Life on the island of Zanzibar is intimate with the surrounding ocean, but for many years women in the majority Muslim population were prohibited from learning to swim. Two things changed that. The first was the advent of the full-body swimsuit, or burkini. The second was a project called Panje (a Swahili word that translates as “big fish”), which was established by an NGO in 2011 to support young people in Nungwi village find employment. Panje taught women in the village to swim for the first time and encouraged them in turn to become swimming teachers, challenging entrenched patriarchal models of learning.

The photographer Anna Boyiazis also had the sea in her bones. She grew up in California; the origins of her family were on the Aegean Islands of Greece. In 2017, as part of a project called Finding Freedom in the Water, Boyiazis spent a long time persuading the Islamic authorities in Nungwi to allow her to photograph the women involved in the Panje initiative, so that the idea could be promoted as an example to other communities – not least because the east coast of Africa has some of the highest rates of drowning in the world.

Boyiazis’s “Burkini Island” series featured in National Geographic and won numerous prizes, including a World Press award and a Unicef photo of the year award. This picture – which captures all of the simple liberation of floating; the women, eyes closed, seem transported far beyond the mundane reality of their water-carrier buoyancy aids – is included in the latest Magnum print sale.

Speaking of her series, Boyiazis has said: “It would have been torture for me as a woman to grow up in Zanzibar and not be allowed to swim. This project was the definite merging of two of my favourite worlds, being in the water and taking pictures.”

• The Magnum & World Press Photo Square Print Sale: Written by Light takes place 16-22 October. More than 100 museum-quality 15.2cm x 15.2cm (6in x 6in) prints, signed or estate-stamped, will be available, priced at $110/£110/€120

I remember hearing stories from other photographers about the magic of watching their print come to life in the darkroom. Even though I’ve never darkroom printed, I still get pretty excited when a print of mine comes out of my Canon printer. This isn’t an article about Canon, but it is about printing and why it’s the ultimate proof of self-worth as a photographer. That’s a journey that many don’t map out; but here’s what you should know.

A Print is Self Worth

A print is self-worth. It’s a statement that you’re putting on an image that you’ve created to make it manifest. It isn’t necessarily a collab with a brand where you’re building their worth. And it totally isn’t a thing where you’re creating for likes and comments to build the interactivity of another brand. Instead, it’s devoid of all there. There are no ads or notifications trying to ping for your attention with a print. It’s just exactly what it is.

Years ago, people used to get dressed up and shot photos of special occasions. That’s part of the reason why we’re so in love with vintage photos. We don’t do that anymore and we surely don’t treat photography with the same sense of ceremony that previous generations did. That’s the same sort of ceremony and importance that you should treat printing with. It should really just be only your very best.

The Paper Counts

I remember there was a time when my mother wanted all of the photos that we’ve shot before printed. But the problem was that the paper we used was awful and fell to issues like flooding and time. So with that said, the paper that you’re using to print photographs really counts. The higher end stuff truly does last and doesn’t patina the way that many other papers do. Further, it gives another feeling when you’re holding it. You treat it with care and respect.

Bigger is Better

Small prints simply just don’t hit the spot anymore partially because of the fact that phone screens and tablet screens are so large. An 8×10 print is almost laughable these days. Instead, go bigger! I regularly print at 17×22 because it helps you really look at a scene and feel it.

Oh, and don’t fold your prints up.

Lighting

Fun fact: canvas is the best thing to print your photo on because it’s the most versatile thing to hang in your home. If you’re printing a glossy print, it’s a different story as you need to minimize refelctions and you need the light to really make it pop. Said light also needs to hit from a particular direction. If you’re printing a matte photograph, consider hitting it with a lot of light.

Years ago, we did an entire guide on how to light a print you should take a look at because the information is timeless.

