The Panasonic Lumix G9II is a powerful advanced mirrorless camera, aimed at enthusiasts and professionals, whose priority is photography. Just like its predecessor, the original Lumix G9, the G9II is billed by Panasonic as its “flagship model for still images.”

As a G-Series camera, the G9II uses a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor, which has had its resolution boosted by around 5MP versus the original model, now sitting at 25.2MP. The design has been revised and the camera shares a body and layout with its powerful, video-oriented bigger sibling, the Panasonic Lumix S5IIX. And just like the S5IIX, the G9II gets Panasonic’s latest hybrid phase and contrast detection autofocusing system — a step up over the contrast-only auto detection in the original G9.

Costing almost $1,900 in body-only form, the G9II is competing with some serious competition in the upper-enthusiast market, namely the Canon EOS R7, Sony A6700, Fujifilm X-T5 and OM System OM-1. Does the Lumix G9II have what it takes to compete with some of the best mirrorless cameras around? Find out in our Panasonic Lumix G9II review.

Panasonic Lumix G9II review: Price and availability

The Lumix G9II was released in September 2023 and costs $1,899 / £1,699 body-only. In the U.S. and U.K. the camera is available as a kit with a Leica 12-60mm lens for $2,499 / £2,249. In the U.K. there’s also an intermediate kit which features a non-Leica 12-60mm lens for £1,899.

Even for a flagship mirrorless camera aimed at serious enthusiasts, the G9II is priced quite high, retailing slightly cheaper than the Micro Four Thirds OM-1, but much pricier than the EOS R7, a6700 and X-T5, all three of which feature larger APS-C sensors. Its price actually pushes the G9II towards the territory of pro-oriented cameras like the Fujifilm X-H2S, Sony A7 IV and Canon EOS R6 Mark II.

We tested the G9II using the Leica 12-60mm lens. It’s likely that many buyers of the G9II will be existing Lumix G users, and will already own lenses. If you’re new to the system, though, and need a first lens, the Leica is the one to go for, and its extra price shouldn’t deter pros or serious enthusiasts. This lens produces lovely, sharp images and features a bright f/2.8-f/4 maximum aperture (versus the f/3.5-f/5.6 of the non-Leica lens). Both 12-60mm lenses give you an expansive zoom range, though, with a field of view equating to 24-120mm on a full frame camera.

It’s worth pointing out that the Lumix native lens range is decent — there are around 40 in total (combined MFT and full frame). However, the number of “affordable” lenses is quite small compared to Fuji and Sony. This may be a consideration if you are planning on moving to Lumix for the first time. Third party AF lenses are readily available for Lumix cameras.

Panasonic Lumix G9II review: Design

The Lumix G9II shares much of its design with the full frame Lumix S5II. Subsequently, the G9II has lost the rounded shoulders and bulbous, DSLR-esque design of the original G9, in favor of a sleeker, squarer aesthetic. 

Spanning the top plate are two main dials for drive and mode. This represents an extra dial versus the G9 but comes at the expense of its top digital display. There’s a large front grip with a finger recess, as on the S5II, making the G9II comfortable to hold, even with larger lenses. The G9II also shares the S5II’s 3-inch 1.84M dot vari-angle LCD and high-res 3.68M dot 120Hz OLED EVF. Both are bright and vivid, and can have their brightness, contrast and tints fine tuned for accuracy. 

Build quality is fantastic, with plenty of metal used throughout. Dials turn with a satisfying thunk, although the plastic rear dial around the D-pad feels a little cheap. Most of the buttons have good haptic feedback, except the shutter button, which is a little mushy for my liking. As with the S5II, the plastic hatch over the SD ports is spring loaded and closes firmly, while the accessory ports are covered by two rubber flaps that are fiddly to close.

The G9II is a heavy camera at 1.45lbs (658g) without a lens. Thanks to that large grip, the weight doesn’t make it a difficult camera to handle, but a comfortable strap is advisable if shooting with the G9II around your neck or wrist all day.

Connectivity options are ample. There’s a remote shutter port, two UHS-II SD slots, headphone and mic ports, a USB-C port and a full HDMI Type-A port, just like the S5II. On top, there’s a multi-accessory hot shoe.

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The G9II is weather sealed, which came in useful for my AF testing shots below, taken in driving rain. After 15 minutes, the camera was mud-splattered with rainwater dripping from the body and lens: no problem at all.

