We get to know five emerging artists featured in the new group exhibition, You Is For Unity

“The photography of Matt Black lays down a portrait of two Americas, but it doesn’t necessarily focus on the America you and I…know,” says educator Tatiana Hopper in her video exploring the work of Matt Black. He’s a documentary photographer who goes after the stories that aren’t really being told. Specifically, he makes tons of photographs around the working class and poverty-striken in America. But his stories are sometimes obfuscated by social media algorithms around trends or more sensationalized stories in the news. In the media, you can call his work a human interest story. But if this is the type of stuff that gets you depressed, you should be very well aware that the people in Matt’s photos could be you one day.

Lead image is a Screenshot from the video by Tatiana Hopper. Please visit her channel for more about real photography and less about gear. You can see more of Matt Black’s work on his Instagram and website. Magnum Photos also has a course with him.

I listened to a podcast the other day that talks about how wellness is a booming industry. In fact, the idea of feeling okay is being sold to us. It preys on the idea that we have to be okay and that for a little bit of money, it can happen. Don’t get me wrong, having money is at the root of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. You need it to feel secure and so that you can have all the other things you need. But many people are nowhere as well off as someone reading this article.

“Matt Black’s Photography…captures the beauty in adversity and in hardship.”

Tatiana Hopper

Tatiana Hopper states that Matt Black focuses on people who are facing the adversities of life. In fact, she quotes a study that states that the bottom half of America have been completely shut off from economic growth since the 1970s. The pandemic hasn’t made it any easier. In France, the workers rise up, strike, and cause chaos. But here in America, we’re often too tired, busy, or hypnotized by our phones.

Matt’s images have a black and white photo style that is used creatively in so many different ways. By removing the color from the scenes, they have a classic look that makes us believe that any of these photos could’ve been from any time in history. It also makes us pay close to attention to the details in-between the tones and based on compositions. He uses pretty specific strategies to also make his work not feel like documentary porn:

• Matt’s work is often wide and not just focusing on someone begging. Instead, he’s showing their lifestyle and clearly gaining their trust to document their life.
• By using wide angles, he’s showing us the environment. The point of the photo then isn’t just the person, but the entire scene and situation that they’re in.
• He isn’t always very close to people physically — or at least his images present that way. But it’s also very clear that he has permission and access to do the work that he does.
• Matt consistently keeps all factors at the center of his work.

Tatiana’s video can be seen above, and we really recommend that you take a look at it.

For more work like this, you should check out some of our previous features on photographers. Mario Cruz has done exceptional work in this genre. Owen Kahn tried making a book about it. And years ago, we partnered with Fujifilm to tell stories just like this.

Forget expensive studios and elaborate setups. A novel trend sweeping social media platforms offers budget-conscious millennials a unique service: companion photography.

This combines companionship during outings with professional-looking photos, all at a fraction of the usual cost, as little as 20 yuan. While the concept has garnered significant online buzz, concern is mounting regarding potential risks and the lack of established consumer protection measures.

This “combo” approach has garnered significant online attention, with discussions exceeding 210 million views.

Netizens share experiences of obtaining “lifetime photos” at popular landmarks like the Bund for minimal cost. University students and photography enthusiasts often offer these services, leveraging their skills and equipment.

Prices typically range from 20-80 yuan per hour, with optional add-ons like makeup and photo editing.

While both parties acknowledge potential risks, issues such as an unsatisfactory service, difficulty asserting rights, and portrait right infringements are becoming increasingly prevalent.

Lifestyle platform user Xiaoyan shared her experience. She paid a companion photographer to take her photos, however, the photos delivered didn’t meet her expectations. They were not as good as her selfies. The efforts she had put into her make-up and outfit were wasted, she said.

Little Cat encountered a companion photography scam involving mutual aid, where services are provided free of charge in exchange for mutual practice. A netizen claiming to be a novice photographer invited her for mutual practice in a dimly lit private cinema. After persistent questioning, the individual admitted to being male and offered to pay her for modeling. Little Cat found this inappropriate.

A post-2000s companion photographer, Xiao Gu, experienced clients not showing up for appointments. After one such incident, he began asking for a 10-yuan deposit in advance.

Ms Yang, a professional photographer based in Beijing, noted instances where unsatisfied clients exposed photographers on platforms for public judgment. Due to the informal nature of these services, photographers have no legal recourse in such situations.

Many photographers interviewed said details such as shooting locations and fees are agreed upon via WeChat or phone calls, without written contracts or defined penalties for breaches. It was also noted that many consumers of companion photography services are minors, yet photographers often do not consider their age or seek consent from their guardians. Although companion photography may resemble friends taking photos together, disputes can make it difficult for both parties to protect their rights.

How to assert rights in companion photography pitfalls?

Currently, most agreements between companion photographers and consumers are verbal, making it challenging to assert rights in case of disputes. A lawyer from the 12348 public legal service hotline advised preserving evidence such as social media and WeChat conversations, which can prove the existence of an agreement.

