BETTERTON — When Perry Hall first learned to ollie (catch air) on a skateboard on Wheeler Avenue’s cracked sidewalks in Betterton, he had no idea how far those urethane wheels would take him.
From California, to Rome to now Texas.
There is more than one way to take amazing close-up photos, and not all require expensive gear or even a dedicated macro lens. In his latest video, Adam Gibbs ventures out on a quest to capture stunning close-up images of wild roses near his home. He shows several ways to take close-up photos, including some you may have not even considered.
The unexpected hero of this shoot is a 500mm lens. While not meant (or ideal) for close-up shots, Adam decides to give it a go. The lens offers a significant working distance, but focusing at close range becomes an issue.
To overcome this limitation, Adam employs a creative combination of tools. Extension tubes increase the magnification of the lens, allowing him to get closer to the subject. A 1.4x teleconverter further extends the focal length but also reduces light-gathering capabilities.
Adam explores the concept of working distance while photographing smaller flowers. He highlights the importance of working distance, which allows you to move around the subject without interfering and manipulate the background. He recommends a 70-200mm zoom lens with extension tubes.
Adam also uses a 77mm close-up filter from Kase. These filters screw onto the front of a lens and provide magnification for macro photography. While Adam hasn’t used it extensively yet, he finds it a promising alternative, especially for those who don’t own a macro lens.
Close-up filters offer key advantages: unlike extension tubes and teleconverters, they don’t reduce light transmission. They also work well with zoom lenses, offering more versatility. Focusing can be a bit tricky though, often requiring adjustments by zooming and using the focus ring. Still, compared to dedicated macro lenses, close-up filters can be a more affordable option.
I personally use this $70 thingy (Raynox DCR-250), and since I’m not a full-time macro shooter, it’s perfect for my needs. Still, if you want to devote your time and skill to macro photography more than just occasional shooting, Adam emphasizes that high-quality macro lenses remain the ideal choice. This brings us to the “conventional methods” for macro photography, aka dedicated macro lenses.
Finally, Adam also shows the results he got with a dedicated macro lens. If you want to invest in one of these, he suggests getting a 105mm or 200mm macro lens for optimal macro photography experience. They go from $500 to $800-ish on the cheaper end, depending on the brand and specs.
Adam’s video offers a unique perspective on macro photography, offering multiple options for different types of photographers. It showcases how resourcefulness and creative thinking can lead to captivating close-up images, even with unconventional and/or affordable gear. Watch the full video for Adam’s sample images, and take your pick for your next macro photography adventure.
[Achieving Jaw-Dropping Close-Up Shots on a budget | Adam Gibbs]
“I derive most of my creative peace from walking through the neighborhoods and hills of Los Angeles,” photographer Lauren Pelesky tells the Phoblographer of the city she so adores. “I am so blessed to live in such a beautiful place and it only feels right to document the beauty of it to share with others just as I started out documenting sunrises to show to my loved ones.” Lauren is a wedding and portrait photographer that feels like she’s still growing. Yet to many others, the fact that she’s able to photograph for a living is a dream. And at the heart of it, she’s found strength in community. Particularly, she’s been giving a lot of credit to VSCO as of late.
All images by Lauren Pelesky. Check out her VSCO profile and her website. Used with permission. This article is brought to you in partnership with VSCO.
Lauren started with photography at around 17 years old — and it all started with falling in love with sunrises and sunsets. “I was always a night owl and I would find myself staying up a few extra hours to catch the sunrise so that I could snap a photo and share it with everyone who I knew was asleep,” she tells us. “Soon after began my affinity for landscape photography which only progressed as I had time to travel to such incredible places like Banff, California, and Colorado.” Then with time, she began to shoot more weddings and portraits — which seems totally different from what most landscape photographers start out doing. However, she still loves shooting landscapes — and her VSCO profile reflects tons of those.
To do all this work, Lauren totes along specific tools. She never leaves her house without a Canon Sureshot film camera. However, she also uses Canon mirrorless cameras, mist filters, and Godox flashes. The filters help her soften the light in her images. “I am so lucky to have such incredible gear, but some of my favorite photos were created with pantyhose or plastic ziploc bags over the lens to create a hazy glow,” Lauren admits. “I’m very much so a believer that you can make incredible photos with any camera gear.” To that end, she also uses an iPhone and a Fujifilm X100T.