Panasonic Lumix G9II review: Controls

The G9II mirrors the S5II’s controls and layout, too (apologies if this starts to feel like Groundhog Day). That’s a very good thing.

The camera is very well laid out, with virtually every shooting parameter, control or Fn button at easy reach with your right hand only. The only controls you need your left hand for are the drive dial, viewfinder toggle and the playback button, meaning your left hand is almost always free to keep the camera stable or operate the lens controls or focus ring. It also means there’s no awkward stretching or pivoting of the camera required to access a button on the left with your right hand. A lot of thought has gone into the G9II’s user interface, and I love it.

The G9II’s menu is expansive but easy to navigate, even for newcomers to the system. It may not be as user friendly as Canon’s menu, but if you’re coming from the convoluted menus of Fuji or Nikon, it’s a joy.

One issue I noted with the S5II, again present on the G9II, is input lag with certain functions. Flick the power switch, for example, and you’re sometimes waiting up to 5 seconds for the camera to power on. There’s similar lag with the playback button. It’s a quirk that you quickly get used to, but frustrating all the same.

Panasonic Lumix G9II review: Autofocus performance

The Lumix G9II features Panasonic’s latest autofocusing system, combining both phase and contrast detection. This is the same system as found in and introduced by (you guessed it) the S5II. The G9II also features Panasonic’s latest detection modes, including human (eye/face), animal (eye/body), car and motorcycle detection. In my S5II review, I criticised the infancy of the AF system, which at the time featured very few detection modes versus the competition. That’s no longer the case.

The G9II’s autofocus is extremely capable. Even in low light, human face and eye detection and continuous tracking works very well, detecting and locking onto eyes. In the portrait shot of my partner in the section below, the camera easily found and focused on her eye, even in the challenging lighting conditions.

The same is true for animal detection and tracking. In the low light photo of one of my greyhounds, Luna, above, you can see that her eye is in sharp focus.

When shooting fast-moving subjects, the autofocus tracking is not quite as effective, but still performed very well. I tested the high speed continuous AF tracking with my other greyhound, Nutty, running at full tilt, so around 40-45mph. 

The G9II was able to detect and track Nutty throughout the frame. More often than not, the focus lagged behind the dog, resulting in unusable photos. Some shots tracked her body but couldn’t detect or hold her eye, meaning only her body or back legs were in focus. From several hundred high speed shots, there were around 7 or 8 usable photos with Nutty’s face and eyes in acceptable focus. 

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That may not seem great initially, but it’s actually pretty good. Both of my dogs present a serious challenge for AF systems, as they’re extremely quick and both have black eyes and fur that make it difficult for cameras to detect their eyes. Most mid-range enthusiast cameras I test achieve a similar usable photo rate, but only when my dogs are running much slower.

The strong AF performance makes the G9II a great choice for sports or wildlife photographers. Hopefully Panasonic adds in more detection algorithms down the line — bird detection, for instance — to bring the AF fully up to par with Canon.

Panasonic Lumix G9II review: Image performance

As a flagship stills camera, what matters most about the G9II is the photos it takes. And the Lumix G9II shoots beautiful stills. The 25.2MP micro-four-thirds sensor is packing a lot of resolution into a small space, delivering fantastic-looking, sharp images at lower ISO values. Colors are vibrant (especially in the Vivid colour profile) but natural feeling, as you can see in the image of the polar bears below.

The G9II’s shooting rate is blistering for a sub-$2,000 camera. Using e-shutter, the G9II can shoot 60fps in AF-C mode and 75fps in AF-S. It can also shoot up to 200 JPEGs and 170 RAW files in continuous drive — that means you can shoot for around 20 seconds continuously if you drop down the rate to 10fps. Well, I say “drop down”, but for context 10fps is where the Sony A7 IV tops out entirely. Buffers filled, there’s obviously some processing time required as the camera writes everything to cards, but you can keep shooting while it’s doing so. It’s very impressive, and another boon for wildlife and sports photographers.

The natural limitations of the MFT sensor start to become apparent at ISO1600 and above, where you’ll see noticeable image noise in RAW stills. Thankfully, up to ISO6400, this is mostly smoothed out by noise suppression in out of camera JPEGs without degrading them to a noticeable extent for standard viewing, although RAW files will likely need some noise reduction in post. As you can see in the two images of my partner below, shot at ISO1600, there is visible noise on her face and in the sky above her head in the exported RAW file on the left. In the out of camera JPEG on the right, the noise has mostly been smoothed out by the camera, with little sharpness lost in her face or in the background.