Having legally valid evidence allows consumers to file complaints with relevant authorities for refunds if they are dissatisfied with the services or encounter disputes with photographers.

For cases where photographers post client photos on social media without consent, the lawyer said that this violates consumer portrait rights. Consumers have the right to demand the removal of their photos, and can sue if the photographer refuses.

The business of photography is still going strong, which means there are a lot of cameras, lenses and other photography gear to try out – and in my job, it feels like I am talking about a new camera being around the corner almost every day.

Luckily, for anyone who wants the latest and greatest, an ample way to upgrade to new gear is trading in something old against the cost of something new. UK photography retailer Wex has just such a trade-in program, offering to buy your old kit and use that value against any new purchases (or get cold hard cash). And Wex has a handy tool enabling you to check the value of your old kit before making any sort of trade.

But what are other people selling? Well, Wex has given me a list of the most requested trade-ins over the last month, and this month’s winner (or perhaps loser) is the Fujifilm X100V.

A very unsurprising entry in the top spot; considering the furor already around this camera, combined with the Fujifilm X100VI launch which also happened this month, it has driven secondhand prices sky-high. Considering the nonsensical prices that people have chosen to pay for second-hand copies on eBay, it makes a lot of sense that people are trying to make a quick buck while interest is through the roof.

Just missing out on the top spot is the Sony A7 III. At almost six years old, the A7 III has certainly been surpassed in technology by newer cameras – although with 24MP images, in-body image stabilization, autofocus tracking and 4K video it can still hold its own. And when the list reveals just how many photographers are still working with DSLR cameras from over a decade ago, it also sheds some perspective on how long a camera can last.

You might assume that many people are trading up to the latest Sony A7 IV, but this camera actually features as the sixth most requested trade-in – so it perhaps isn’t striking a chord with people who have actually bought it. What the data doesn’t reveal is if these photographers are buying a different Sony camera instead, or are in fact switching systems!

The first Canon mirrorless entry is the Canon EOS R5, which is the tenth most requested trade-in, but with not much sitting above that camera in Canon’s lineup, I can only assume it is people looking to either downgrade and make some quick cash or switch brands. Luckily for Canon, though, its other mirrorless cameras don’t feature heavily on the rest of the list. The story is the same for Nikon, with quite a few people looking to get rid of their Nikon Z6 II (twelfth place), but its other cameras are faring much better for satisfaction.

The overall top ten requested trade-ins are relatively unsurprising. There are a good number of people looking to trade in their Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, as well as the Nikon D850 and Nikon D750, which all take top spots, as you can logically assume photographers look to upgrade to their first mirrorless camera now that manufacturers have signaled the DLSR era is very much over.

The full top 10 results are below:

If you are thinking of getting some new photography gear then why not check out our guides to the best mirrorless camera or the best camera for beginners.

Amid the recent controversy surrounding Kate Middleton’s edited Mother’s Day photograph, another royal portrait has come under scrutiny for alleged alterations. The Valentines’ Day photo of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which was shared in 2021 to announce their second pregnancy, has been criticized by the UK media for the addition of a willow tree in the background.
However, the photographer who captured the portrait has strongly refuted these claims and demanded an apology. Artist Misan Harriman, in a post on Instagram, shared the original colored version of the photo and stated, ‘The original JPEG without the black and white grade, I expect a full apology and retraction from @dailymail @telegraph. No trees or meadows were moved or swapped, this is the image straight out of camera. Also, that is a Jacaranda Tree, not a willow tree.’
The black-and-white photograph depicted the Sussexes under a tree, with a pregnant Meghan resting her head in Harry’s lap, and the couple wearing joyful smiles.”The Daily Mail says I have admitted to doctoring the pregnancy announcement portrait of Harry and Meghan. Apparently, I was switching out trees and meadows. And I admitted to this in an episode of a podcast called Private Passions. This is crazy,” Harriman expressed.
The photographer explained that during a podcast interview, he was asked about capturing the portrait virtually during the lockdown and was asked a few leading questions.
Harriman tried to evade those questions and when asked if the couple were under a willow tree, he responded that they were lying outside in a meadow.”How that exchange could amount to me admitting to doctoring an image is insidious,” he said, adding that the claim was “dangerous and unacceptable”.Harriman clarified that the only alteration made to the photo was the change from black and white to color.

The photographer behind Kate Middleton‘s newest car photo is slamming the brakes on conspiracy theories. 

Amid online speculation that the March 11 image—which showed Prince William and the Princess of Wales riding in the backseat of a Range Rover leaving Windsor Castle—had been digitally doctored to include Kate, photog Jim Bennett shared further details on how he managed to capture the buzzy moment.

“Car shots are unpredictable at the best of times,” he told People March 13, “and with some reflection on the glass it can be difficult.”

Bennett was expecting to photograph William, 41, on his way to London for Commonwealth Day service. However, after snapping a few pictures of the passing car, Bennett said it “wasn’t until I checked on the back of the camera to make sure I had a frame of Prince William that I realized there was someone sitting next to him.”

He added, “It turned out to be Catherine!”