With portraits or weddings I do my best to tell the story through the emotion, the people, and the scene. At the end of the day, whether I am working with a wedding client and or a brand I will always do extensive communication back and forth to ensure that my vision aligns with theirs, but often my approach remains the same.
Lauren Pelesky
A handful of her clients have requested that she shoots with film. Typically, she shoots half a roll of film at every wedding whether or not it’s requested. She loves the tones, grain, and color of Portra 400 — just like so many others. From the film photos, she edits her digital images in a specific way. “I’m hoping someday to work with more clients who love and appreciate film as much as I do!”
Lauren is a photographer who also adores VSCO. Known by many for their film-like presets for several years, the community is now a place where photographers can call a safe-space from the dopamine casino. On VSCO, she seems to reach a broader audience of people who really adore her work. Otherwise, she’s doing lots of meeting people in-person since moving to LA from Chicago. For her, it was a bit nerve-tracking — though networking has helped her in so many different ways. “I truly believe that there is so much growth to be had by getting involved in your community especially through assisting and forming relationships with other photographers. And sharing your work!”
I love sharing my work on VSCO because it seems to reach a broader audience of people who genuinely connect with my work. I’ve always felt as though VSCO prioritizes art over anything else which really makes me appreciate the platform. I’m always amazed at how much incredible art there is to study and connect with on VSCO, and that’s definitely something I need to stay grounded and inspired in my field of work. As I grow in the photography community I’m also greatly prioritizing meeting and working with other photographers! I recently moved from Chicago to Los Angeles so I’ve been working to grow a new community of people here while maintaining my Chicago community. I do this by continuing to share my work online and updating my VSCO profile to let people know what kind of photography experience I have and that I’m available for hire! I truly believe that there is so much growth to be had by getting involved in your community online and in person.
Lauren Pelesky
Lauren’s post-production process starts with her culling thousands of images all by hand and eye. Then she chooses the ones she sends to the clients based on what they’re looking for. From there, she does what she considers minor edits. “I may edit out distracting signs or trash, but I do my best to keep the images very minimally photoshopped,” she tells us. “I think AI has maybe made putting out content much quicker and easier, but as a documentary-style photographer, my whole philosophy of photography is to tell a story with my images, and I have no desire to drastically alter someone’s story in any way.”
Besides doing portrait and wedding work, she works with brands as well. For her, it’s all about putting movement, emotion, and setting into just the right place. “I recently did a shoot for a company that creates very warm, mid century modern style lamps,” Lauren relates. “So for my work with Wooj I really wanted to create this very calm, peaceful scene of turning on your warm glowing bedside lamp before crawling into bed or turning the lamp on during a late night work session.”
Lots of photographers have been complaining about generative AI and how it has been threatening to replace them and their jobs. Lauren thinks it can be very helpful to the science world. “That said, I don’t think AI art will have much of a stronghold on those who genuinely appreciate and want to support art, artists and the act of creating art,” she states. “I think there is something so inherently human about creating art and I believe/hope it will stay that way. I also would hope that if AI will be using art created by humans that those humans will be compensated fairly at the absolute very least.”
The Phoblographer is a member of Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative and works with human photographers to verify that they’ve actually created their work through shoots. These are done by providing us assets such as BTS captures, screenshots of post-production, extra photos from the shoot, etc. We do this to help our readers realize that this is authentically human work. Here’s what this photographer provided for us.
Chosen as the victor from over 9,000 submitted images to the 2024 World Sports Photography Awards competition, Belgian photographer Erik T’Kindt has been declared the overall winner, for his image of 22 year old Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto.
The image was taken at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, where Hashimoto won three gold medals.
The youngest man in history to win all-round champion at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, Hashimoto is hoping to win a third world title in Paris next month, despite recovering from an injured finger. He told journalists last week: “I think it’s looking good, but my finger still isn’t 100% so I can’t let my guard down.”
T’Kindt shot the image with a Nikon Z9 with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, using an exposure of 1/1600sec at f/3.2, ISO3200.
The image is one of 24 winners across sports including American Football, Basketball, Cycling, Gymnastics, Extreme Sports and Rugby.
More than 1,400 professional sports photographers from over 80 countries worldwide submitted their photographs to the competition to be judged by leading figures from sport, media, and photography.
