Armed with my iPhone, I am always looking for ways to take my photography to the next level. It is lightweight and always in my hand, which gives me the opportunity to capture images at a moment’s notice and share them online. The iPhone also allows you to enjoy the convenience of doing everything with one device, including shooting, editing and sharing to social media. However, I personally try to keep editing to a minimum as I want my images to be as close to reality as possible.

It was by the riverside where I rediscovered my passion for photography. One day, while walking a dog called Alfie for a friend, I took a photograph of him and sent it to her – and this became the first of many. As I started to notice my surroundings more, I began to photograph other subjects too.

Growing up, I spent my summer holidays with my grandmother by the sea in Norway. She gave me an appreciation of nature. There I gained a love of being by water, which is why I think it appears in so many different forms in my photographs.

Water has been a great influence and I enjoy using it as a reflective surface in my photography. However, because the weather determines whether water is a viable part of the image, I have introduced other reflective surfaces into my work, whether that’s windows, cars, buildings or mirrors.

I decided to focus my attention on shooting in black and white as, in my opinion, this produces a classic image that’s clean, uncluttered and creates fewer distractions. It also allows you to focus on the subject matter, emotions, lines and forms, and light and shade.

I am based in Nottingham, UK, and can usually be spotted crouching by puddles around the city, as they are what I predominantly use to capture my reflection shots. I have had many people walking by and giving me strange looks as they wonder what I am doing. 

These days, as I have become better known, I get a few people asking me ‘Are you Emma Wright?’ However, on the odd occasion, I get people asking me if I’m okay. This one time, an elderly lady stopped and asked me whether I needed a hand-up… she thought I’d fallen over! Through my work, I’ve gained a large following on my Instagram account and it makes a wonderful creative community for getting feedback and exchanging ideas.

Emma F Wright

Emma F Wright is a British photographer based in Nottingham and known for her captivating iPhone street and reflection photographs. Emma’s work mainly covers architecture and interactions between people and animals, and she credits a background in fine art for helping her find beauty in mundane subjects.

The Dummerston Historical Society is open Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.

The current exhibit is sure to be of interest. Roger Turner’s fine photographs are on display in the Artist’s Corner. Roger has been taking pictures since graduating from college and while in the Navy, he took advantage of a fully stocked and equipped darkroom during a year-long assignment to McMurdo Station in the Antarctica to learn about developing and printing. The exhibit is opening this weekend and there will be an

An artist’s reception will be held on Sunday, July 21, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Other exhibits include various maps of Dummerston, past and present, a display of early PTA records from the 1950’s, early school books, Civil War enlistment documents, a stunning new photographic acquisition of the history of sugaring in Dummerston, and an assortment of unidentified homes and locations. Perhaps you will recognize them. We will appreciate your helpful input.

Dummerston Historical Society, 1521 Middle Road, is open the first and third Sundays of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. Admission is free though donations are always welcome.

The Maryland Photography Alliance Juried Exhibition is on display now through September 8 at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park (506 South Frederick Ave) in Gaithersburg. The gallery’s viewing hours are Monday through Saturday, 8am-9pm and Sunday, 8am-5pm.

Per the news release: “This exhibit features 47 images from the Alliance’s annual statewide competition. The artists included are: Thomas Allen, Lisa Auerbach, Paul Biederman, David Blass, John Breen, James Corbett, Wendy Dinova-Wimmer, Sherman Edwards, Daniel Garrett, Stephanie Gibson, Cheryl Gillerman, Jin Gong, Martin Heavner, Don James, Wendy Kates, Roger Katzenberg, Kimberley Kelly, Tom Kredo, Ken Liang. Yanyun Liu, Bill Liu, Suzanne Lugerner, Lisa Mayo, Mark Nelson, Al Neyman, Kim Norris, Ed Palaszynski, Ruiqing Pamboukian, Francine Rattner, Joan Saba, Rena Schild, David Terao, Deming Wan, Rong Wei, Robin Weisz, Debbie Wolf, and Kim Young.

About the Maryland Photography Alliance
Founded in 2017, the mission of the Maryland Photography Alliance (MPA) is to promote collaboration, cooperation, and the sharing of resources among member clubs. Through a strong alliance, individual club members have greater access to photographic enrichment opportunities. MPA’s goal is to encourage the understanding and appreciation of photography through a statewide photo competition, gallery exhibitions, educational opportunities, certifications, and grants.