Noise becomes more problematic above ISO6400, where RAW files start to get very noisy and out of camera JPEGs suffer a decline in sharpness as the camera has to apply lots of smoothing noise suppression. In the images below shot at ISO 12,800, you can see how destructive image noise has become. In the image on the left, which is an export of the RAW file (with the exposure lifted to reveal shadow detail), the noise is utterly ruinous. In the right-hand shot, which is the out of camera JPEG, the image is blurred by noise suppression to the point of being unusable.

This is not unexpected from a sensor of this size. Smaller sensors generally deliver noisier images at high ISO values, so this is just a limitation you need to factor in when considering this camera. If low light performance is of paramount concern to you, an MFT sensor probably isn’t what you should be looking at in the first place — you’d be better off with a full frame camera like the Panasonic Lumix S5IIX or the Nikon Z f.

Personally, I try to avoid ISO12,800 even on larger APS-C sensors, anyway, so I don’t see this as too much of an issue. If you will be shooting in low light with this camera, then investing in an ultra fast f/1.8 lens is still probably a good idea, to make sure you can keep that ISO down.

Thankfully, you’ll also have the G9II’s fantastic (up-to) 8-stop IBIS in your arsenal. The image below was shot handheld at 1 second shutter, without any camera shake or motion blur. This will allow you to drop your shutter and avoid high ISO values.

As you can see in the image above, the G9II captures a wide dynamic range. The left image is the out of camera JPEG, which has rendered dark shadows and a dark sky. The right image is an export of the original RAW file, with the exposure boosted in post to reveal shadow details. As you can see, the G9II captured plenty of shadow details in the dark foreground, the dark grey tones of the sky, all the way up to the bright highlights of the building lighting. 

There are a range of colour profiles to choose from, although less than you’ll find from rivals, giving you fewer creative options out of camera than rivals like the Fujifilm X-T5. That being said, this is a camera aimed at serious enthusiasts and even pros, for whom natural, true-to-life colors will matter more than creative profiles.

As a black and white shooter in my personal photography, though, I do appreciate the G9II’s numerous monochrome profiles — there are 5 in total, including a Leica monochrome filter to replicate the German manufacturer’s aesthetic. 

Panasonic Lumix G9II review: Video performance

The Lumix G9II is, according to Panasonic, a stills-oriented camera. Nevertheless, as we’ve come to expect from Lumix cameras these days, it packs some pretty heavy video specs that put similarly priced rivals to shame. In fact, if Panasonic told me this was a video-oriented hybrid, I wouldn’t question it.

The G9II shoots up to 5.8K/30p or 5.7K/60p MOV files in camera, with 5.7K/30p ProRes available when shooting to SSD. Cinema 4K and standard 4K are available at 60p in 4:2:2, and there are a range of bitrates and both All-I or Long-GOP compression types on offer, giving video shooters plenty of flexibility to balance and tailor quality and workflow requirements. It even comes with a trademark video camera feature: a full HDMI port.

The G9II’s fantastic IBIS is naturally a major boon for video, allowing smooth handheld footage, especially when paired with an OIS lens, making panning shots much smoother. Combine all of this with Panasonic’s latest AF and despite ostensibly being a still camera, the G9II is a more compelling package for video than most out there save the S5II. That includes Panasonic’s own video oriented Lumix GH6, which features the manufacturer’s old AF system (although does have a CFExpress port).

Panasonic Lumix G9II review: Battery life and overheating

The Lumix G9II features the same battery as found in the S5II, rated at 370 shots without any power saving modes enabled. In today’s market, that figure looks decidedly puny: the EOS R6 Mark II, Fujifilm X-T5 and Fujifilm X-S20, for example, are all rated at well over 700 shots. In power saving mode with the EVF disabled, Panasonic claims that the G9II will shoot 1,300 photos, which is great. However, given this is a flagship camera, it would’ve been nice to see Panasonic invest in some better battery technology to help the G9II keep shooting all day without having to disable displays. As it is, you’ll want at least one, maybe two spare batteries for a full day of professional work.