One in a Million

There’s an idea in communication theory that scarcity makes something more attractive. A photo on the internet is what it is — you can always come back to it. But a print is something that can only be experienced in person like your favorite burger, the feeling you get when you smell an alluring perfume, or experience you feel when you see your favorite band live and listen to the music. Printing is our concert — and we should embrace it as such.

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) – If you’ve been inside the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Arts Center in Ocean Springs this summer, you may have seen a photography exhibit title “I’m Still Here” featuring photos of James Meredith.

The Mississippi Civil Rights activist joined with photographer Suzi Altman to exhibit 60 images honoring Meredith’s 60th Anniversary of desegregating the University of Mississippi, or Ole Miss.

The two reunited Saturday at the Mary C. for the exhibit’s closing reception.

Altman has documented Meredith’s life through photography for 20 years. This most recent exhibit is just a small portion of her archive.

After his time at Ole Miss, Meredith helped lead the 1966 “March Against Fear” from Memphis to Jackson in protest of the physical violence that African Americans faced while exercising their right to vote.

Bryan Smith brought his grandsons to the event to meet Meredith. He believes it’s important for them to learn about the civil rights movement. And who better to learn from than a man who helped write that chapter in American History?

Speaking about one grandson, Smith said, “He’s mixed and his father is not here anymore, so it’s my responsibility to have him keep in touch with both sides so he can learn. And that’s what I wanted him to do today.”

Charles Sims follows Altman’s work, and also has a deep respect for James Meredith.

“I love Suzi’s work, so it was important for me to come back here, show love,” Sims said. “And obviously Mr. Meredith is everything to me. He’s an Ole Miss alum, I’m an Ole Miss alum. So we definitely support him in everything that he’s done.”

Sims told WLOX his great, great, grandfather help create Jim Crow laws – a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation across the South in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But he believes the individual histories we’re all tied to can’t impede progress when people come together in search of resolutions.

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If you’re looking to level up your street photography techniques, check out some of the essential tips that we learned from our Sony Kando interview with renowned street photographer Marion Mou.

Sony Kando 2023 

I recently had the honor and pleasure of attending Sony Kando in Snowbird, Utah. Kando is an incredible creative experience that Sony hosts every year, bringing together some of the most talented creatives in the industry.

While at Kando, I ran into some amazing creatives and was lucky enough to interview a few of them.

Marion Mou is a freelance photographer whose side hobby is street photography. I’ve been admiring his work for a while and was super excited to have an opportunity to interview him at Kando.

Marion’s cinematic street photography and unique style has garnered over 106K followers on Instagram. I really love his moody style, which he describes as “scenes from a movie, or comic book.”

Our Kando interview gives valuable insight into Marion’s creative workflow and how he pushes his creative skills to the limit. It’s filled with amazing advice that can be applied to other genres of photography, but is especially useful for those of us who are wanting to level up our street photography techniques.

Some of the street photography tips that Marion shares include:

• How to look for emotion in your images
• Why you shouldn’t overthink things 
• How to choose your gear for street photography
• What to expect when you’re out in the field

There are many more valuable tips that Marion shares in the interview, so check out the edited transcript and the full video interview below.

The Interview

Marion: My name is Marion Mou, and I’m a freelance photographer. I’ve shot a handful of weddings in the past couple of years and it’s been a good experience. I do a lot of family sessions, maternity, engagement shoots, and even album covers for certain artists. This has been my profession for the past three years since COVID started. On the side, my passion is shooting street photography. That’s what I love to do.

Reza: I think that’s how I got to know you. I saw one of your images, and I was like, “dang, that’s a banger.”

Marion: That’s too kind of you, man. 

Reza: And then we met in San Francisco, right, at the community event for the a6700? I’m a huge fan of your work. Your street photography is beautiful, and I was curious, you know, I wanted to know how you think through it. 

Marion: You know, to be honest, you just gotta go out there and shoot. I don’t think about compositions. I look for other things, like the way a person dresses, or how they walk. Something about a specific person on the street usually grabs my attention, and then I just go find my way over there and take a photo of them. It’s usually candid, so I try not to be seen, but sometimes when you get that good eye contact, it definitely brings out a different kind of feel for the photo.

