f8 #2
#Introduction #Opening Shot #Into the Polar Night #How did you get that? #Todd Prince Interview and Portfolio #Revolution Photography Mentorship #The People Project #World Press Photo Awards #Hong Kong #Cuba #Closing Thoughts
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# Introduction
Hello and welcome to issue #2 of f8 magazine, from Revolution Photography. First off, we would like to say thank you to everyone who took the time to read and share f8 issue #1 – it was an incredible success and we were deeply touched by all the kind words and comments. Issue #2 has a lot to live up to. In this edition we have an interview with our good friend Todd Prince, some highlights from my recent trip to the Lofoten Islands, an update from Andy S. on his time in Hong Kong, as-well-as a big publication announcement. This has been a busy month in the Revolution offices; planning our adventures for 2015. Next month we return to Cuba – where The Revolution began, to start work on our upcoming photo-book, we’re also getting ready to launch our YouTube channel, where there will be regular video updates from our travels. Speaking of travel, we’d love to hear about yours - share your stories with us via info@revolutionphotography.org if you’d like the chance to be featured in future issues of f8 If you haven’t already planned your trips for 2015 then visit www.revolutionphotography.org and join one of our adventures. Thanks for coming along on our journey.
# Opening Shot
Meet Mike... Mike is a Sailmaker on board the Tall Ship STS Tenacious. A Sailmaker is a highly skilled job which requires years of hard work and graft allied with the mental strength that’s required to climb masts in storms and retrieve "popped" sails. I met and photographed Mike whilst we raced in the 2015 Tall Ships Races from Holland to Norway, which I was shooting for a client; The Jubilee Sailing Trust.
I was fascinated to see Mike at work; the skills involved in what he does are wide ranging and highly valued. I shot this image at the stern of the ship using a white background. The needles in Mike’s hands are the tools of his trade and they make a strong visual statement. It’s important to have a motif in portraiture as this gives the viewer something to identify with whilst also introducing another element to the picture.
See things differently...
# Into the Polar Night Andrew Bell traveled to Hell... and it was frozen over. ...Hell, or Hell-a as it’s pronounced by the locals is an abandoned fishing village on a remote island in the Norwegian Sea. It’s one of the collection of islands which make up Lofoten, an archipelago near the north coast of Norway. Accessible only by boat, visitors (not that there are many) must first brave the infamous maelstrom (as written about by Jules Verne in 20,000 leagues beneath the sea) one of the most feared bodies of water in the world; a swirling mass of whirlpools, currents and eddies, which mask a multitude of hidden rocks, only the bravest sailor would pilot his boat through here... Our skipper Lars powers the speedboat through with expert precision, we bounce over waves, weave around obstacles and pass through unscathed to arrive at a rocky outcrop where we can climb ashore...
# Into the Polar Night The Polar Night is a time of year where the sun doesn’t fully rise; almost constant darkness, except for maybe a few short hours of daylight. No sunrise or sunset, just gloom and bad weather.
It’s Day 2 of an awe-inspiring expedition; organised by Vertical Shot and led by renowned adventurer and photographer Vlad Donkov - We’re exploring the most hidden and hard to reach corners of the Lofoten Islands, searching for the illusive Northern Lights and taking on the challenge of landscape photography in one of the most harsh environments I’ve ever encountered.
The name Hell-a actually means good-luck, probably because the surrounding waters were so abundantly stocked with fish that this was, until the 1950’s, a sizable fishing village. Looking out at the vast body of water, thinking about fisherman climbing into small, handmade, wooden fishing boats and rowing out to sea, it makes you wonder why they would ever settle here to start with. It also goes some way to explain why they were all so keen to leave when the opportunity arose... In the early 1950‘s, the Norwegian government decided it was too expensive to continue providing utilities to the islanders, so they were all offered a payment to relocate to the mainland. All of them decided to accept and so the buildings were dismantled and each part labeled, everything was shipped to the mainland and rebuilt; the same village, just in a completely different location.