In video testing, the G9II averaged around 90 to 100 minutes continuous shooting at 4K/60p before succumbing to a flat battery. That’s around the same as an action camera. Impressively, it managed that without ever overheating, indoors without the benefit of windchill. This was a pleasant surprise, especially given the G9II lacks the cooling fans of the S5II.

Panasonic Lumix G9II review: Verdict

The Lumix G9II is an incredible mirrorless camera. It’s built like a tank, thoughtfully laid out, features fantastic AF and IBIS systems, takes wonderful stills and is a more-than-capable video tool, too. If you’re into wildlife and sports photography, the G9II’s combination of blistering shooting rate and intelligent hybrid AF make it nigh-on impossible to beat for this money.

The MFT format sensor has natural limitations in terms of image noise, but this isn’t a huge issue unless you’re frequently and deliberately shooting at high ISO, which most photographers tend to avoid anyway. It’s also a reasonable assumption given the price and market position of the G9II that prospective buyers (a chunk of whom will already be using the MFT format) will understand this limitation and will have the knowledge to mitigate it entirely.

My only real gripe with the Lumix G9II is its battery, which is a little weak in today’s market, especially for a flagship camera aimed at serious enthusiasts and professionals. That said, spare batteries aren’t exactly expensive, so as long as you buy the G9II knowing what to expect, it’s a very easy camera to recommend.

A $25 million gift from the Bucksbaum family—Carolyn (Kay), Jacolyn (Jackie), and John Bucksbaum—will support future initiatives of the Art Institute of Chicago, with a focus on the creation of the Bucksbaum Photography Center. This remarkable support is a lead gift in the museum’s visionary multi-year plan to expand and enhance the visitor experience.

The Bucksbaum Photography Center will house the Department of Photography and Media and its collection. This transformational investment will have a lasting impact on visitors looking to experience the museum’s singular and world-renowned collection, expanding access to the power of Photography and Media.

This is the largest philanthropic contribution to the Photography and Media Department in the history of the Art Institute of Chicago and is one of the largest Photography and Media-specific donations to any museum in the country.

“It is an honor to work with Kay Bucksbaum and her family who have the vision and foresight to invest in our city’s cultural leadership,” said James Rondeau, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute of Chicago. “We are immensely grateful for Kay, Jackie, and John’s long-term commitment to the museum and look forward to continuing our partnership.”

This extraordinary gift will be a transformative investment in the future centrality and visibility of the department—its staff, facilities, collections, and exhibitions.

“This contribution is paramount to future ambitions for the Photography and Media department,” said Matthew Witkovsky, Richard and Ellen Sandor Chair and Curator, Photography and Media. “The Bucksbaum family’s investment will have a lasting impact that all visitors can experience.”

A long-time collector and leader of the museum, Kay Bucksbaum’s passion for photography was instilled early in childhood through her father and remains steadfast to this day. Kay has served as a member of the Photography and Media Curatorial Committee since 2003 and a member of the museum’s Board of Trustees since 2002. Combined with her interest in modern and contemporary art, she has been instrumental in numerous projects at the museum over the last 25 years, including the naming of the Carolyn S. and Matthew Bucksbaum Gallery as part of the construction of the Modern Wing.

“I have an abiding passion and appreciation for the power of photography and media,” said Kay Bucksbaum. “This gift from our family is an investment in the future of the department at the museum and the curators who are moving this field forward.”

Beyond the Art Institute of Chicago, Kay is a trustee at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and an advisory board member of the Bucksbaum Institute of Clinical Excellence at the University of Chicago.

Jackie and John Bucksbaum are both true civic leaders. In addition to serving on the Art Institute of Chicago’s Committee on Photography and Media since 2016, Jackie is a member of the Board of Directors for the Society for Contemporary Art, is on the Cinema/Chicago Executive Committee, and is a member of the Latin School of Chicago’s Senior Advisory Council following years of service on the Board of Trustees. John is a trustee at the Field Museum of Chicago, an advisory board member of the Bucksbaum Institute of Clinical Excellence at the University of Chicago, campaign director of the Chicago Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and a member of the boards of directors of both Navy Pier and the Chicago Sports Commission for Sport Tourism.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – In court Tuesday, a Louisville man was sentenced for the deadly shooting of a photographer during the 2020 protests.

In January, Steven Lopez pled guilty to firing a gun on a group of protestors at Jefferson Square Park one Saturday morning in June, killing 27-year-old Tyler Gerth, who was active in the social justice protests of that year. Gerth died before he could be taken to the hospital.