A distinguished photographer and academic from Coventry University has won the Portrait of Britain Award for creating powerful insights into homelessness.   

Widely recognised for his extensive contributions to socially engaged art, Associate Professor Anthony Luvera’s winning photograph, Assisted Portrait of Mauvette Reynolds, has been acknowledged by the British Journal of Photography for its raw and real exploration of the lives of people facing homelessness.  

Anthony, who is a researcher in the university’s Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities, has had his work exhibited in institutions and festivals around the world, receiving widespread acclaim for its impactful engagement with societal issues that are often overlooked.    

The award-winning portrait is part of Anthony’s large body of work titled Construct, a project centred around the lives and experiences of more than 50 people facing homelessness in Birmingham. 

Commissioned by GRAIN Projects, an arts organisation dedicated to facilitating high-quality photography projects, in collaboration with SIFA Fireside, a charity that supports homeless people, the Construct project has been ongoing since 2018.   

Anthony said: “I have worked with people experiencing homelessness to address issues of housing justice for over two decades. I’m interested in working to enable people with lived experience to amplify their points of view about the systems and services that shape their everyday lives.  

“To see the Assisted Self-Portrait of Mauvette Reynolds from Construct recognised by the British Journal of Photography through their Portrait of Britain award is a meaningful validation of the co-creation of this work with Mauvette and the many other people who have experienced homelessness that have participated in my work over the years.”  

Anthony immersed himself in the community, working alongside SIFA Fireside’s staff, participating in kitchen activities, and building relationships with homeless people for over a year before setting up photography workshops to teach them how to use photography equipment. They were then given cameras to capture their unique experiences and perspectives.  

Even during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Anthony continued the project through online workshops and conversations.   

He incorporated assisted self-portraits into the project, a process by which each person can choose where, when and how they appear in a photograph, working closely with people in meaningful locations to create powerful and personal imagery.   

His winning portrait serves as just one poignant example of the narratives captured throughout the project, which is currently being showcased across the UK on digital screens in various public spaces, including bus shelters, rail stations, shopping centres and Heathrow Airport.

Construct made its debut exhibition in Snow Hill Square and Snow Hill train station in central Birmingham. The culmination of the project will be presented in a full publication scheduled for release in March 2024.   

Find out more about Construct.   

Anthony Luvera is a socially engaged photographer and academic within the Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities at Coventry University. His work has been exhibited widely in galleries, public spaces, and festivals, including Tate Liverpool, The Gallery at Foyles, the British Museum, London Underground’s Art on the Underground, National Portrait Gallery London, Belfast Exposed Photography, Australian Centre for Photography, PhotoIreland, Malmö Fotobiennal, Goa International Photography Festival, Les Rencontres D’Arles Photographie, Oslo Negative, and Landskrona Foto Festival. He is the editor of Photography For Whom?, a periodical about socially engaged photography, and Chair of the Education Committee at the Royal Photographic Society.   

Jake Chessum and James Dimmock are OG FACE photographers, cornerstones of the magazine in the ​’90s, and now both Englishmen in New York who’ve gone onto fancy careers in editorial, commercial and Hollywood photography. Jake has shot two Presidents, while James’ work is currently plastered all over Times Square, courtesy of his skyscraper-sized imagery advertising the comeback of Rick and Michonne to the Walking Dead franchise.

Getting their start on our print magazine back then, each worked their way up through the ranks. For a small story in the front section, James was dispatched to Sweden for less than 24 hours to shoot a 15-year-old TV soap actor he knew only as ​“Rebecca”. A few years later, that teenage schoolgirl was going toe-to-toe and stunt-to-stunt with Tom Cruise in three Mission: Impossible films; she’s now known as Rebecca Ferguson.

In 1997, Jake was sent to Barcelona with me to shoot a pair of launch gigs for a British band’s album that we thought might do well – but, just in case, we hedged our bets and committed to a single page of coverage. That was Radiohead’s OK Computer. And the rest, as they say, was hysteria.

Graduating to features and cover stories for the mag, they also shot OutKast in Cannes, Beastie Boys in Los Angeles, Aaliyah, Aphex Twin and loads more. Increasingly in demand from other publications, advertisers, film studios and record companies, they went on to photograph Hollywood up and comers (Joaquin Phoenix), models du jour (Kate Moss) and future superstars (Amy Winehouse). Also captured at key points in their respective careers: Pharrell Williams, David Bowie and PJ Harvey.

Their next stop: jobs, lives and families on the other side of the pond.

However, Harriman noted this wasn’t the case. To prove his point, he reflected on his 2022 appearance on BBC Radio 3’s podcast Private Passions, where he’d discussed using technology to do virtual photoshoots amid the coronavirus pandemic. He also said host Michael Berkeley asked “leading questions” that ultimately led to the current mix-up.

At one point in the interview, Berkeley suggested Harry and Meghan—who are also parents to Prince Archie, 4—”weren’t actually under a willow tree” when the photo was taken. As he put it, “They were lying outside in a meadow, weren’t they, Harry and Meghan when you took [the] photograph of them?”