# Into the Polar Night Each day brought me new surprises and a greater appreciation of the art of landscape photography. We discovered frozen beaches and shipwrecks, explored, abandoned villages, climbed and trekked and slipped on the ice, all in our quest for the illusive Northern Lights.
# Into the Polar Night As someone whose photographic interest lies primarily in urban, editorial photography, it was something of a challenge and very much a change of mindset to go to somewhere remote and practically uninhabited and, once there take part in a landscape photography workshop. I have to admit it took me a couple of days to make that adjustment. I’d never owned a tripod or considered the use of ND filters, two things which seem central to landscape photography, but under Vlad’s expert guidance I soon grew to
understand the subtleties and appreciate the intricacy involved. I even discovered the joy of creating long exposures. Over the duration of the week Vlad guided us to some of the most remote and inhospitable places I’ve ever visited; places that only someone who has really explored a region could know about - and that really is the key to the success of this trip; true local knowledge coupled with real and genuine love and enthusiasm for the location.
See things differently...
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# How did you get that? # How did youMorocco, get that? 2007 Sahara Desert, I shot this in the Northern Sahara whilst traveling and shooting with my old compatriot, Tony Golding. We had stopped to set up camp for the evening and we were in the process of cooking our dinner and settling down for the night. As Tony got on with his chef duties he cooks a killer pasta - I set about gathering some wood and dry vegetation to make our evening fire. I had noticed the lonely tree set against this beautiful landscape and decided to do something that I very rarely do - use a tripod. We had packed a small portable pod in our kit so that Tony could shoot his sumptuous desert skies scenes. I wanted to balance the background light so I started light painting with a torch. I tried 4 separate exposures before I was happy with what I was getting. This image was a 2 minute exposure, 400 iso combined with an aperture of f8. Light painting can produce some stunning results, it’s not something that I do very often but it certainly killed some time whilst waiting to eat my dinner.
# Interview
Todd Prince
# Interview We first met Todd in Cuba (where else!) and were instantly captivated by his relaxed photographic style and the way he engaged with his subjects; quickly making them feel at ease in front of the camera - it really is a joy to see him work. What also became clear, very quickly, was that he wasn't all style and no substance, he creates beautiful images of everyday life so we sat down with Todd as he took a break from his self-imposed hectic schedule, shooting street portraits in Russia to find out a little more about his photography. (Q) What was the first photograph that you took? (A) As a kid in Brooklyn, I got a camera for christmas - a couple of times. These were inexpensive film cameras and it was something I would use once a month at best, perhaps to photograph at a baseball game. As there were seven children in my family, we never traveled…anywhere…except to Staten Island to see relatives.
# Interview
(Q) Did you undertake any formal training (A) About eight years ago, after leaving journalism for a banking job, I wanted a creative outlet and signed up for an 8 week photography course that was given on the weekends, however it was in Russian. I understand Russian well, but considering I didn’t really know many of the words associated with photography in English (aperture, ISO, etc), I was quite lost at times in the class. The best training I got was when I signed up for a 10day photo tour of Mongolia. Excluding the driver, there were four of us on the trip. One was the organizer, who knew Mongolia inside out.
The second was an IT guy that had been photographing since a kid. The third was his girlfriend, who didn’t know how to photograph and there was me. I did not get along well with the IT guy - he was dismissive of me as a novice, but I learned a ton from him; he saw things I didn’t see. By the end of the trip, I started to see things in new ways. I consider that trip my real break through from a novice to a serious photographer. Since then, I have tried to do one photo tour a year as I find it a great way to learn new things from instructors and be inspired by the people on the trip. I always come away from photo tours feeling energised with more ideas jumping around in my head.
# Interview
(Q) Which photographers influenced you in the beginning? (A) I have to admit that I can only name a few photographers at all. I love genres rather than photographers per say - I go to many street photography and photojournalism exhibitions in Moscow. If there was ‘one’ thing that influenced me, it was probably National Geographic; my dad has been getting it since before I was born. I was always captivated by the photos in there and yes, I remember as a 10 year-old starting at the cover with the Afghan girl! Their photos from Eastern Europe really hit me, 'cause I lived in an area with many East European immigrants. I really admire the work of some fashion and commercial photographers and have tried to push myself to expand my skills, but my heart is in photojournalism and street photography. I still have a longway to go to develop in these two areas in any case.