Sophie Collins, Chief Marketing Officer at MPB said “As a judge and sponsor of the 2024 ‘World Sports Photography Awards,’ I am once again astounded by the exceptional talent showcased in this year’s entries. Photography has the unique ability to capture the raw emotions and intense moments of sports, telling stories that resonate deeply with viewers long after the moment has passed.”
A full list of winners can be viewed on the World Sports Photography Awards website, but below are a few of my favorites…
Take a look at the best cameras for sports photography, as well as the best action cameras, and the best slow motion cameras.
Attention all IAM members who enjoy taking photos. The 2024 IAM Photography contest is now open, so get out your cameras or smartphones and start snapping some pics of your Union sisters and brothers.
The official call letter and entry forms can be found here.
Submit your pictures of IAM members in their workplace, union function, or performing community service for a chance to win a cash prize and have your photo featured in the 2024 IAM Calendar. The entry deadline is May 26, 2023.
Two dollars from each calendar sale is donated to Guide Dogs of America/Tender Loving Canines (GDA/TLC). You can order your 2024 Calendar here.
Scan to enter online from your mobile device
afterhrs. is excited to announce its photography division that will showcase emerging, established and extraordinary artists that lens the role of culture in art and advertising. Managing this dynamic roster of exclusive artists, the studio proudly announces Annie Henley as its new executive integrated producer. Annie Henley’s qualification for this unique role is derived from her experience as both an Integrated Art Producer and as well as photographic agent. Her roles have been pivotal in curating artists for integrated campaigns for global brands such as Google, Meta, Pepsi, Gatorade, BASF, and Pfizer.
The photographic artists in residence at afterhrs. are:
Like many of the photographers in the afterhrs. photo division, Annie’s journey in the advertising industry is as inspiring as it is unorthodox. Starting from her early days as a model, where she collaborated with the industry’s top photographers, Annie’s passion for visual storytelling led her into photo production and laying the foundation from being in front of the camera to crafting the process and final product.
Now, as she spearheads into the role of executive integrated producer at afterhrs. Annie is poised to take on new challenges and drive innovation in the ever-changing world of advertising. With her keen eye for talent and strategic mindset, she is committed to supporting artists and pushing the boundaries of the conventional.
Playing safe is not an option for wildlife photographer Greg du Toit. The South African has spent the past two decades photographing lions, rhinos and elephants, embracing more adventure and danger than most people will experience in a lifetime.
Unlike many in his field, du Toit says he doesn’t use bait, camera traps, digital manipulation, captive bred animals or drones. All he needs is his Nikon camera, a chance to get close to his subject, the right natural light, and a lot of patience. It’s a combination that has won him international accolades, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2013, and in April, the wildlife category at the Fine Art Photography Awards, for “The Enchanted Forest,” a series showing elephants in a forest on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Speaking with CNN by phone, on the way to Tanzania for his next project, he shared his approach to fine art photography, what the past two decades have taught him and why taking pictures in Africa feels different to anywhere else in the world.
The conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
CNN: What are the most important aspects to you when you’re taking a picture in the wild?
Greg du Toit: I learned to photograph on film, so I like my work to resemble a moment that I experienced from behind my camera, sort of a moment in nature. So I never do multiple exposures. The fundamental thing remains the same as it always was since the very first time I picked up a camera, and that is light. I really like to work with beautiful quality light, golden or blue even sometimes. And then beyond that, sort of adding a touch of mood or a touch of mystery.
CNN: How do you achieve mood in your pictures?
Du Toit: I spend a lot of time in nature. I get up super early, for the good light, I stay up late and then, like for this Enchanted Forest series, I just found places in the forest that work right, where there was a beautiful window or there was a beautiful light coming through, and I just wait for an elephant to show up. So that portfolio, it’s literally five photographs and it took me five years. From a business point of view, that makes absolutely no financial sense whatsoever, but I’m just an artist. For me, it’s all about just creating the art even if it comes at a great expense in terms of investing time. I do just love being out there as well, so it’s not like a major sacrifice.
CNN: In the age of social media, I’d expect photographers to be constantly posting series after series instead of really taking their time…
Du Toit: I had always focused on only quality. I used to get, like, six photos a year and I’d be happy with that. Then social media came along and especially Instagram, and it was like, ‘no, you need at least an image a day,’ or more than that even, and I just couldn’t do that.