​​​​Reza: Nice, so you have that connection, you know, with the image that you’re taking? 

Marion: Yes, it’s usually not a friendly one, but I’ll take it, because an emotion is an emotion.

Reza: That’s what you want to convey with your imagery, right? Like a feeling. 

Marion: Yes, a certain type of mood per se.

Reza: So, when you’re out, what’s your process like, your workflow? Do you just decide you want to shoot a certain subject or a certain camera, or how do you work through that? 

Marion: Yeah, so usually, the night before I go out to shoot, I’ll line up two lenses. The next day, when I wake up, whichever lens that I feel like shooting, I’ll just grab that one and shoot the entire session with that one lens. It’s usually a prime lens, and I shoot the whole entire session with that one prime lens. It forces me to find different angles and push my skills to the limit. 

Reza: Nice, so it’s a good way to self-motivate, right? 

Marion: Absolutely, it forces you to be more creative when taking photos of the subject. You gotta find more sneaky ways to get closer to strangers without freaking them out, because you never know how they’ll react if they feel like you’re stalking them.

Reza: Yeah, so there’s an element of being discrete, and there’s also an element of staying inspired, right?

Marion: Yes, you’re absolutely correct. 

Reza: It goes both ways. You have the right tool for the job, but then you’re also helping yourself by not becoming bored of seeing the same thing.

Marion: Yes, it definitely keeps it super, super interesting, because you challenge yourself. You’re usually shooting from the hip, or you’re putting the camera down at a certain angle, just hoping that you get a good frame, and then after a while you get used to it, and then it becomes like a new achievement unlocked, that you don’t even really have to look at the viewfinder to shoot anymore.

Reza: So, you kind of get a feel for the types of images you’re going to be able to expect if you’re shooting on a certain lens, right?

Marion: Exactly. 

Reza: What kind of advice would you give someone that’s just starting out in street photography?

Marion: Most of the questions that I get are about how to go out and just take photos of strangers. A lot of people tell me that they’re super nervous. They don’t want to get caught. They don’t know what to do when someone approaches them and says, oh, why did you take my photo? They don’t wanna be confronted by a stranger, you know? I think for most people, taking photos of a stranger is not really a natural feeling, because they feel like they’re invading someone’s sense of privacy, but just so you know, it is legal to take photos of people on public property.

When it comes down to it, there’s no other way but to just go out and do it. I went out there and did it. I felt uncomfortable for a long time. I even still feel uncomfortable when I go out and shoot right now, but that all goes away after 10 minutes. Once you get the warm-up, you’re good to go, and you’re on a roll. 

Reza: So basically, don’t overthink it, right? 

Marion: Don’t overthink, just do it. If you see something, just take a photo. Gradually, you’ll develop the courage to get closer and closer to your subject. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, you can always shoot with a longer lens, such as an 85mm or 135mm prime. They’re usually really fast, and you get really good depth of field, and they’re super crispy. 

Reza: Nice, we have some amazing advice there. Don’t overthink, go out and just actually shoot until you’re in the zone and feeling comfortable.

Marion: If you’re a little timid, a little shy, it’s okay. Get the big lens. 

Reza: There’s also an element of respect and discreetness, right? You’re not out there sticking your lens in someone’s face.

Marion: Oh, absolutely not. Most of the time, you don’t really want to be noticed, but you can’t expect to never not be noticed. Just try your best. Get the candid shots.  What you see from me are like scenes from a comic book or a scene from an immersive movie, like a candid moment of life. 

Reza: So like each image is a story in and of itself?

Marion: Well, hopefully that’s what you guys feel when you see my photos. I would say that’s the goal.

The Video 

Check out my full video interview at Sony Kando with Marion Mou below:

Images used with permission of Marion Mou.