# Interview
Q) What is your dream assignment? (A)A weeks-long photojournalism project in the former Soviet Union or Near East - I have several ideas in my head. That said, if I could just do my Russia/ex-USSR portrait project full time for several more months, I would be thrilled. I have invested so much time and energy learning about this region for the past 15 years, crisscrossing the country on my own money for the love of it. After all that hard work, it would be awesome to be able to share a beautiful set of portraits and stories that helps shed light on this part of the world and that doesn’t just reinforce tired stereotypes.
(Q) If you could shoot three famous faces from history who would they be and why would you want to shoot them? (A)I like portraits that can speak for hundreds or thousands of people, if not millions. So, rather than specific famous people, I would shoot a wall-street broker during the 1929 crash, a solider in the Battle for Stalingrad during the depths of the cold and a textile worker from Manchester during the start of the industrial revolution. I think their portraits would really bring to life the major events they experienced and that shaped our world, for instance, when I think of the Great Depression, the photo of the Migrant Woman comes to mind - she is now a famous face from history thanks to the photographer. I would want to turn someone from the so-called ‘masses’ into a famous face.
(Q) What inspires you photographically? (A) Being a foreigner in a country that is still going through a lot of change, wrestling with some big issues and whose citizens have pretty amazing stories. I want to capture the changes and the characters I see here; in 10 years, it could be a lot different. In fact, I regret not having done this 10 years ago as the changes since I first arrived in Moscow are so noticeable.
# Interview (Q) What are your future objectives? (A) I want to have an exhibition of my portraits. I want people to see the Russia I see. They will not get that if they read newspapers or watch TV, for the simple reason that the news is focused on the ‘hot topics’ such as politics or oligarchs, which is such a small part of the population. I remember watching a love story set in Iran and filmed by an Iranian direction. It is one of the films that I remember most in my life because it shattered the stereotypes I had about Iran from watching TV and reading the news: I walked out stunned. I would be thrilled if an exhibition of my portraits could do something even remotely similar.
# Interview Todd Prince was originally from New York, but is now based in Moscow. His focus is photojournalism and landscape in the former Soviet Union, where he is currently working on a number of projects, including capturing street portraits and documenting the quickly changing Moscow cityscape - highlighting the diversity of people and lives in a country he is continually fascinated by. You can see more of his fantastic work at www.toddprincephotography.com and www.shadesofrussia.com - Todd is on social media: @shadesofrussia on both Twitter and Instagram - please give him a follow. The f8 team would like to thank Todd for his time and wish him all the best in his ongoing work.
# Mentorship There used to be an advert on TV when I was young, featuring a rich man, in a nice suit selling electric razors. So impressed he’d been with the quality of the product, that he’d taken over the whole of Remington. “I liked it so much” he’d say “I bought the company” Revolution Photography started in a similar manner. It wasn’t just how much I learned from Andy, or how quickly, it was how much he inspired with his passion and enthusiasm for photography - it awoke in me a desire I didn’t even know existed... Mentorship is about much more than giving you assignments, grading your work or critiquing your images. It means we’re here with you, sharing your journey, walking alongside you; offering advice and guidance, providing help and support. Mentorship is about forming a lasting relationship that ultimately leads to you realising your photographic dreams and ambitions. Find out more at: www.revolutionphotography.org/mentorship
# The People Project A breathtaking collection of stunning images, from our incredibly talented and award winning co-founder; Andy Scaysbrook. Two years in the making, shot in 15 countries over 5 continents "People" showcases incredible stories of everyday lives around the world. You can see the whole book, for free, here: http://issuu.com/andyscaysbrook/docs/people_ To register your interest in purchasing a signed copy of the limited edition, hard-cover, coffee table book please email us at: info@revolutionphotography.org
# World Press Photo Competition The World Press Photo of the Year award has been announced, here we look at the winning entry and tell you a little about our favourite images. You can see all of the winners and finalists at: www.worldpressphoto.org An international jury of leading professionals in the field of photojournalism worldwide began judging the entries at the World Press Photo office in Amsterdam on 1 February headed by jury chair Michele McNally, director of photography and assistant managing editor of The New York Times. The 2015 Contest drew entries from around the world: 97,912 images were submitted by 5,692 press photographers, photojournalists, and documentary photographers from 131 countries.