Video surveillance shows Lopez shooting a firearm into a large crowd of people at the park.

Lopez and arrested and charged with murder and 21 counts of wanton endangerment. The murder charge was later amended down to manslaughter, giving a total of 30 years to serve with the wanton endangerment counts.

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All of the photographs on this website weren’t made by people. They weren’t made by an AI image generator, either. Instead, they were all made by cameras. Sure, people had to push the buttons. But the cameras did everything around the color because it was set to auto white balance. It chose the shutter speed all by itself. In some cases, it even set the ISO all by itself. It is responsible for making the images in the same way that a painter’s brush makes the delicate srokes of a piece of art. That’s synonamous to the way a chef’s fireplace makes the perfect steak that you enjoy for all of a few minutes. Indeed, there is a camera that takes great photos.

If you’re actually reading this, you know how absolutely absurd this sounds. Yes, it’s true that the tool that you’re using can help you make the photograph. But the camera can only do so much. It doesn’t necessarily know to capture a specific moment. And it can’t see the creativity that you want to put forth. There’s a saying about how a camera cannot see — and that’s true. It can look and apply things to a scene, but it doesn’t have a creative vision.

The Creative Vision is something that a photographer has pertaining to how the final scene will look. Most people casually snapping an image to capture a candid moment don’t necessarily have the vision. Instead, they’re just trying to capture a moment — which is an art in and of itself that requires a great understanding of moment and technique to get the shot you want. A creative vision is often realized by commercial, editorial, fine art, conceptual, landscape, and other photographers. It happens when you shoot slowly.

Often, the creative vision is realized when you create an image that cannot be seen with the human eye. Our Creating the Photograph series showcases this well. Here are a few examples:

• James Andrew Ridley photographed a human menorah. The above image was done by James, and was used with permission in that interview. It required lots of props, styling, and flashes to make it happen.
• Mary Ann Wamboldt used a slow shutter speed and flash to get a trippy effect.
• Virginia Kluiters made projections that give a bit of background into how she felt when creating her photographs.

Sure, we’ve interviewed lots of photographers who also make their magic happen in post-production. That’s all fine — but it has become the mainstream these days and the art of creating in the moment is something that’s disappearing. More and more though, photographers are trying to do it to make themselves stand out. Why not do less work to get the photo if you can get it done in-camera?

The important part here though is that it’s not just the camera doing the work. It’s also the photographer’s creative vision. It can be realized in or out of the camera. But if you do most of the work in-camera, then you’re doing a whole lot less of it digitally in software. You’re then less of a photo editor — though that is part of the natural process of making images.

What you often don’t realize as well is that you’re closer to the process typically when you make an image in-camera vs when you make it in post-production. Don’t belive me? Try it, and you’ll see how you work to connect your technical and artistic minds differently.

For the thirteenth episode of IN STUDIO, we went to Cesura‘s spaces in Pianello Val Tidone, province of Piacenza, to meet Marco P. Valli and Luca Santese, two members of the most active photographic collective in Italy. Known primarily for their joint project Realpolitik, a series of portraits of Italian politicians, including Giorgia Meloni, Silvio Berlusconi, and Matteo Salvini, the two photographers shared with us how it all began. From working together to coexisting within a collective, Marco and Luca also discussed the behind-the-scenes of their work and their upcoming project in the United States.

The Cesura Study: An Alternative Model

We find ourselves at the foothills of the Piacenza hills, in a two-story building with a somewhat Spartan appearance. Here is the headquarters of Cesura, the photographic collective founded by Alex Majoli – now a full member of Magnum Photos – and active since 2008. Around forty people, including photographers and assistants, work in this space equipped with all the necessary tools to make them autonomous. From post-production to the actual printing of photographs, to framing and transport for exhibition production. On the ground floor, a large co-working area precedes a printing laboratory. On the mezzanine, there is the archive of their publishing house, established from the beginning as a means of disseminating Cesura’s work. Upstairs, there is the editing room and the darkroom, along with a small kitchen that allows Cesura members to fully immerse themselves in this place, potentially without leaving for entire days. The sense of sharing is immediately palpable, as well as atypical for photographers. We are used to encountering artistic collectives or visiting large co-working spaces of mostly visual artists; the idea of a photographic collective working in unison with the foresight to emphasize the name Cesura rather than the individual intrigues us a lot. There are many questions we want to ask Luca Santese and Marco P. Valli, but let’s start from the beginning.

