Mandy Lynn Corbell is a portrait photographer in Muskogee. Here are five tips she offers if you would like to become a professional photographer.

1 How do you make a client feel comfortable in front of the camera?

“I find that being genuinely interested in people and getting them to talk about their interests and family helps put them at ease. “

2 What are some of the difficulties you face studio versus on location photography?

“Studio photography requires studio lighting equipment, multiple background choices, set design, and props. Of course, there is overhead with studio rental/ownership and utilities.”

3 What kind of professional training did you have before you began your career?

“I had a darkroom class in high school, and when I was a high school math teacher I did a lot of our yearbook photography with a film camera. Initially, I took community classes, joined a local camera club and read a lot of books on photography. When I decided to make a career of photography, I studied with several professional photographers and joined national and state professional photography organizations. I still study with someone every year, and I believe we should never stop honing our craft.”

4 What is the best advice you had from a colleague?

“That’s a tough question..I’ve had a lot of excellent advice. But someone once said “Don’t ever let up on quality: quality in your work, quality in your photography, quality in your appearance, website, business card, etc. Quality has to reign supreme.”

5 What’s the best advice you can give someone when using a camera phone?

“Always look for quality in light, no matter what kind of camera you are using. When photographing faces, make sure people are not directly under a light to prevent shadows in their eyes: if you are outdoors and it’s sunny, put them under an overhanging edge of a building or tree edge, if you are indoors put them near a window turned slightly toward the light coming in. Always hold your finger on the face on the screen if using a phone to make sure the exposure is correct on the face. If photographing food, try taking the photo with your phone upside down.”

— Ronn Rowland

For well over a decade, it’s been fashionable to herald the imminent end of traditional photography. Smartphone imaging continues to evolve in leaps and bounds, adding in AI sauce and endless capabilities for tweaking and sharing your photographs, and sales of ‘conventional’ digital cameras have plummeted correspondingly. But the idea of a dedicated camera still refuses to die.

Fujifilm’s new X100VI is the latest iteration of the company’s X100 Series, a range of compact digital cameras that blend rugged, timeless looks and ergonomics with exceptional sensor and lens ability.

It’s 13 years since the arrival of the first X100, in which time the quality of camera sensors and storage capabilities have improved exponentially. Nevertheless, the rule that a good lens is the foundational basis for good photography will always hold true, and the camera’s 23mm F2.0 lens is paired with a 40.2 megapixel sensor and in-body image stabilisation for great low-light performance.

Available in naked aluminium or with an all-black finish, the X100VI is a tactile delight, with a hybrid viewfinder and physical buttons for all operations. It is a tool that feels just right in the hand, encouraging you to seek out new angles, create fresh compositions and document things in a different way.

Other onboard processing operations include the ability to simulate 20 different types of film grain, and an AI-trained autofocus that can recognise different objects. There’s also 6.2K film recording and wireless connectivity for instant content back-up.

The new camera is also being launched as a limited-edition model to celebrate Fujifilm’s 90th anniversary. Produced in an edition of 1,934 units, the X100VI Limited Edition model is numbered, engraved with Fujifilm’s original 1934 logo, and comes with a special presentation box and strap. Other optional accessories include a leather carry case and wide and teleconversion lenses.

Fujifilm X100VI available in black and silver, £1,599, Fujifilm X100VI Limited Edition (silver only), exclusively available from Fujifilm House of Photography in London, £1,934, Fujifilm-x.com

Spike Jonze met Björk at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles in 1995. In the months before, they had been discussing the concept for music videos from her upcoming album, Post, talking over the phone but never meeting in real life. Then Björk went to LA, and Jonze was asked to shoot her for Detour magazine. When he first saw her, she was wearing orange and drinking coffee – it was the calm before a casual but prolific day of shooting around the hotel.

The hundreds of photographs from that day have now been curated by friend and collaborator Humberto Leon (the designer and restaurateur, who recently designed a Tory Burch pop-up), for an exhibition – ‘The Day I Met Björk’, at Leon’s restaurant Arroz & Fun in collaboration with WeTransfer – that traces Björk throughout the day, from hotel room to garden to pool.

Spike Jonze and Humberto Leon on ‘The Day I Met Björk’

For Jonze, the photographs capture the moment right before Björk’s album blew up, changing everything for her. ‘It’s very easy to shoot photos of someone when they’re compelling, when they’re imaginative, when they lack any self-consciousness and when they’re as singular and original as her. Really, I almost can’t even take credit for any photos being good because they’re just… I think sometimes if you’re shooting photos of someone that doesn’t know how to be in front of the camera or play or just create something with you, then it’s hard. But this was just her. Just [point] the camera at her and she’s compelling.’