Disco Girl (Photo Credit: Lisa Krantz)
# World Press Photo Competition #World Press Photo winner What the jury said: “We were looking for an image that would matter tomorrow, not just today. The image demonstrates what a professional photographer can do in a daily life situation...setting a standard for story telling” “The photo has a message about love being an answer in the context of all that is going on in the world” “The image fosters debate, not only in the photo community...but also in the larger community”
Jon and Alex ( Photo Credit: Mads Nissen)
# World Press Photo Competition # Our Favourites Andy Scaysbrook In an age when photographic images have reached saturation point and many old cliches are being repeated, it's it's refreshing to see such a great image. As photographers, we are always looking for new ideas and angles to shoot from. The use of drone technology is something that we are utilising more and more. This shot for me is the perfect example of how we can create new scenes and viewpoints. Fantastic image...
Blue Sky Days (Photo Credit: Tomas van Houtryve)
# World Press Photo Competition # Our Favourites Andrew Bell This for me is a perfect example of powerful editorial imagery and photojournalism. The muted, yet heavily saturated tones give a cinematic, almost ethereal feel to the picture without distracting from the subject, to which you are instantly drawn... The captivating, spellbinding look in her eyes, there’s a hint of resignation to her fate, yet underneath and beyond that you can see her determination and resolve. This image is haunting, grim and chilling yet also there’s hope, that through their actions might come a better tomorrow.
Istanbul Protest (Photo Credit: Bulent Kilic)
See things differently...
# Hong Kong
Hong Kong Retreat with Revolution Photography Andy Scaysbrook recently returned to Hong Kong to meet with some of our contacts, finalise plans for our upcoming retreat and give a critique at the Hong Kong Photography Club. Here are a selection of images Andy shot whilst there which offer a glimpse into the life of this incredible destination and give a taste of what you will see and do when you join us in Hong Kong.
# Hong Kong Streets The streets of Hong Kong are a veritable feast of photographic opportunities. “Beyond the dazzling towers of commerce, past the glass and steel of big business lies a city full of traditions; a melting pot of local culture mixed with British colonial influences and Chinese connections. A mesmerizing mix of intimate neighbourhoods and small islands, where you can move from mountain ranges to country parks to bustling markets as easily as getting on or off a tram.
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# Hong Kong People “A city like no other” is an oft used phrase, but Hong Kong is one of the few places we know of that can genuinely make that claim. A photographers dream destination, everything you could want to shoot, from street-based to landscapes, from portraits to cityscapes and of course, editorial and documentary story telling is all here in this incredibly welcoming destination.
# Hong Kong Connected Culture What often surprises us about Hong Kong and Asia in general is the amount of time people are “connected” to their digital world; it’s not uncommon to see people using two or three devices at the same time. We once witnessed a taxi driver, talking to a friend on one phone, his wife on another whilst checking the horse racing on an iPad! Oh yeah and he was also playing a game on a separate phone… all whilst driving.
# Hong Kong A Unique Experience Each of our trips is unique... because of you . Every time we go somewhere, the group is different, you are different and so is what we organise. We don’t rinse and repeat the same tour every time, we personalise it. What that means is we don’t have a set itinerary for each trip, but we know you’ll want a flavour of what to expect, so here we’ll detail some of the places we visit and things we’ll do here in Hong Kong. Over the course of the retreat we will shoot street scenes and portraits, low-light and night time photography, architecture and landscapes across a breadth of locations including: Central Hong Kong, Cheng Chau Island, Happy Valley Racecourse and the world famous wet markets. As you can see we have some exciting times ahead, so why not contact us to reserve a place on our next adventure...
www.revolutionphotography.org/retreats
# Cuba In March the Revolution team will be returning to where it all began... In 2012 Andy Scaysbrook created a photo-book documenting life in modern Cuba; as the communist age began to end, he met the people of Cuba, examined the myths and legends, searched out the cultural stereotypes and photographed them all. Now, as old wounds with the USA are beginning to heal and the post Castro era draws to a close, we’ll be finding out what is different, what is changing and how this is impacting the people and places of this incredible nation.
