboarding. In 1997 he founded Document Magazine, an internationally renowned skateboard / lifestyle magazine and held the position of editor and senior photographer for over a decade. In 2009 he was commissioned to shoot the 1966 Photo-Book for Vans footwear. Amongst his clients are various skateboarding brands and magazines. In 2008 he completed an MA in photojournalism and documentary photography. His series Clouds of Glory is about an Orthodox Jewish community on the outskirts of Manchester, documenting a society he had no prior knowledge of, wanting to show the struggle to maintain their culture within the wider community. Percy's photography style is very direct and without pretence. The following images come from the portfolio's Vans 1966 Photo-Book, People and Clouds of Glory.

Website: www.percydean.com

Photographer #219: Eliot Lee Hazel

Eliot Lee Hazel, 1971, UK, is a California based photographer. He makes gritty and cinematic images. They are well composed, stylish yet have a raw edge. He has worked for various musicians like Morcheeba, Yeasayer and Basement Jaxx and with actresses as Shannyn Sossamon. His images are fragments of stories told, triggering the brain to start associating. Eliot's images can be compared to cliffhangers, raising more questions than answers. The following images are a variety of his portfolio's.

Website: www.eliotleehazel.com

Photographer #206: Cig Harvey

British photographer Cig Harvey, 1973, lives in Boston and on the coast of Maine. She uses photography as a means to tell stories. Often her work is a reflection of her own life and the things she has experienced. This is why she often uses herself as the subject in her images. She is also fascinated by vintage dresses which often end up being used in her photographs. Cig has exhibited extensively throughout the USA and several European cities. The following images come from her portfolio's Thoughts Like Five Fingers Spread, An Archaeology of Distraction and The Impossible Tasks.

Website: www.cigharvey.com

Photographer #178: Matt Stuart

Matt Stuart, 1974, UK, is a street photographer. He uses a Leica MP to shoot his images. Matt's work is humorous and spontaneous. He does not stage or manipulate any of his photographs apart from his commercial work. Roaming the streets of London, Stuart is looking for moments, happenings where all things fall into place to make his shot. He had a show beginning of this year called Happy Accidents, which might just be the best title to describe Matt's photography. The following images come from his Colour and Black&White portfolio.

Website: www.mattstuart.com

Photographer #172: George Georgiou

George Georgiou, 1961, Great-Britain, has an impressive body of work. In his latest book Fault Lines/Turkey/East/West he focused on the normal everyday life of Turkish people in a drastically changing country. Turkey is constantly modernizing and urbanizing due to mass migration from villages to cities. To persue his photography George has been to various countries as Serbia, Kosovo, Georgia and Ukraine. The following images come from the series Fault Lines: Turkey East West, Transit Ukraine: After the Revolution, Turks2 and Between the Lines Part 2.

Website: www.georgegeorgiou.net