For Leon, favourite photos from the series include the singer going down the hallway, peeking her head back out of the doorway with her distinctive playfulness. ‘I feel like, looking at all the contact sheets, I live through the day with you and her because I saw the sequence of the day,’ he tells Jonze. ‘It’s almost like you were just like, “Throw that blanket over your body and jump on the bed.” And she was like, “Sure.” There’s one of her really close up with this blanket around her face and it’s shot so beautifully in black and white.’

WeTransfer presents ‘The Day I Met Björk’ at Arroz & Fun, accompanied by a free, downloadable zine

spike-jonze-bjork-zine.wetransfer.com

We’ve seen and interviewed lots of photographers who channel paintings as inspiration. Photographer Hellen van Meene has channeled this idea for many years. Instead of meditating on the ideas of Baroque and impressionist paintings, she finds faith in the ideas of Dutch painters. Like photographers Robert Claus, Neal Auch, and Dorota Gorecka, Hellen finds beauty in the light around her. In a new gallery exhibit at Yancey Richardson, some of her latest photographs adhering to this style will be on display. The images explore the formative years of young women and turn them into a beautiful time that so many of us look back on with fondness.

All images by Hellen van Meene. Used with permision on behalf of Yancey Richardson. You can see it from February 22nd to March 30th.

There’s a lot of omnipotence in the images Hellen van Meene makes. She blends her growing subjects with nature, soft colors, ethereal lighting, and things often revered in nature. I think we can all agree that butterflies bring a smile to the faces of many people. We see butterflies along with several other animals take center stage in Hellen’s The Dissolve. If all these young men are just going off to college, we might be able to say that these are some incredible senior portraits. But that would also be an injustice due to the bigger commercialization of senior portraiture. Instead, these pieces are true art.

Lots of museums and galleries often center on fashion-style portraits and we don’t see enough fine art portraits done in this style printed and in-person. But Hellen’s work is rather exceptional — and it could likely open up the floodgates for more.

Selling prints is often a complicated game. The safe ones end up being purchased by hotels and financial institutions. Others sometimes end up being investment pieces. Hellen’s work could surely be in the latter position but is also very likely to end up on the walls of someone’s living. These images are incredibly artistic and because they are so much like paintings, someone less initiated in the art of photography might think of it more as the traditionally defined higher arts such as painting, sculpture, etc.

Indeed, photographs like this can remind people that photography is art and not just something done with your phone and forgotten about after posting to social media. This kind of work deserves to be in museums — and Hellen’s have appeared in various museums around the world.

Hellen van Meene’s work will be available on display at Yancey Richardson Gallery in NYC starting February 22nd and can be visited until Match 30th. We encourage every budding portrait photographer to explore the work there if they can. Lots of photographers take inspiration from portrait paintings; but they also do a lot in Photoshop. Photographers should study the images and try to think about how the images can be made in-camera with less post-production as a way to combat the inevitable problems that AI might cause.

In these images, Hellen is channeling various struggles. The heroes in her photographs are all going through some very big changes in life. That tension and transformation is evident in the images. But in these images, we also see the beautiful creative struggle that comes when photographers truly care about making art instead of content to please an algorithm.

VAN

The Lake Van Express, stretching from the capital Ankara to the eastern province of Bitlis’ Tatvan district, has become a focal point for photographers, particularly during the winter months.

Photographers from various cities across Türkiye flocked to Bitlis to capture the best shots of the train blending with snow-covered mountains. The Lake Van Express, offering magnificent views, especially in winter, is preferred by travel enthusiasts of all backgrounds. Besides attracting travel and adventure seekers, it has also piqued the interest of university students. Operating between Ankara and Tatvan, the express provides travelers with the opportunity to embark on a journey accompanied by breathtaking scenery during the winter season.

Capturing extraordinary moments during the journey, photographers spotlighted the Lake Van Express as an unconventional option for travel. Offering vistas of vast plains, rivers and hills covered in snow along the route, the train provides passengers of all ages with an unforgettable experience.

Suna Adak Bulut, who traveled from Istanbul to photograph the Lake Van Express in Bitlis, stated, “We came from Istanbul with other photographers. We specifically wanted to photograph the Lake Van Express. Like the Eastern Express to Kars, the Lake Van Express is a very special train, but people don’t know much about it. It departs from Ankara and reaches Tatvan as its final destination. It’s a very enjoyable train. Instead of being inside the train, we preferred to photograph it in the snow for our albums.”

Swedish photographer Alex Dawson has won the prestigious title of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 for his magnificent shot of Whale Bones. The intriguing photograph shows a breath-hold diver exploring a minke whale bone beneath the Greenland ice sheet. 

Why did this image stood out among 6500 entries?

Dawson’s winning image stood out amid 6500 entries | Image: Instagram

According to Amateur Photographer.com, Dawson’s winning image stood out amid 6500 entries from underwater photographers around the world. 

