Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham returned to host the Olivier Awards this year, honouring the very best in UK theatre, but it’s one moment on the green carpet outside the Royal Albert Hall for which the actor is receiving widespread praise online.

Posing for photographs on the steps leading up to the iconic music venue on Sunday, Waddingham was filmed calling out a male photographer over alleged remarks he made while she showed off her lilac dress.

In one video shared to Twitter/X, Waddingham can be heard saying: “Oh my God, you’d never say that to a man, my friend. Don’t be a d*** otherwise I’ll move off.

“Don’t say, ‘show me leg’. No.”

Sure enough, she walked off the steps (one fan watching from the barriers can be seen clapping her as she does so) before issuing more stern words to the photographer in question, telling him to “have some manners” and walking off to hug Michael Ball.

Honestly? Iconic behaviour from Waddingham – and Twitter/X agrees:

The prestigious theatrical event saw Jamie Lloyd’s production of Sunset Boulevard – starring Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger – scoop up the most awards, with Succession star Sarah Snook bagging the Best Actress award for her solo show The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The Motive and the Cue star Mark Gatiss saw off competition from fellow Sherlock actor Andrew Scott (Vanya) and Happy Valley’s James Norton (A Little Life) to win Best Actor, while Stranger Things: The First Shadow won gongs for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play and Best Set Design.

Other winners included the National Theatre play Dear England about Gareth Southgate (played by Joseph Fiennes, brother to Harry Potter actor Ralph), and the hit musical Operation Mincemeat, based on a Second World War plot to fool Adolf Hitler.

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With an interest in local myths and legends, urban histories, and maritime traditions, contemporary Gulf artists are turning their attention to the past. Mashael Al Saie, a Bahraini multimedia artist and photographer, uses glass and image to explore collective memory and folkloric tales around Ain Adhari, a barren freshwater spring in Bahrain. Similarly, Kuwaiti Bahraini architectural duo Mishari AlNajjar and Sara Abdulla of In Narrative conduct research, organize workshops, and lead walking tours to encourage a deeper understanding of the built environment, its history, and how it shapes lives.

In another vein, Kuwaiti researcher and documentary photographer Saad Alsharrah uses long-form photography – telling visual narratives through detailed, long-term engagement with a subject – to capture stories that connect historical narratives from Kuwait and beyond. This practice has enabled Saad to more deeply explore pearl diving as a link that conceptually binds Indian and Pacific Ocean countries, including Gulf states, Japan, and Australia. Saad’s photographic research has evolved into Speculative Horizons, a curatorial and educational project that aims to promote cross-cultural, lens-based research methods in his home country and abroad.

AGSIW spoke to Saad Alsharrah following the recent showing of his “Evasive Sanctuaries” exhibition in Kuwait’s Contemporary Art Platform to learn about the inspiration behind his creative practice, the pedagogical philosophy guiding Speculative Horizons, and the opportunities he hopes long-form photography projects can create for Kuwaiti photographers.

AGSIW: How did you become a photographer?

Saad: My career in photography was unanticipated – the genuine interest started at the inception of my doctoral studies in Australia. My research emphasized using satellite imagery to map arid vegetation in Morocco’s Meknes-Tafilalet province to support the local councils in establishing tailored desertification combating plans. I started taking photographs during the site visits in the villages south of Meknes and began to think more about photography as a storytelling medium. During these extensive visits and revisits, I fell in love with the medium and started doing a lot of street photography a few years later. However, I was also a bit lost. I wanted to build these long-form narratives and projects to tell stories, but coming back to Kuwait, that didn’t exist – it’s always the single image on a platform like Instagram or an online portfolio. I had many single images but could not conceptualize them in a project form and establish a visual narrative to convey these stories. We don’t have this emphasis on long-form projects and narratives combined with research. It’s not about taking nice photographs, putting them together, and saying, “This is what I think about this problem.” It’s rather like being a detective: exploring history and historical structures, and the science behind everything, and then using the visual medium to express your voice on that topic.

I then decided to do a master’s in photography, which really helped me with conceptualizing an idea and then using photographs and research to express a narrative through lens-based methods. I am now interested in documentary photography and storytelling in the form of an exhibition, book, or moving imagery.

AGSIW: In the earlier days of your photography practice, what were the stories that your photographs were trying to capture in the context of your research on desertification?