I kind of gave up on social media, which sort of felt like I was committing career suicide when I did that. But I’m just sticking to my guns. I can’t sort of adapt and just produce quantity because the way I work just does not allow for that.
CNN: What are you hoping to convey with your wildlife photography
Du Toit: I just want to tell people that it’s not too late, especially here in Africa. We still have such incredible wildernesses, full of these amazing animals, and that’s why when I photograph, I really try and focus on not just the animal itself, but on the environment in which that animal lives. That winning series of elephants is exactly that. There are still these incredibly wild places that are still full of incredible animals and it’s not too late for us to enjoy them, to preserve and conserve them.
CNN: You mainly focus on taking photographs in Africa. What would you say that makes wildlife photography in Africa different from other parts of the world?
Du Toit: I’ve been on trips and the other parts of the world are wonderful. For example, I’ve been up to the Arctic to photograph polar bears, and I’ve been to India for tigers and things like that. But every time I’ve done that, I’ve just felt that those places lacked this energy that Africa has. It’s like a wild energy … there’s that feeling of mystery and intrigue, the feeling that this place is so big and so vast and a little bit dangerous, and I love that.
Du Toit famously once spent 16 months photographing lions at a waterhole in Kenya’s South Rift Valley. For the first 13 months he sat in a hole in the ground next to the water hole, followed by three months laying in the water, in an effort to get the perfect shot.
CNN: When you took your iconic pictures of the lions, you were there sitting in the water for months, you caught malaria. Is there a kind of contradiction between the beauty of the end product, and the reality of the work that goes into getting the image?
Du Toit: Yeah, the photographs you see are just polished and they just look beautiful, but the reality of getting those photographs is very different. Very often in these really wild places in Africa, you get gypsy flies and so you end up being bit by these flies and it’s really painful, so between shots you’re kind of swatting flies. It’s hot and sweaty, so it’s not glamorous work. Also, your cameras get dirty and [Africa] it’s a very sort of dusty place. But I really just love the end product. Getting a good photograph is the sort of best thing I can do. It’s the best feeling, and I really do just love nature. I’d rather be there than anywhere else.
CNN: One thing that many people don’t realize is that, apart from the picture of the two lions, there is another one with a bunch of lions just standing there…
Du Toit: That’s right, there were others watching me. I sort of unpacked this in my book [“Wilderness Dreaming,” published in 2022], but I’d only thought about getting the shots, I didn’t think beyond that.
So when those two lionesses finish drinking, they just lay on the edge watching me and then it started to get dark. So I slowly started trying to move to the side of the waterhole (…) I’m moving, I’m getting to the edge of the water. The water’s getting shallower. So more and more of my body is becoming exposed and these lionesses are getting more and more interested…
I’m quite amazed I lived to tell the tale. Eventually I managed to get to the edge of the water hole, and I just jumped up and ran off.
CNN : You don’t use camera traps, digital manipulation or captive-bred animals. Why is that important to you?
Du Toit: I want to photograph animals in their wild habitats, doing what they naturally do. For me, it’s all about wildlife… It’s all about the subject and the subject’s environment, and then it’s about light, and really using good quality light because that for me is what brings that kind of mystery, and then just working with good angles. I love good backgrounds as well.
CNN: Do you have any particular tricks for capturing animals’ natural behaviour without disturbing them?
Du Toit: Wild animals know the shape of a human being and I don’t want to scare or intimidate my subjects; I want them to just be doing what they would do naturally. So I’ve learned ways to conceal the human form, and one of the simplest ways is to photograph from a vehicle. I can spend 10, 12 hours a day in a car, so well over 50,000 hours a year in a car. The other thing I do, which I did with the lions, I dug a hole in the ground, so you sit in the hole and then you have a roof over you, and then you photograph from there.
CNN: What is your next photography project?
Du Toit: I’m trying to create a body of work and then go to Ngorongoro crater [in northeastern Tanzania] because it’s one of those places in Africa that’s glossed over. It’s the most incredible place. It’s an extinct volcano and it’s nature’s own game reserve. It’s kind of like Jurassic Park. I’m going to be spending a week there now, which is fun.
The winners of the 2024 Environmental Photography Award have been announced.
This year’s top prize has been presented to photographer Aaron Gekoski for his image ‘See No Evil’, which also won the Humanity versus Nature category.
The photograph was taken at Safari World in Bangkok, where orangutans have been used in shows for decades.