His shot not only captures the beauty of the underwater world, but it also highlights the condition of marine life. Despite representing a byproduct of small-scale whaling, the photograph emphasizes the global collapse of marine and wildlife populations.

What did the judge of the competition say about this image?

Alex Mustard, a former marine scientist and competition judge, lauded Dawson’s work, writing in the photograph’s judge’s comments section that the superb composition asks viewers to ponder our impact on the planet’s greatest creatures. 

Mustard underlined the need for a shift in our approach to wildlife protection, as wild creatures had dropped by 85% since the rise of humans. 

In a statement to the BBC, Mustard described the difficult conditions under which Whale Bones was photographed, with the breath-hold diver going beneath the Greenland ice sheet to see the carcasses. 

He observed that the diver’s outfit and torch give the image a visiting alien atmosphere, bringing spectators into the setting.

Dawson expressed his thanks on Instagram | Image: Instagram

Following his achievement, Dawson expressed his thanks on Instagram, writing, “I am honoured to have been given the award of Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 in London this weekend with my winning image ‘Whale Bones’.” 

This photograph was entered in the Wide Angle category, using freediving mode.”

The competition consists of 13 categories, including Macro, Wide-Angle, Behavior, and Wreck, as well as four dedicated to images shot in British waters. 

How is underwater photography a challenging task?

Underwater photographers face difficult conditions to explore the lesser-known areas of our blue world and share the wonders of the sea. 

The UPY competition features underwater photographs from photographers all around the world, with winners chosen in twelve categories such as macro, behaviour, wrecks, and compact, as well as three categories dedicated especially to British waters.

The competition also gives the Save Our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year title.

The Crown Estate sponsored an awards ceremony in Mayfair, London, that unveiled the winning photographs. 

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

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A man loitering along a Calcutta street in the late 1970s with his friend reaches out to naughtily pinch the cheeks of a hijra (transgender), who is posing for Raghu Rai’s camera. It is a typically dirty Calcutta street, and there is neither purpose nor hope reflected anywhere in that frame. Yet there is a bit of humour and a snatch of desolate purposeless and maybe unfulfilled lives.

The street, its walls (one section is titled ‘The Wall’), the banks of the Hooghly, the banks of the Yamuna and the outskirts of Delhi, the office room of prime ministers, the political stage, the police lathicharge — Rai was everywhere trying not just to capture the moment for us. Everywhere, we see an effort to elevate his art with that painstaking effort. To wait a while longer for some magic to happen. “Even a breeze blowing, what it does to you and the entire space around you. That is what is magical about ongoing everyday life,” Rai writes in the introduction to one section.

Portraits of power, and glimpses of divinity

A picture is worth a thousand words, but for 2014 Phoenixville Area High School graduate Tyler Smiley, it could soon be worth a lot more than that. Smiley has had not one, but two photos selected to advance to the final round of the prestigious Bird Photographer of the Year photography competition.

“I saw an email come through from them requesting high-resolution files for one or more images I entered in the contest, and it didn’t register what that meant at first, to be honest,” Smiley explained, adding that he had to re-read the email a few times before realizing he had advanced to the final round of judging.

While two images were selected to advance to the final round of judging, Smiley added that he entered a total of 10 images captured in and around Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he now resides. The subjects of his entries included birds like screech owls, ospreys, and herons, but the two that made the final judging round were of smaller shorebirds called sanderlings.

Being a global competition, Smiley said even if he doesn’t place or advance further, he can take pride in the fact he made it this far.

“It is no small feat to reach this round of the competition, that’s for sure. When I entered, I don’t think I could have ever expected it, but I am extremely proud that it happened,” he noted.

After graduating from Phoenixville Area High School, Smiley went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management at the University of South Carolina, finishing his time there in 2017.

Upon graduation, Smiley worked in marketing and real estate at the Delaware Beaches for four years before taking his passion for photography and making it a full-time career in late 2022.

Now in his second calendar year, Smiley says business is booming and he hopes to continue the growth he has seen to start 2024.

“To say I’m grateful to be doing something I love as my career would be an understatement. Each day is more exciting than the last, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunities photography has given me,” he added.

Currently, Smiley offers prints of landscapes and wildlife he has photographed around the Delaware Beaches. Additionally, he offers real estate photography to Realtors and property managers in the beach towns, photographing sales and vacation rental listings when they come on the market.

The Bird Photographer of the Year is an annual competition that was conceived to celebrate the amazing array of bird species found around the world. It features several categories, including black and white, best bird portrait, bird behavior, and more.

For more information on the Bird Photographer of the Year competition, visit www.birdpoty.com.

To view more of Smiley’s work, visit www.tylersmileyphotography.com.