Why are we here in Pianello Val Tidone and not in the city?

LS: For various reasons, actually. One is that the dimensions of these spaces, for our budgets, would never have been sustainable in the city. At the same time, this is a place where one can retreat, so it changes the dimension in which you work. The legend – but it’s true – says that the place was chosen by drawing a circle with a compass on the map. About an hour’s drive from the main airports and near highway junctions.

How was Cesura born, and how did you end up here?

MPV: Luca Santese is one of the founders of Cesura, and I joined a bit later, in 2011. At the beginning, Luca was an assistant to Alex Majoli, then the collective was founded with its publishing house to promote Cesura’s work and ideology. The initial policy was not to sign projects but to release them only under the name Cesura, to make the collective as known as possible. It was funny at first when we arrived somewhere, and they said, “Are you Cesura?” Our idea has always been to bring Cesura first because the most effective thing that passes is the idea of collectivity. Then, of course, competitiveness has always been fundamental inside, both for better and for worse, but it has made everyone grow very quickly. Life here has never been “comfortable,” but, surely, living a sort of training has made photographers more prepared for more challenging situations. Let’s say that those who pass through here get toughened up and become more resistant, so it’s useful, it shapes you. In a way, living here and working intensely together also acts as a filter, especially at the beginning, as an aspiring photographer; it makes you understand if you are suited for this type of work.

How do you experience this place? Do you live nearby?

MPV: At first, we settled here. In the assistant phase, the guys live here; now we go back and forth from Brianza. When we work in pairs, we always meet here. This is the best space for productivity, which increases by 300% compared to when we are in Milan. What you would do in a week of work here, you do it in three days because everyone else works in the same direction. Usually, there are many of us, and comparison is frequent and crucial for us.

Do you think it can be said that there is a Cesura method that is consolidating and being passed down?

MPV: Yes, it depends on the photographers. Each has their method, but there are factors that keep us together, especially from a structural and organizational point of view.

Let’s talk about your Realpolitik project. How did the approach to politics come about?

LS: This is a fascinating story, especially because it aligns closely with Cesura. Cesura’s activity began before its official establishment, around 2005. Alex Majoli opened this studio with Alessandro Sala, one of his early assistants. Alex’s idea was to stay away from the city and build a studio that was also a laboratory, so he could have complete control over the entire production process. Relying on external support led to errors, delays, inaccuracies, and costs that became exorbitant. This meticulousness, if done externally, costs a lot. However, if you manage it yourself and train people to handle it, it has a different impact, besides costing less. At the beginning, there was a real division of labor – a couple of us focused on post-production, some on printing, a couple on assembly work and frame construction. All of this gave Cesura its soul. After years of being assistants, there was a risk that photographers would disperse into various agencies. The idea was different: stay here and establish a collective. That model of independence that had been created was applied to Cesura. To get to the point, none of us was a billionaire, and there was no one sponsoring something like this at that time, so the need was to start by shooting in our own territory.

Did politics come into play at this point?

LS: Yes, Italian politics was one of the first fields we worked on from the beginning. It was within reach, cost-effective, and we had the real potential to sell photos internationally. When in 2018 the situation of Italian politics changed, becoming hyper-populist, we realized there was an opportunity for us to work on a project together and provide a comprehensive narrative of the Third Republic in Italy.

Why do you think it was necessary to tell the story of the Italian political situation at that particular moment?

MPV: Consider that our background comes from Magnum. What sets it apart from many others is their work on contemporaneity with the idea of creating an iconography of the present with a broader perspective, not just chronicle-like. Following in this vein, Realpolitik was an opportunity for us to create a collective project, with the intention of forming a new iconography of Italian political representation and propaganda. In practice, it’s interesting because Third Republic politicians started self-producing their propaganda, nullifying the representation that photographers created of power. At that time, there was no one producing counter-propaganda or, at least, trying to subvert the propaganda canons proposed by politicians. We stepped into this gap. We began searching for an aesthetic that could counterpose itself in a satirical, critical, and grotesque way to the representation that those in power made of themselves. From that point on, we started following the main political events, which, individually, remain mere news, but in the organicity of a five-year project, they gain meaning – the documentation of the transformation of political power in Italy.