The Alliance strives to be a cultural stimulus that fosters artistic creativity. The rich and diverse photographic culture of Maryland has benefited from the Maryland Photography Alliance. There are currently nineteen clubs in the MPA. For more information, visit www.MDPhotoAlliance.org or email [email protected].”

It was announced on Thursday that longtime New York Mets photographer Marc Levine passed away.

Levine was a photographer for the Mets for 35 years, longer than anyone in franchise history. That was noted by Steve and Alex Cohen in their statement regarding his passing.

“We are incredibly heartbroken to learn of Marc Levine’s passing,” the statement on MLB.com said. “He was the longest-tenured photographer in team history. Marc documented every Mets moment for the last three and half decades. He had a kind heart and a wonderful photographic eye. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Others in and around the Mets organization expressed their grief and condolences, as well.

Everyone in the Mets organization is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of longtime team photographer Marc Levine. A warm, gentle man who could not have been more of a delight to work with. In 35 years I never heard a bad word about him. RIP, my friend.

— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) July 4, 2024

I was at a loss for words when the call came early this morning that my dear friend of over 35 years, Marc Levine had passed away. I just went numb. https://t.co/YbeVNWYbPK

— Jay Horwitz (@Jay_HorwitzPR) July 4, 2024

Absolutely gutted to learn of the sudden passing of Mets Team Photographer, Marc Levine. He was a wonderful person and friend, who had been with the organization for over thirty years.

Steve and Alex Cohen released the following statement: pic.twitter.com/H5Fs1dAPJp

— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) July 4, 2024

Extremely saddened to learn of the passing of #Mets Chief Photographer, and personal friend of mine, Marc Levine. Marc has spent the last 30 years with the Mets organization, and 20+ years helping with anything and everything for my wife’s family dancing school in Whitestone. He… pic.twitter.com/d0nspV3lHS

— MetsAvenue (@MetsAvenue) July 4, 2024

Saddened by the sudden passing of Marc Levine. He was the @Mets team photographer & an awesome human being. He was always professional. He was great at what he did. He was philanthropic. But above all else – he was a beautiful man. Sending sincere condolences to the #Mets family.

— Bruce Beck (@BruceBeck4NY) July 4, 2024

SNY’s Andy Martino also honored Levine. In doing so, he also shared a video posted by Mets PR man Jay Horowitz. The video was Horowitz and Levine talking about Levine’s first day on the job, best remembered for then-Mets teammates Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez getting into a fight on team picture day.

Saddened by the passing of Marc Levine. Here he is reliving his first day on the job. He became the longest-tenured photographer in team history , per the Mets. https://t.co/jZLpPYxdy7

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) July 4, 2024

If photographs help you stop time every hundredth of a second, moving pictures let you run it freely every 24 frames per second. The mediums are so intricately connected that when one ‘freezes’ the moment to portray the details of a scene, then the other expands your horizon with its intense ‘movements.’ But what happens when the latter turns to examine the former’s prowess? Their alchemy touches the hearts of millions, letting them explore a spell-binding story through every frame. Something similar happened when photographer Danny Lyon’s book work on Outlaws Motorcycle Club found its way into director Jeff Nichols’ hands, giving birth to 2023’s most anticipated film, The Bikeriders.

Lyon’s work, created between 1963 and 1967, captures the most intense, intimate, romantic, and awe-inspiring depiction of Chicago’s motorcycle club. The studded leather jackets, glossy Harley Davidsons, and an air of assurance of exquisite men and women are some elements that triumphed over the audience. But what stood out the most was the photographs shot to go beyond voyeurism; instead, they show a camaraderie of rebels who have found a new identity and home. Lyon, a member of the Outlaws for a brief period, also documented these adventurous, charming, and serene moments through interviews with its other members. Moreover, some of the verbatim quotes later comprised 70% of the film’s dialogues.

But this is not the first time a set of photographs—or a photographer—has inspired filmmakers to interpret a subject in their own way. Movies on photography have been around since Alfred Hitchcock’s time. For instance, The Bang Bang Club weaves fiction and the real-life events of four war photographers who documented the harrowing, bone-chilling consequences of apartheid in South Africa. The film provides a glimpse into the lives of the photographers; some became victims of guilt, and others were collateral damage. Similarly, Minamata is another movie that highlights the life of renowned photojournalist Eugene Smith and his final photo essay on the industrial mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan. If talk about films based on photographers, then Michelangelo Antonioni’s cult masterpiece, Blow-Up, also comes to mind. Somewhat inspired by the life of celebrated fashion and portrait photographer David Bailey, it became one of the most prominent movies on art and art-making. Joining this list recently is Alex Garland’s Civil War, which narrates the story of a dystopian future in America through the lens of photojournalists.

