Take the narrow path off Main Street in Vineyard Haven between Claudia’s Jewelry and Soft as a Grape to the Michael Johnson Photo Gallery, to imbibe the holiday spirit. Happily, after 29 years, the well-known Island photographer, who spends the summer season here, has decided to return from his winter home in California to share the holidays with us.

Johnson lived on-Island year-round for 15 years: “I spent them on the Vineyard, and always loved Christmas in New England, which has that old-time Christmas spirit that means a lot to me as a big lover of the holiday season, or — as I call it — Christa-Chanu-Kwanzaa. I felt it was time to come back for Christmas because there is such energy here during the season. It’s a good time to share more of my art with people.”

While Johnson has an excellent online presence, most of his sales come about in person. If you have ever met the very personable and articulate photographer, you understand why. He says, “People love coming to the gallery in the summertime and interacting with the artist. That’s a big part of the experience. It makes them a part of Martha’s Vineyard. Being able to do this in the Christmas season is a wonderful thing.”

Johnson will be arriving on Dec. 15, and open by about 3 pm that day. Knowing he would return for the holidays, Johnson prepared the gallery before taking off after the summer season. “I left it so that basically it will be plug and play. It will take me just a few hours to get set up, and I will be boots on the ground.”

Walking up, you will see the outside decorated with lights and other ornaments. When you walk into his cozy gallery, there is a lot of new imagery, so we get a sneak peek before next year’s visitors arrive.

The new works are landscapes — Aquinnah, Menemsha, and Inkwell Beach are just a few locations. “This fall, I really concentrated on getting out and creating some new photographs, because it is my time to work. This year, I had an inspired season,” Johnson said. There will also be some favored classics on view, including his famous image of 22 Polar Bear Club members waist-deep in water, with arms lifted at varying angles toward the sky in an exuberant salutation that includes, “I am the source of my joy and infinite possibilities!” — and thus the inspiration for the work’s title: “Joy/Inkwell.”

Johnson had been a year-rounder for a decade and a half, but left because, he says, “The window had closed for me. As far as opportunities, I had done everything I believed I was equipped and ready to do at that point. Moving to California let me have experiences that allowed me to come back and create new, very enriching, shared Martha’s Vineyard experiences with Islanders and visitors.”

Johnson adds, “It has surpassed anything I could have dreamed of, being back on the Island in this new incarnation.”

Michael Johnson Photo Gallery, at 34A Main St. in Vineyard Haven, is open seven days a week, from 10 am to 6 pm, from Dec. 15 through 30 (closed Christmas Day). For more information and images, see michaeljimage.com and inkwell-mv.com, and Instagram at @michaeljohnsonphoto_mvy_sf.

This list includes some of the top photography trends in 2023, including products ranging from cameras and accessories to smartphones and drones. The photography industry is increasingly trending toward higher-fidelity, higher-framerate cameras, more compact sizes, and convenient features such as AI focusing.

The Leica M11-P is a unique digital camera when it comes to its value-add features. Namely, the M11-P utilizes Adobe’s ‘Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI)’ and an integrated security chip to encrypt each photo taken with the device. The security chip generates a signed certificate for each photo that can be verified through CAI, which ensures photos are valid and prevents tampering or editing.

On the convenience side, the X-H2S from Fujifilm is an advanced mirrorless camera with embedded artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features. The X-H2S is equipped with a 6.2k-resolution, 30P full sensor for high-quality recording up to 90 minutes at a time. The uniqueness of this camera, though, come from its AI-powered autofocus that dynamically adjust to the distance of the focal subject, as well as the lighting and motion in the area.

For more information on the latest photography trends, check out our 2024 Trend Report.

Some time ago I ran an online workshop for the The Photography Show’s Spring Shoots virtual event, called ‘Finding Your Creative Mojo’. During my preparation, however, I soon released that it was not as easy a subject to take on as I’d first thought. It turns out that creativity is one of those things that’s really difficult to quantify.

Camera techniques are relatively straightforward to demonstrate in a workshop; in contrast, creativity proved more tricky. I believe that creativity can be learned and nurtured – but how to go about nurturing it is a challenge. 