Now in its fourth year, The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s Environmental Photography Award was created with the aim of promoting photographers who use their work to raise awareness for the protection of nature around the world.
Discover more emotive photography from the awards…
Runner-up in the “Ocean Worlds” category
Winner in the “Ocean Worlds” category
Winner in the “Into the forest” category
Runner-up in the “Polar Wonders” category
Runner-up in the “Polar Wonders” category
Public Award 2024 and runner-up “Change Makers: Reasons for Hope”
Runner-up in the “Humanity versus Nature” category
Winner in the “Polar Wonders” category
Runner-up in the “Ocean Worlds” category
Runner-up in the “Humanity versus Nature” category
Winner in the “Change Makers: Reasons for Hope” category
Runner-up in the “Change Makers: Reasons for Hope” category
Runner-up in the “Into the forest” category
Students’ Choice 2024
Runner-up in the “Into the forest” category
Winner in the “Humanity versus Nature” category and Environmental Photographer of the Year
Find out more about the Environmental Photography Award.
More amazing wildlife photography
By Sadokat Jalolova, Edited by Christopher Torchia
The assignment for the Uzbek deaf photographers’ workshop: cover a game of kupkari, in which horse-riders jostle for a goat carcass and hustle it to a goal amid shouting, shoving and swirling dust.
It didn’t go well for student Murod Yusupov, who arrived late at the event in Piskent, in the Tashkent region, and then struggled to orient himself in the boisterous crowds watching the maelstrom on the field.
Crowds watch a game of kupkari, a traditional sport in Uzbekistan (Photo: Khuvaido Fatihojayeva)
“Unfortunately, I was a little late, and I had to stay among the fans. Communication with the teacher and participants was almost non-existent. But it was a big problem to take pictures there, there were too many people who came to watch the kupkari, I didn’t have enough experience to find a convenient place and opportunity to take pictures,” Yusupov said through a sign language interpreter in an interview with The Times of Central Asia.
He learned from the experience, though. With the help of workshop director Husniddin Ato, 21-year-old Yusupov got accredited for the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent in February and delivered strong images. Best of all, he enjoyed the assignment.
Uzbek athlete performs during the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent in February. (Photo: Murod Yusupov)
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One recent evening, at the Bon Cafe in Tashkent, Ato, Yusupov and several other participants in the “Deaf Photographers” workshop talked about their experiences and hopes to a correspondent from The Times of Central Asia. Ma’mur Akhlidinov, a sign language teacher at the University of Uzbek Language and Literature who is also deaf, helped to interpret. Cups of sea buckthorn tea were served during a conversation lasting two and a half hours. The deaf photographers were upbeat, often smiling, communicating with each other through hand gestures and showing photos on their phones to each other.
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A decade ago, Ato, a professional photographer, wanted to report on deaf people. Then he decided to let deaf people show in pictures how they feel about the world. While in quarantine during the pandemic, he consulted Akhlidinov, a member of the Deaf Society of Uzbekistan.
For many years, Akhlidinov worked as a designer in the editorial office of Ma’rifat, an Uzbek publication, and as the editor-in-chief of the MediaPlus project. Akhlidinov was surprised by the fact that there wasn’t a single internet resource about deaf people and their rights in Uzbekistan. In 2017, he launched a blog for deaf people, their parents and educators.
Akhlidinov supported Ato’s proposal for an initial three-month course. and announced the project on the Deaf Society blog, which has more than 1,000 subscribers. An age requirement (18-25) was set for the participants. Nine people signed up.
In the fall of 2021, the teaching started. It was slow going at first because of scheduling conflicts and other obstacles.
“Later, their interest and enthusiasm wasn’t always there, they didn’t complete their assignments on time, and I had to explain some things over and over again. Due to such problems, the three-month course lasted a long time with interruptions,” said Ato, who has learned basic sign language.
In 2022, Ato successfully applied for funds from the Washington-based Meridian International Center, a non-profit group that implements an awards program in partnership with the U.S. State Department. “Projects by individual eligible alumni are granted funding of up to $5,000 to facilitate positive changes within their communities,” Meridian said.
Thanks to the support, an exhibition of photos of the project participants was organized in the Tashkent House of Photography in March 2023. “We were able to pay the translator only because of this grant, and before that, both I and the translator worked as volunteers,” Ato said.