Saad: Doing geospatial science, you’re often sitting at a desk looking at satellite imagery at the pixel level and analyzing desert plants that are important in stabilizing the soil for the local population. So, there is a verticality to seeing the world. What was intriguing was going to the villages and meeting the local populations. These are the people being affected by phenomena like desertification, so that was a fascinating encounter on a personal level.

From my point of view, spending extended time with participants or subjects and photographing their daily lives gives you so much context and perspective – it’s a phenomenological endeavor that enriches your understanding of the social or environmental issues you are investigating and documenting. Photography, for me, is a lens for understanding the world. The satellite imagery and its scientific use helped achieve a partial solution for a larger complex problem, but these photographs provided something more for me and were a fascinating and complementary practice. Where traditionally I was just a scientist, photography helped me understand my research topic in a much deeper way.

AGSIW: How did Speculative Horizons emerge from this work?

Saad: Speculative Horizons initiative was founded with my friend and former supervisor Kristian Häggblom. After finishing my master’s, which was about the Japanese pearl diver diaspora in Australia, I got really interested in coming back to Kuwait and doing long-form and documentary projects. Our ancestors were pearl divers, so pearl diving was a conceptual link among Kuwait, Australia, and Japan. Kristian and I realized that there was not much going on with photobook publication or long-form photography projects in Kuwait compared to single-image projects. So, we thought, “Let’s initiate something in which we can link Melbourne,” where I was living at the time, “to Kuwait and bring some of those ideas over because there is a lot of potential in Kuwait.” We wanted to help create this discourse to inspire people to do long-form photography projects.

The idea was to start with a small symposium and a keynote lecture, Speculative Horizons Version 1.0, held in February 2023. It grew into a solid a collaboration and dialogue between Australia and Kuwait. The two main loose themes were “Land” and “People,” and we exhibited 16 artists – eight Kuwait based and eight Australia based – who responded to these themes. That was a novel and exciting exhibition project in Kuwait – having the artists from the two countries exhibiting together and installing the work with attention to the spatial distribution in the space to consolidate a visual dialogue. For my experience and contextually for Kuwait, it was experimental.

AGSIW: What were some of the initiatives or programs that went alongside this show?

Saad: Throughout that season, we had street photography walks and keynote lectures exploring documentary styles in the West and Japan. People were excited about the programs, movements, and dialogue they created. With the support we received from the Australian and Japanese embassies, we decided to plan for another edition in 2025 in Japan in which Kuwaiti-based artists will exhibit work alongside Japanese artists. However, we did not want to wait two years before the next edition, so we created another program in between – Speculative Horizons 1.5, or “Evasive Sanctuaries” – as a prelude to the Japan edition. For this edition, four artists exhibited Japan-related projects.

What was exciting about this show was the educational aspect. I think we have a responsibility to sustain and protect visual literacy. That’s why we really wanted to introduce this idea of narrative in visual expression. With our co-curator and photography educator, Stephanie Rose Wood, we created educational kits with interviews, sections about the artists and curation, and specialist exercises. We also organized tailored workshops on editing and sequencing narratives and visual idea generation because information on these topics isn’t available in Kuwait. When you meet younger, aspiring photographers in Kuwait with creative ideas, some guidance or support is needed to conceptualize and express them. Most of the workshops had a solid turnout. We also invited teachers and students from local high schools for tailored exhibition tours to stress the importance of visual literacy, education, and ethical implications regarding photography. We are also working on publishing an e-reader to create a sample photography curriculum for educators in Kuwait.

AGSIW: What does the name Speculative Horizons refer to?

Saad: Horizons refers to the idea of cross-cultural interaction and dialogue among Australia, Kuwait, and Japan. Speculative refers to the questioning of documentary photography in this day and age, which is constantly being challenged. What is truth? Is there truth in documentary? Speculation for us is also about giving the reader and viewer space to imagine what they see in the work. The current exhibition is called “Evasive Sanctuaries,” and it’s about these strange places that we’re not familiar with. There’s also a verticality in the images exhibited – the first story comes from space, then you descend to the ground and explore two people’s lives, and then you dive underwater – but we don’t make it very discrete in terms of expressing a narrative like a traditional documentary might. It’s very elusive, challenging the viewer to speculate about the story. This is one of the examples of speculation in the exhibition and our philosophy in general.