Ultimately, the advice I gave seemed quite humdrum. I didn’t reveal some exotic tonic to the secret of creativity: instead, I talked about making boundaries, becoming accountable, enforcing deadlines, embracing the banal and so on. But most of all, I talked about exercise. You need to exercise your creativity to become more creative, in much the same way that you exercise if you want to keep physically fit. There’s no point going to the gym once a month: you need to exercise several times a week. The same is true with creative photography. 

If you just engage with photography at epic, honey-spot locations at the magic hour in perfect conditions, you will not be making images all that often. However, if you embrace the banal, take photographs everywhere and anywhere, and respond to your surroundings, you will refine your vision and flex your creative muscles.

I find a quick 10-minute session timed with an alarm has proved a great way to ‘exercise’ on a daily basis. Tulips, an enduringly fascinating subject to me, have become part of the exercise. I try to photograph them for 10 minutes with sheer abandon, just to see what happens. Most of the time, the answer is not much – and that’s OK, it’s part of the process. However, occasionally you get an image you like.  

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4. For the 2023 3.2 for 32 Run in Remembrance, I had the honor to photograph the event once again. However, this time, I got to be up in the crane at the start line. Not only was the one of the coolest things with photography I’ve ever done, but I truly got to witness how Virginia Tech is a one-of-a-kind place, and I was just so proud to be just one person part of something so much bigger than myself. It is so special here and seeing thousands of people come together once again to honor the lives of those taken from us in 2007 was incredible.

5. There is something so simple, yet special, about just grabbing lunch with friends at a dining hall. For me, I have always happened to have a lunch break Tuesday and Thursday afternoons between classes. Over the semesters, I have had a lot of my friends in a cappella who have come together at Turner Place for “Tuesday/Thursday lunch” where we just sit down, eat and enjoy each other’s company. It sounds very normal, but this has been such a special time to me. Some people have graduated and new people join in randomly, but the ability to have a consistent time to see people I care about has been crucial here. Some days we just laugh and tell stories, some days we cry and talk about struggles, and some days we just sit in silence and eat and do homework and enjoy each other’s company. Regardless of what it looked like each time, it was amazing to have that time to look forward to in the midst of our busy lives.

The governing body of the Shinnecock Nation is the Council of Trustees, who serve as representatives of the people, to preserve and protect the Constitution, and to act as protectors and promoters of the Shinnecock lands, traditions and cultures. From left, Sachem Charles K. Smith II, General Council Secretary Germain Smith, Sunksqua Linda Franklin, Treasurer Seneca Bowen, Secretary Bianca Collins, Chairman Bryan Polite and Vice Chairman Randy King. REBEKAH PHOENIX WISE

“Black Soldier Fly Farming (I)” by Maurizio di Pietro. Winner, Environmental Photographer of the Year.
“An innovative insect food experiment at the University of Turin assesses the potential of Black Soldier Flies as a source of nutrition for tomorrow’s world.”

Thousands of photographers submitted their images to the 2023 Environmental Photographer of the Year (EPOTY) contest, but it was Italy’s Maurizio di Pietro who came out on top. His fascinating image of an experiment that tests the possibilities of black flies as a source of nutrition won him the overall prize in the 16th edition of the competition.

Launched by CIWEM and WaterBear and presented by Nikon in association with MPB and supported by Arup, the contest provides a platform for amateur and professional photographers to reflect the pressing environmental challenges facing our planet. Interestingly, many of this year’s category winners find themselves on the frontlines, as they hail from climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh, Argentina, and India. They are using their cameras to raise awareness about the struggles their countries are currently facing.

This includes 18-year-old Solayman Hossain, who was named Nikon’s Young Environmental Photographer of the Year for an image he shot in a village close to his home in Bangladesh. Taken during monsoon season, it shows a farmer leading his herd of cows through floodwaters, as he attempts to find them food. Jurors were drawn to the image for its beautiful composition and interesting color palette.

“I hope my photo will inspire environmental action by showcasing the importance of nature, raising awareness about environmental issues, and encouraging others to take positive steps towards sustainability,” Hossain shares.

Di Pietro has similar feelings about his winning photograph, which showcases an innovative insect food experiment at the University of Turin. With food insecurity on the rise in Italy, the professional photographer felt that it was his duty to show how academics are looking for unique solutions to the issue. By doing so, he wants to inspire people not to lose hope in the face of these challenges.