While there are plenty of books, interviews, and essays on the medium, a movie on photography gives it a whole new definition. Much of this lies in the fascination of the discussions or day-to-day undertakings that we never witness or listen to. For instance, The Public Eye loosely paints the life of eminent daily newspaper photographer Arthur “Weegee” Fellig. The fictional conversations, or the junctures leading up to the making of iconic photographs, bridge the gap between the known and the unfamiliar, allowing one to partake in the narrative unlike any other. But as much as such movies tickle your inquisitiveness, they also became a prominent educational instrument. For instance, my brush with the world of war photography was through a screening of The Bang Bang Club in our diminutive classroom. Until then, the works of James Natchway, Nick Ut, Margaret Bourke-White, Robert Capa, and Gerda Taro were enticing me to take on a frequently glamorized profession with no knowledge of its influence on one’s mental health and society at large.

Although films on photography and art are scarce, their existence is still noteworthy and relevant to the medium. For once, they help the small community feel seen, especially when everyone believes they are a photographer. Similarly, they allow the audience to grasp the nuances and skills that go into building this profession. Lastly, it reminds us that every story you encounter is worth a thousand pictures.

If you are keen on watching movies on photography, here are a few suggestions:

Fiction

• One Hour Photo
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 
• Rear Window
• City of God
• Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White 
• The Killing Fields
• Life
• We’ll Take Manhattan
• Everlasting Moments
• Pecker

Documentaries

• Salt of the Earth 
• Bill Cunningham: New York
• Finding Vivian Maier 
• War Photographer
• Annie Leibowitz: Life Through a Lens
• Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge
• William Eggleston: In Real World
• Guest of Cindy Sherman
• The Last Roll of Kodachrome

This exhibition at the Centre Pompidou-Metz provides much more than a snapshot of the history of photography (13 July–18 November). Featuring more than 300 works by some 50 artists from the early 19th century to the present day, it offers a comprehensive overview of the 200-year-old medium and its challenges. The show comprises three sections, with each zooming in on a particular artist’s contribution to photography: ‘Infinite reproduction’ is centred around repetitious photos by Constantin Brancusi, ‘Encapsulating time’ investigates Harold ‘Doc’ Edgerton’s explosive imagery and ‘Fixing colour’ shines a light on the vibrant work of Saul Leiter and Helen Levitt. Other highlights of the show include rarely displayed seascapes by Gustave Le Gray, one of the pioneers of the medium, and the playful domestic photographs of William Eggleston.

Find out more from the Pompidou-Metz’s website.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary

The Great Wave, Sète (1857), Gustave Le Gray. Musée barrois, Bar-le-Duc. Photo: © N. Leblanc/Musée barrois

New York (1971) Helen Levitt. Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne. Photo: courtesy Thomas Zander, Cologne; © Film Documents LLC

Film photography has seen a resurgence, capturing the hearts of many enthusiasts with its unique charm. What’s your hot take on the trend?

Coming to you from grainydays, this fun video explores hot takes on film photography shared by the community. One significant point discussed is the potential failure of Kodachrome if it were reintroduced. Despite its legendary status, the high cost and shift in preferences suggest it wouldn’t thrive today. Additionally, the video touches on the underappreciation of certain film stocks, like Portra 160, versus the overuse of Portra 400. This suggests exploring different stocks to find unique characteristics that suit your style.

The video also addresses the role of companies like Lomography in keeping film alive. Their innovation and introduction of new film stocks and cameras during the early 2000s played a pivotal role in sustaining the film photography culture. Moving on, the community’s thoughts on the future of photography with AI advancements are also discussed. There’s a concern that AI might blur the lines between real and augmented images, necessitating the validation of photos through negatives. This brings to light the ongoing debate about authenticity in photography and the impact of technological advancements on traditional practices.

The video discusses the diversity of opinions on shooting techniques and film stocks. For instance, some argue that color negative films don’t have a fixed look, as their final appearance depends on the scanning and printing process. A notable hot take is the suggestion to commit to a single camera and film stock to achieve meaningful work. Check out the video above for the full rundown.