These days, former workshop participants often meet and talk with their mentors. Ato now wants to organize another workshop – not only in Tashkent, but also at a regional level. The big challenge is funding.
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Deaf photographer Gulnoza Shermamatova, 25, said her hearing problems started when she got a bad cold at the age of seven. Various medical treatments, including what she describes as a doctor’s overreliance on prescribing antibiotics, failed to stem the deterioration. Shermamatova lost her hearing completely when she was 12-years-old.
Ato is coaching Shermamatova and other deaf photographers without charge, even though there is no formal workshop underway.
Shermamatova, who is currently studying for a master’s degree in art, wants to teach photography and is learning how to use photo editing programs.
“I like taking pictures of landscapes. Green is one of the most beautiful colors for me,” she said. “I have depicted many scenes of my hometown, the village of Oq Oltin in my paintings. I also like to take pictures of people’s emotions. I try to get more random pictures. If I feel the kindness of people, I will take pictures of them. In most cases, I have to ask their permission. It’s a pleasure to photograph people looking at the horizon, the sky, and I’ve captured this a few times.”
A rural scene in Oq Oltin village, Navoi Region, Uzbekistan. Oq Oltin is the photographer’s hometown (Photo: Gulnoza Shermamatova)
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After starting the project, Ato looked for deaf photographers on the internet and watched YouTube videos of deaf photographers in other countries. He wanted to use the videos in his teaching, but found out that sign language is not the same everywhere. Uzbek deaf people, for example, use Russian sign language.
“Recently, we invited the British deaf photographer Stephen Iliffe as part of the project, he gave a two-day master class to the participants,” Ato said. “For the participants, we engaged two experts who understand English and translated into local sign language. My students were well motivated.”
British deaf photographer Stephen Iliffe, in striped shirt, works in a studio with Uzbek deaf photographers. (Photo: Husniddin Ato)
During his visit to Uzbekistan in May, Iliffe showed how he creates a frame in Photoshop by superimposing two or three pictures of sign language speakers, and joined the students on photography assignments.
British deaf photographer Stephen Iliffe, lying on ground, shares his skills with Uzbek students. (Photo: Husniddin Ato)
Employers of deaf photographers must find ways to communicate effectively, often via text message, according to Ato. He said his students have the skills to work in photo studios or media and that “photos taken by the deaf are almost indistinguishable from those of ordinary photographers.”
Akhlidinov, the sign language interpreter, said there were damaging stereotypes that “the deaf cannot work” or are only good for manual work such as in factories and construction sites.
It hasn’t worked out for all the deaf photographers. Ato said one talented student had to sell his own camera because he needed the cash and is now working in a parking lot.
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Another talent is Farangiz Kamalova, a 21-year-old student of computer graphics and artistic photography at the National Institute of Painting and Design in Tashkent. She enjoys nature, people and portrait photography and wants to participate in international photography competitions but needs help navigating the application process. Akhlidinov said that’s because some hearing-impaired and deaf people have more limited vocabularies.
The quality of education and other kinds of support can affect the development of vocabularies for deaf people.
Khuvaido Fatihojayeva, 21, was one of the first workshop participants and knew virtually nothing about photography.
“During the project, H. Ato took us to Samarkand, Bukhara, Gulistan and organized master classes there,” she said. “Since I was born in Tashkent, I didn’t know the situation in the rural areas. During the trip to the regions organized by the teacher, it was very interesting to get to know village life, its people, and capture them in the frame… In the future, I intend to go to every region of Uzbekistan and photograph interesting topics such as people, lifestyle. I also have a big dream to travel the world and take in the world’s architecture and people.”
Fatihojayeva wants to open a photo studio and is interested in portrait photography as well as photographing buildings and architectural features.
Birds flutter around a man in the ancient city of Bukhara (Photo: Khuvaido Fatihojayeva)
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Yusupov, who had a hard time at the kupkari event, prepares photo reports for media outlet Gazeta. One report was prepared on a horse parade held on International Children’s Day in Tashkent. He has also reported for Suvmap, a USAID-backed project aiming to promote sustainable use of water resources, working on various assignments related to water and irrigation.
Yusupov, a history undergraduate at the National University of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, loves photographing nature and sports.
“Last year, I invited my friends and teacher to my hometown, Bayovut district, Sirdarya region,” he said. “We took pictures of people’s lifestyles, landscapes, and the birds there.”