“The image encapsulates our dependence on the smallest creatures for survival. Moreover, it is beautifully executed, evoking an almost balletic fragility—apt for the crisis that stares us in the face,” commented juror Arati Kumar-Rao. “It was an image I came back to again and again, and by its nature made me want to know more.”

See more of the winners, as well as some of our favorite shortlisted entries below, and check out the full gallery on the EPOTY website.

The 2023 Environmental Photographer of the Year contest highlights the pressing challenges our planet is facing.

“Flood-Affected Area” by Solayman Hossain. Winner, Nikon’s Young Environmental Photographer of the Year.
“A farmer and his cows are forced to wade through floodwater to find food, after the road became submerged in water during monsoon season.”

“Survival Of Buffaloes In Drought” by Md Shafiul Islam. Winner, Keeping 1.5 Alive.
“Buffaloes scour parched grasslands for food during a drought.”

“Corals At Night” Nicolas Marin Benitez. Winner, Recovering Nature.
“A nocturnal coral reef comes to life during a night dive in Aruba. Bioluminescence is a fascinating natural phenomenon illustrating the health of the oceans.”

“Intruder” by Anirban Dutta. Winner, Adapting for Tomorrow.
“A cunning drongo bird uses light from an urban petrol pump to catch termites during monsoon season, suggesting waning food sources in the wild. The camera uses its built-in functions of multiple exposures and long exposure to create an image combining three photos.”

“Walk Through Trash” by Jahid Apu. Winner, MPB Vision of the Future.
“This drone shot shows a bridge surrounded by plastic waste in Dhaka, Bangladesh, one of the most plastic-polluted countries in the world.”

“Price Of An Elephant” by Saurav Kumar Boruah. Shortlist, Keeping 1.5 Alive.
“Three wild elephants died in a village on the edge of a forest, due to electrocution. They used to come to villages during the night-time looking for food; their usual sources have grown scarce due to deforestation. The local villagers paid tribute to the elephants by offering prayers with flowers, incense sticks and coins.”

Many of this year’s winners hail from climate-vulnerable countries, putting them on the frontlines of these environmental hardships.

“Red Dog Mine” by Mustafah Abdulaziz. Runner Up, MPB Vision of the Future.
“The Red Dog Mine is a lead and zinc mine in the Arctic Circle, located near Kotzebue in Alaska, USA.”

Salinas De Maras (Maras Salt Flats) by Marina Abello. Shortlist, Adapting for Tomorrow.
“The ponds in Salinas de Maras have been used for salt extraction since the pre-Inca period, and have been in continuous operation since then. Located in the Sacred Valley, the Salinas consist of approximately 4,500 salt pans, set in stepped terraces of irregular stone walls that follow the Qaqahuiñay hill. These traditional salt mining practices have a lower environmental impact than industrial methods, such as mining and evaporation from brine ponds.”

“Devastated Shepherd” by Frederick Dharshie Wissah. Shortlist, Keeping 1.5 Alive.
“Mr. Loonkishu Lemerketo of the Samburu sobs as he points to his three dead goat kids. They died because their dehydrated mother was unable to produce milk. The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd cattle and keep goats, sheep and camels. They have been among the people worst impacted by the climate change-related severe drought in Kenya.
At the time of this photo (October 2022), Kenya had been contending with 5 back-to-back failed rainy seasons and the worst drought in 40 years. This drought has robbed the Samburu of their livelihoods and their food security.”

“Guaranteeing Bali’s Reef A Future” by Giacomo D’Orlando. Shortlist, Recovering Nature.
“Two local divers install concrete structures in a new coral restoration site. The local NGO Perkumpulan Pemandu Penyelam Amed (P3A) works together with Dutch NGO Coral Reef Care (CRC) to restore the marine ecosystem damaged by unsustainable fishing by building artificial reefs on damaged reef areas. Natural recovery of the coral reef is unlikely without this additional support. Coral recruits are transplanted onto these artificial structures, which vary in materials and dimensions to maximize the refuge area for different fauna.”