LS: Think about our photos of Giorgia Meloni, so grotesque, satirical, and comical. If – hypothetically – our country went to war, something that has actually happened but in a more explicit way, these photos would take on a whole different weight. This is the vision we try to uphold – looking at the present but trying to consider history, so that the images can continually acquire new communicative power.

A bit like John Heartfield did with satirical photomontages against Hitler’s Germany?

LS: Exactly, in the field of photography, political satire has been scarce, especially in Italy. Our attempt, with this grotesque, revealing, theatrical aesthetic, is precisely to create true masks of Italian comedy, or rather, Italian tragicomedy. There’s a beautiful page that I feel like promoting, called Meme Press Photo, which pokes fun at photographers. There’s a photo showing a roof covered in snow, and a person, with a shovel, removing a small corner. The meme says: “This is your impact on history, that is, nothing.” The flow of images bombarding us today is so intense that it’s like trying to respond to a bombardment with a pellet gun, but simultaneously, it’s not certain. This is work that can be thought of even for those who will come in ten, twenty, thirty years and can have a historicized perspective. Berlusconi is an example. The photographs we took of Silvio Berlusconi, when he passed away, became iconic images of the last Berlusconi.

In this counter-propaganda operation, have you ever encountered external obstacles, perhaps criticism or bureaucratic hurdles? Is it a problem to publish an image of this kind?

MPV: No, it’s not a problem because politicians are public figures, and during rallies or events, they can be photographed. The use of light we employ is not attackable, in the sense that everyone takes portraits as they see fit. We have had encounters with politicians, yes. For example, when we did Il Corpo del Capitano, we flew to Catania, and Matteo Salvini was coming out of the trial, and we handed him the book.

Do you know what politicians think of these portraits?

MPV: Actually, they don’t think anything. In fact, there is a sensational story about Salvini related to the cover of Time Magazine. In 2018, we took a portrait of Salvini, captured with light from below. Salvini is smiling, and the light makes him appear Mephistophelean. It is the photo we published on the first fanzine of Realpolitik, and after a few months, we sold it to Time, which made it the cover of an issue titled “The new face of Europe.” Vivienne Walt‘s article criticized Salvini’s actions during that period. A month after the publication, we went to Rome, and during a League demonstration, they handed us a leaflet. In the center was the Time cover. Salvini essentially used it to self-celebrate as an international politician. At that point, we were left stunned and said, “Satire alone is not enough.” A portrait like that, for someone who hasn’t had visual education, doesn’t see its critical sense. The important thing is that it says “Time” and Salvini’s face. From that moment, we decided to work on Il Corpo del Capitano, to try to create an even more alternative, raw, more noir iconography that would dismember Salvini at a communicative level and make the photos untouchable. We turned him into a mask, put him on the cover without eyes so that he couldn’t exploit it in any way.

LS: When we gave the book to Salvini, he had a small twitch. Our goal is to work so that these means become the iconography of our time, even for the future.

How do you manage to shoot politicians so closely?

MPV: The photographs for Realpolitik were taken at a very close distance. We manage to get very close only during small provincial rallies. There are fewer people, fewer photographers, and we can approach more easily. In some cases, we were really lucky, getting as close as twenty centimeters from their faces.

Do you enter the rallies as accredited press photographers? Have you ever been discovered? Are the equipment similar?

LS: They have never said anything. The only factor that might arouse suspicion is the fact that there are two of us. The equipment is quite similar, although we use an external flash, which is somewhat unusual for press photographers.

Do you plan to expand this project internationally?

MPV: In addition to continuing the work on Italian iconography, we want to try working abroad, focusing on the American elections. We are considering working on Texas because, besides being the largest American state, it is currently undergoing a phase of change. It is a Republican state that might not be Republican anymore after the next elections. In short, it’s a bit of Ultra America. Our focus is not only political; the intention is also to narrate other central aspects of the country to obtain a diverse story.

Let’s talk about your work. How is it to work as a pair? It’s a bit atypical for two photographers.

MPV: Being part of a collective has accustomed us to working with many people. For us, the important thing is that the project has value and is done well. Being two allows you to take twice as many photographs, especially in a context like political rallies where time is limited for shooting.

Does the competitive factor come into play?