There is a broader movement called speculative documentary as well. It’s not very widely published, but there are a lot of documentaries moving away from the traditional form in which a journalist might collect images and claim they are the “truth” or what viewers should believe. We’re trying to introduce that concept to Kuwait – maybe we can speculate, and what each person gets out of a documentary is up to them.

AGSIW: Tell us the story behind “Kaino E” – your work in this show.

Saad: After World War II, many Japanese divers migrated to Western Australia – Broome specifically, a pearling town that has been around for 150 years. Many young Japanese came to Broome as pearl diving laborers after World War II. There was a strong migration relationship between Broome and the Wakayama region in Kansai, Japan. Many moved back to Japan, but a few stayed and were naturalized, living in Broome. With the rise of cultured pearls, that exchange has decreased. For my contribution to Speculative Horizons 1.5, I built on my master’s degree project, which was on documenting the lives and stories of four of these divers who are still alive.

There was one diver specifically with whom I developed a strong relationship, and it became more of a collaborative project and partnership and less of a documentary. I’m now making a photo book about his life and journey to reconstruct his memories using photography. Photos from that project were exhibited in the show, printed on 3.5-meter rice paper to replicate a Japanese scroll and storytelling. These alternative ways of expressing the work have been really refreshing and initiated a discourse to move away from the classical framed image exhibition, though Horizons is not the only exhibition to do this. The project is named “Kaino E,” which means “To Kaino” in Japanese – Kaino being the diver’s name. Kaino means “ocean field,” a metaphor for the sea and life in Japan in which the ocean gives abundance and destruction. The idea is also to link Kuwait with this pearl diving history, but that’s another endeavor.

AGSIW: There is a growing regional interest in initiatives connecting historical or contemporary narratives from the Gulf to East Asia. How does Speculative Horizons hope to continue bridging that gap?

Saad: The idea is to expand on Speculative Horizons 1.5 and make an open call for Kuwaiti artists to exhibit in Japan. We’ll likely use the same themes – land, people, and sea – and hope that these will inspire photographers to create long-form projects. The exhibition will take place in Atami, a seaside town near Tokyo. We hope to extend the exhibition beyond the indoor space to six or eight spaces scattered all over the city, much like Kyotographie, one of the strongest photo festivals in the world. Basically, you work with and in the urban space, whether on walls, canals, or concrete.

However, the intention is not just to showcase Kuwaiti work in Japan – that’s one element – but also to exhibit Japanese work that responds to Kuwaiti work. We’re also building on Speculative Horizons 1.5 by working with local artists in Kuwait on a series of workshops, talks, and screenings throughout 2024 in collaboration with various creative spaces in the city to continue the discourse and build a strong community to push these ideas further.

Photography enthusiasts from the historic Photo-club de Vrines were welcomed into the future of imaging at the recent Thouars Photography Meetings, an event that served as a testament to the rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into our daily lives. Dominique Cappronnier, a former computer engineer with a keen interest in photography and technology, took on the role of a lecturer, guiding audiences through the fascinating world where traditional photography meets AI.

A decade ago, AI’s effectiveness was barely realized, but today its capabilities excel human performance in areas such as image recognition. The exponential growth in computing power, predicted by Moore’s Law in the 1970s, has facilitated AI’s swift advancements, which are particularly evident in the field of photography. Free-to-use, open-source software, such as those pioneered by the company Open AI, have democratized AI, making spectacular image creations accessible to all.

Though this novel technology brings a plethora of creative opportunities, it also carries a darker side. The spread of fake news has been bolstered by the power of AI, invoking serious ethical considerations concerning its use. Such themes buttressed the discussions over the event’s enlightening weekend.

Marking the 40th anniversary of the Photo-club de Vrines, the event saw months of preparation by dedicated volunteers, culminating in various engaging activities. In addition to AI-related sessions, the festival offered exhibitions, demonstrations of alternative photographic processes, historical lectures, and hands-on workshops that embraced both the evolution and roots of photographic artistry.

The insightful presentations illustrated not only the swift pace at which technology evolves but also the importance of mastering such advancements to reframe and enrich our photographic experience. While photographers of the past might have initially scoffed at the digital revolution, AI’s influence on the art today reveals a cycle of innovation and adaptation that continues to redefine the boundaries of creativity.