“Quick Assistance” by Adrián Irago. Shortlist, Keeping 1.5 Alive.
“A helicopter from the San Xoan Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigade (BRIF) performs an unloading manoeuvre in the town of Moreiras in the province of Ourense. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Galicia, and especially the province of Ourense, suffer forest fires every year that destroy natural heritage and endanger people. In 2022, more than 51,000 hectares were burned in Galicia, representing 19% of the total hectares burned in Spain, according to Government data. The rural environment of Galicia is especially vulnerable due to depopulation and an aging demographic: there are not enough resources to prevent or manage the mountainside fires.”

“Crossing The Riverbed” by Ahsanul Haque Nayem. Shortlist, MPB Vision of the Future.
“The Jamuna river in the Bogura district dries up completely every year, but during the rainy season, it is flooded again. When the river is dry, horse carts are the only means of transportation for the people of the Char.”

Environmental Photographer of the Year: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by EPOTY.

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It’s that time of year again. A time to look back as we start to look forward.

True, I am writing this in early December. So, technically speaking, the year is not quite at an end. But it seems like December comes sooner and sooner with each passing year and the rapidity of the weeks within December only serve to heighten that sense. Part of this is due to the general mood that sweeps the artistic and inartistic population as we ready ourselves for the end of the year. For commercial photographers like me, who work on larger projects which (usually) require weeks of planning prior to the shoot, the limited number of early days in December available to secure new business that will still shoot prior to the end of the calendar year always seems shorter than I wish it would. The end result being that, generally speaking, if I haven’t booked a campaign for December early in the month, by the time the holiday weeks arrive and my clients depart for their own family trips, it’s likely that I can, for all intents and purposes, consider the last couple weeks of the year as an official holiday.

But, as every small business owner knows, “time off” is really just time to prepare. A chance away from the usual week-to-week hustle and bustle of running a business to catch up on some of the tasks that have fallen by the wayside throughout the year. For me, this means that the latter weeks of December tend to center on three basic questions.

How Did I Progress This Year Artistically? 

Whether you are in business as a professional photographer, or simply take photographs for the love of the game, the wonderful thing about photography is that, if done right, it is a path of constant growth. No matter how good you may be right out of the gate, you can always get better. In many ways, your goal as an artist isn’t to master your craft. It is to continually remaster your craft and continue to improve upon your approach and output with every opportunity.

So, at the end of the year, generally around the same time that I am catching up on re-editing my portfolio, I like to take stock of what new projects I’ve shot during the year. Both professional and personal. How has my practical skill set grown throughout the year?  More importantly, what aesthetic themes have begun to emerge as a throughline that seem to be coming out in my work. Oftentimes, your artistic voice will come through in your work, even when you might not be consciously aware that it’s happening. It takes years to really understand our own inner motivations and proclivities. And then additional years to keep understanding ourselves as our lives and artistic viewpoints change. It’s hard to see the development when you are in the moment.

Taking a beat to look back at the images you’ve created throughout the year will often reveal your own subconscious. You had no idea you had been drawn to shoot so much of a certain subject. Wow, look how this one specific color seems to work its way into so many of your photos without your planning. Maybe you are drawn to certain compositions, subjects, or environments. It can be hard to identify these preferences with a camera in your hand. But, given the distance of time, looking back on your work objectively can help you identify the things that appeal to your base instincts. Identifying those things can help you identify where your strengths are as an artist. Identifying your strengths informs you which aspects of your photography you might want to put forward in order to separate yourself from the competition.

Where Do I Stand Financially?

It’s not nearly as much fun as sifting through your images. But, if you do photography for a living, sooner or later you’re going to need to turn a profit. In order to be profitable, you need to have some idea of how much money you are bringing in versus how much money you are spending. Hopefully you’ve kept detailed records throughout the year to keep track of the pennies going in and out. The end of the year is the perfect time to take a closer look at where those pennies went so that you can hold onto more of them in the coming year.

This year, not only did I do an analysis of my books for the last twelve months, but I did a separate analysis of my books for the last 10 years. The business has changed a lot over recent years. There are many reasons for this change. Not the least of which might be that the decade has been interrupted by a little thing called a global pandemic, which fundamentally changed the world and the industry. But, even without the pandemic interruption, there have been shifts in my business on both a macro and micro level. Like artistic development, these shifts can be hard to identify in the moment. So, taking an objective view of the numbers over time can allow us to interpret our progress (or lack thereof) in a more practical manner. 