LS:
Yes, of course, but competition is positive. When Cesura was born, all the photographers were young and very competitive; they wanted to assert themselves. However, at the same time, we managed to learn that working together is a great strength. Now that we are more mature, we can do it more consciously without that youthful immaturity. A great example is the collective project on the Arab Spring. When the Arab Springs erupted, all the photographers divided the territories, and there we managed to bring home a complete job, which would have been impossible without the group. Marco and I work together because we get along well, and we know that working as a pair is only an advantage. Competition exists, but it’s healthy.

In collective projects, you never credit a specific photographer for a particular shot. I think this also shows the overcoming of an ego, which is not obvious.

MPV: The only time we are “obliged” to put either my name or Luca’s on the photos is for publications in newspapers. Often, however, as we review projects like Il Corpo del Capitano – which is the result of two years of work – we have no idea who took the shots. Especially for that project, we were very set on the same lens and light; we were like two operators producing two perspectives.

Being primarily recognized for the Realpolitik project, is it an obstacle to your personal research?

LS: I would say no. One must always remember that what you do is not who you are. In addition to the joint projects, Marco and I have our individual research, which is very different from Realpolitik, less popular and towards a more challenging path. In this sense, it is easier to be associated with this type of aesthetic – Realpolitik – because it is more popular and circulates more, while our personal research is more niche and circulates only in galleries.

MPV: The only thing to be a bit careful about is the long term. If you only take photos of politicians with that type of aesthetic, you risk the path of mannerism.

Our customary question: what can’t be missing in the studio?

LS: Actually, we need almost everything that is here. The real wealth, from a pragmatic point of view, is our equipment, printers, machinery, vans, which individually would be impossible to maintain. For example, having a darkroom is possible only because a group of people came together and created it. The van to transport the works, as well as all the internal services, we also offer to external photographers or agencies, allowing us to maintain our own activity and invest.

Ph credits Andrés Juan Suarez

Greg Snell, a seasoned travel photographer and videographer, is steering the tourism industry towards an unprecedented direction with the help of an AI tool named Midjourney. The innovative technology has the ability to produce strikingly realistic images based on simple prompts, a development that could potentially redefine the landscape of travel photography.

The AI Revolution in Travel Photography

In a world where visual content is king, the integration of artificial intelligence in travel photography is not just a novelty, but a game-changer. Midjourney, the AI tool adopted by Snell, generates images that are astonishingly lifelike, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish them from actual photographs.

With its ability to create captivating visuals from simple prompts, Midjourney has been instrumental in producing travel content for the tourism industry. This development is particularly significant as it challenges the traditional role of travel photographers, raising questions about the future of the profession.

The Interplay of Authenticity and Artificiality

Despite the impressive capabilities of Midjourney, Snell remains firm in his belief that the authentic experience captured by actual travel photographers will continue to hold value for clients. “While AI can generate visually appealing images, it falls short in replicating the unique human perspective that a travel photographer brings to the table,” he explains.

However, Snell acknowledges that the technology could impact the visual representation aspect of travel photography. “It’s a double-edged sword,” he admits. “On one hand, it could potentially make certain jobs obsolete. On the other, it opens up new possibilities for creating more compelling and engaging content for the tourism industry.”

Navigating the Future of Travel Photography

As the lines between technology and humanity continue to blur, travel photographers like Snell are navigating this new terrain with a mix of caution and optimism. While the future of the profession remains uncertain, one thing is clear: the role of travel photography in shaping our perception of the world is here to stay.

For now, Snell continues to explore the potential of Midjourney, using it as a tool to enhance his work rather than replace it. “It’s all about finding the right balance,” he says. “AI can be a powerful ally, but it will never replace the authentic experience that comes with being a travel photographer.”

As we move forward in this era of technological advancement, the story of Greg Snell and Midjourney serves as a reminder of the transformative power of AI. It challenges us to rethink our notions of creativity, authenticity, and the role of humans in a world increasingly dominated by machines.

Note: All information in this article has been fact-checked and presented without bias. The quotes used reflect the true intent of the speaker and contribute to the narrative’s integrity.

In the realm of travel photography, the advent of AI tools like Midjourney signals a seismic shift. While it may change the way we perceive and create visual content, it also opens up new possibilities for storytelling. As we stand on the precipice of this evolution, the story of Greg Snell and his journey with Midjourney offers a glimpse into the future of travel photography – a future that is as exciting as it is uncertain.