Current Market Trends:
The merging of photography and AI represents a rapidly growing trend where software improvements are making AI tools more accessible to the general public and professionals alike. There’s an increasing use of AI algorithms for tasks like image enhancement, style transfer, and even generating brand-new artistic images from textual descriptions. Startups and established companies are investing in AI-driven photo editing software, and AI-powered features are becoming a standard for mobile and professional cameras. Websites and social media platforms are using AI to curate and recommend visual content, which is reshaping the dynamics of visual communication.

Forecasts:
The AI in photography market is expected to continue growing, with estimates that the AI in the imaging market will expand significantly over the next few years. As AI becomes more sophisticated, we can foresee further integration into various segments of the photography market, including stock photography, photojournalism, and fine art. AI is also forecasted to improve camera technologies further, making advanced photography techniques more accessible to casual photographers.

Key Challenges and Controversies:
One of the main challenges in the fusion of photography and AI is the ethical issue surrounding deep fakes and manipulated content. As AI gets better at creating realistic images, the potential to create misleading or harmful content also increases. This raises concerns about the veracity of online images and the potential for AI to be used in malicious ways. In addition, the question of authorship and copyright when AI generates art is a matter of active legal and philosophical debate.

Advantages:
AI offers numerous advantages in photography. It can enhance image quality by correcting lighting, focus, and stability issues. AI algorithms can also accelerate the editing process, allowing photographers to achieve desired effects without extensive manual editing. The ability to process large volumes of images quickly is particularly beneficial for applications like surveillance, medical imaging, and large-scale media management.

Disadvantages:
One of the disadvantages of AI in photography is the potential reduction in demand for professional photographers and photo editors as AI tools become more capable. Also, photographers may feel that AI-generated images lack the human touch and artistic intuitions that come with traditional photography. Privacy concerns also arise with the use of AI in cameras as the line between public and private spaces becomes increasingly blurred.

Important Questions Relevant to the Topic:
– How will AI continue to shape the future of photography and art?
– Can AI-generated art be considered an original creation, and who holds the copyright?
– What measures can be put in place to deal with the rise of deep fakes and protect against misinformation?
– How can photographers adapt to and leverage AI technologies to enhance their craft?

For more information on the latest developments in art and technology, you can visit OpenAI. Please note that while I ensure the validity of the URL at the time of writing, I’m unable to guarantee that it has not changed post my knowledge cutoff date.

The Lithuanian Season in France, which starts this autumn, has attracted more than 500 artists, experts and performers from both countries, who will organise over 300 different events in different cities, from poetry readings at the Pompidou Art Centre to photography exhibitions in Paris metro stations.

In all, some 130 projects have been selected to be presented in 30 French cities between September 12 and the end of the year.

“In the run-up to the Season, we have watched existing partnerships grow stronger and new ones forge. This creates a huge effect, and we have experienced that culture opens the door to themes and areas that are not related to culture, but are relevant and meaningful,” Julija Reklaitė, head of the Lithuanian Culture Institute, said in a statement on Monday.

According to Virginija Vitkienė, commissioner of the Lithuanian Season in France 2024, the events will allow the French to get to know Lithuanian culture, art and history in more detail, and will open up even wider opportunities for long-term partnership between the two countries.

“It is particularly pleasing that the programme is dominated by contemporary art, new forms of theatre, music projects, meetings with writers and thinkers, debate cycles dictated by geopolitical realities, economic and educational events, and, of course, gastronomy projects, which will allow people not only to see, to hear, but also to taste Lithuania,” said Vitkienė.

The opening weekend of the season from September 12–14 will be packed with events in Paris. The Pompidou Centre, in collaboration with the MO Museum in Vilnius, will open an exhibition showcasing Lithuania’s art since the 1960s.

The opening weekend will also see the celebration of Poetry Day at the Pompidou Centre, featuring the poems of Jonas Mekas and new French translations of his poetry, concerts by Lithuanian choirs in public spaces in Paris, and the premiere of a new work by Lina Lapelytė.

Radio Vilnius will be inviting Parisians to to the Gaite Lyrique cultural centre with a programme of Lithuanian electronic music artists.

A joint project of the National Library of France, the Paris Metro, the Lithuanian Union of Photographers and Kaunas Photography Gallery will start on September 12 and will last until the end of the Lithuanian season in seven Paris metro stations that will be decorated with large-format works by Lithuanian photographers.

In the run-up to the Season, between April and June, the Embassy of Lithuania in France is organising dozens of events under the name of the Prelude to the Season.