How much money did I spend on gear each year? Personal projects? Overhead? Were there spikes in spending? What specifically caused those spikes? Were they related to one specific year? For example, both my desktop and laptop died within weeks of one another a few years ago, causing me to replace them both in the same calendar year. Thus, there was a large spike in computer spending that year. But that same spike wouldn’t be classed as an expense that I’d expect to be recurring on an annual basis.

How much did I spend on marketing? How has that expenditure shifted year over year? Does that shift correspond to increases or decreases in revenue? Can anything be gleaned from the correlation that would help me to make better marketing decisions going forward?

I read once that even unexpected expenses can be expected. Sure, I wasn’t expecting to have to replace all my computers at the same time. But, if you look at the balance sheet over time, you’ll see that almost every year incurs at least one unexpected major expense. Maybe your camera breaks. Or a new upgrade becomes available that you need to address a shift in your business. Or, you want to invest in a once in a lifetime project. Or this. Or that. Looking back over a longer period of time allows me to average my annual expenses and come up with a more accurate guess as to what I can expect to spend next year, while taking into account the likelihood of an unexpected expense or two being thrown into the mix.

This clarity also allows me to restrict my emotional response to my business and look at it from an objective platform. If I need to spend X each year in expenses to keep my business afloat, do my revenues outperform that number? It can be a hard fact to face. But making a profit is a simple matter of mathematics. If it turns out that your average revenues show no signs of besting your average expenses, you may need to re-examine your strategy. Likewise, if your annual revenues show consistent growth year over year, you might be in a better position to project growth in the coming year. If your expenses show a downward trend, identifying areas where you can further reduce might allow you to retain more of the money that comes into the business this time next year. 

It’s not nearly as sexy as discussing new camera techniques, or following your artistic passion, but business is business. And knowing the objective numbers behind the subjective passion is what will allow you to turn that passion into profit.

Where Am I Going?

Looking back to do the hard work of examining both my business and aesthetic progress is key in allowing me to move forward. As a commercial artist, you are the captain of your own ship, for better or for worse. So, you are the only one who can decide when it’s time to turn the ship or forge straight ahead. The market we are in is constantly evolving, and what worked three years ago might be a completely obsolete strategy as we move forward.

Once you’ve taken the time to assess where you’ve been, and what that projects about you and your business, it’s time to decide where you want to go. It’s impossible to give people directions without first knowing where they want to go. Likewise, you can’t reach a goal without first knowing what that goal is in the first place.

So this is the time of the year when I take a step back and reconsider my course. Am I still aiming my work at the right clients? Have outgrown a certain market? Or am I trying to compete in an area which the numbers are telling me will rarely be profitable?  

Where do I want to go as an artist? Is the work I’m doing still fulfilling? Does the analysis of my creative trends suggest that my heart is leading me in a different direction? Sure, running a business is full of practical decisions made by the brain, not the heart. But, at the end of the day, the amount of dedication required to succeed in this business necessitates that I be as emotionally invested in my success as I am mentally. So, as important as it is to identify the financial indicators to business success, it is equally important to engage with the ongoing process of checking in on my artistic indicators. This will not only make me a better artist, but also make me a better value to potential customers.

Whether you pick up a camera to make a living or simply to improve your hobby, taking time to reflect can be key in your ability to look ahead with clarity, confidence, and passion.

Few of the world’s amazing sights are quite as mesmerising as the elusive aurora borealis. The light display, which can be visible from Iceland to Australia, is caused when charged particles meet with the planet’s atmosphere. 

There’s a whole host of photographers talented enough to capture this marvel, and thanks to the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year awards, we can take a sneak peak at some of their work. 

2023’s winners feature entries from Norway, New Zealand, Italy, and the UK, plus many, many more. The full list of winners, who were selected thanks to the quality of the pic as well as the story behind it, can be viewed here. Here are some of our favourites. 

After some more stunning natural photography? Here’s our list of all the winners from last year’s competition. And if you want to see the Northern Lights with your own two eyes, these are the world’s best places to do so.

Did you see that you can now take a sleeper train from Paris to Berlin?

Plus: This is the official date that the Notre–Dame will open again. 

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