The Lithuanian Season in France is implemented by the Lithuanian Culture Institute and the French Institute in Paris.

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Our smartphones have evolved into powerful devices capable of replacing traditional cameras for both casual and professional photography. As more photography enthusiasts and everyday users aim to enhance their mobile photography skills, the demand for smartphones with exceptional camera capabilities continues to grow. In this article, we explore the realm of camera smartphones and highlight the top options available to help you capture stunning photos and videos anytime, anywhere.
These smartphones boast advanced sensor technology, versatile lens configurations, innovative software features, and AI enhancements, providing a range of tools to unleash your creativity.We’ll walk you through a curated selection of the best camera smartphones currently on the market. Whether you’re a seasoned photographer seeking a compact powerhouse or a casual user looking to elevate your smartphone photography, our comprehensive review will assist you in choosing the perfect smartphone.

Best camera phones from Apple, Samsung, and more

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Apple’s newest flagship smartphone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, features a remarkable 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display and houses the powerful A16 Bionic chip to deliver exceptional performance. It includes a triple-camera system that excels in low-light conditions and incorporates enhanced AI capabilities. This device also supports 5G connectivity for high-speed internet access and operates on iOS 17, ensuring a smooth and intuitive user interface. With its premium design and cutting-edge features, the iPhone 15 Pro Max stands out as an excellent option for photography enthusiasts.
OnePlus Open: The OnePlus Open 5G is a robust smartphone offering from OnePlus, equipped with a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, a striking AMOLED display, and a professional-grade camera system. Its 5G compatibility delivers rapid and dependable internet connections. Featuring a sleek design and premium construction, the OnePlus Open 5G stands out as an excellent option for users seeking a high-performance smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G: The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a flagship smartphone packed with advanced features. Its 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display showcases vibrant colours and sharp details. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, it ensures smooth performance for daily activities and gaming. The impressive triple camera system includes a high-resolution main sensor, ultra-wide lens, and periscope zoom, enabling exceptional photo and video capture. Additionally, the device features a large battery and supports fast charging for added convenience.
OnePlus 12: The OnePlus 12 is a high-performance smartphone equipped with a professional-grade Hasselblad camera system, including a primary 50 MP Sony sensor, a 3X periscope lens, and a 48MP ultra-wide lens. It delivers exceptional performance with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and optimised software. The phone features a vivid 2K 120 Hz ProXDR Display with Aqua Touch, allowing use even when the screen is wet. Additional highlights include OxygenOS based on Android 14, ultra-fast 100W wired charging, and 50W wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 5G: The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 5G is equipped with a versatile camera setup, featuring a combination of 12MP ultra wide, 12MP wide, and 12MP telephoto rear cameras, along with a 10MP Cover camera and a 4MP Under Display camera. Its innovative design and advanced camera capabilities cater to photography enthusiasts seeking a unique mobile experience. Additionally, with 256GB of storage, it provides ample space to store high-quality images and videos.
Apple iPhone 15: The Apple iPhone 15 is equipped with a triple-camera system that incorporates advanced computational photography features. This camera leverages Fusion technology to enhance captured shots. Powered by the A16 Bionic chip, it delivers exceptional performance for both photography and videography tasks. With 128GB of storage capacity, it provides ample space for storing high-quality images and videos. Additionally, the improved battery offers up to 28 hours of talk time on 5G connectivity.
Samsung Galaxy S24 5G: Explore the Samsung Galaxy S24 5G AI Smartphone, equipped with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Its ergonomic design and satin finish provide a comfortable grip and tactile feel. With a larger screen, extended battery life, and improved processing power, the Galaxy S24 delivers an enhanced user experience. Capture stunning high-resolution photos confidently with its powerful camera. Enjoy innovative features such as Circle to Search for intuitive searching and AI-driven language translation during phone calls and messaging.
Motorola Edge 20 Pro 5G: The Motorola Edge 20 Pro 5G boasts a 108MP main camera, a 16MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP telephoto camera, providing versatile options for photography enthusiasts. With 128GB of storage, it offers ample space for storing high-resolution images and videos. The stock Android OS ensures smooth multitasking and a clean software interface. The device also features a large 5000mAh battery with 30W fast charging for quick top-ups.
Also read | Apple iPhone 14 is available for Rs 30,210 only on Amazon; know how to grab the deal