# Cuba Havana holds a very special place in my heart; it’s where my personal photographic revolution began. The people are warm and friendly, you feel safe and welcome and there’s an overwhelming sense of happiness and contentedness. A lot hasn’t changed in Cuba over the years, the US trade embargo first introduced by J.F.K. and later expanded by Bill Clinton has meant that the whole country has been in something of a time-warp, stuck in the 1950’s for over 60 years. Now though, all that is changing... Raul Castro, younger brother of the infamous Fidel and current president of the country has announced that 2015 will see the first free general election in the country since the Revolution. He is also encouraging the growth of small businesses and increases in foreign investment. Meanwhile, President Obama has announced a relaxation of the trade embargo and promised further talks along with an easing of movement between the two countries - All this at a time when Russia’s communist fist is starting to slacken as they deal with problems closer to home.
Could this be America looking to strike back at their old Cold-War enemy by embracing Cuba? Is it all just a political ploy or last ditch play for a legacy of an outgoing president? Only time will answer those questions, but there are other, bigger questions to be asked: What is the impact on the people, and the country itself? What do the Cubans feel about these changes? How will they affect them and for better or worse? Are we going to see green mermaids and giant golden arches over the back streets of old Havana as western corporations look to stamp their mark? Or will Cuba resist change, hold-off on embracing fast-food and international coffee chains in favour of their own rich and diverse history and culture? These are the questions that we will be looking to find answers for as we explore the old and new in Havana and Trinidad. Meeting and engaging with the people; rich and poor alike to find out; what does this all mean to and for them, how do they feel about the changes, will they cling to the past or welcome the future?
# Cuba A big part of me hopes that nothing too much changes in Cuba, that this beautiful microcosm of history remains largely untouched by the western world and our constant demands and desires for more, more, more. Sadly though, I think like all developing nations, the younger generation of Cubans will look to their American cousins with envy and begin that slow, inexorable march towards modernization.
# Closing Thoughts Quality photography sells newspapers. Fact. The fall of the once mighty regional press has reached a new low today. As I write this piece I have learned the sad news that the Picture Desk at the Southern Daily Echo in Southampton is set to axe its Picture and Deputy Picture Editor. I worked on the Picture desk at Southampton for four years and let me tell you it was bloody hard work. Managing an under resourced photographic department covering a county the size of Hampshire; producing 5 editions a day as well as magazine content for two full colour magazines, whilst using archaic picture archiving systems, is no mean feat. “Under the proposal, revealed in an announcement to staff by editor in chief Ian Murray, the picture desk at the Echo’s Redbridge base would cease to exist in its present form with the emphasis for images shifting from staff photographers to freelancers, other staff members and user generated content.” I started my career working for regional newspapers, Freelancing for The Coventry Evening Telegraph was my first port of call and then, I moved south to Bournemouth to take a role as staff photographer at The Bournemouth Evening Echo, where I stayed for 8 years before moving to Southampton to take up the role of Deputy Picture Editor. Regional papers are the breeding ground for anyone wishing to make a career as a photo journalist; they provide a publishing platform to showcase their work and hone their skills in a tough and fast paced career. To think that readers pictures and reporters with iPhones will some how improve the quality of the paper is idiocy of the highest order. How they try to justify it is totally beyond me and trying dress it up as some sort of progression towards making an improvement in their products is frankly bullshit. I shot the portrait opposite of Harry Ashley, the man who started the photographic department at the Echo in Bournemouth. Harry was a legend in every respect loved and adored by all, a master photographer in every respect. All of us photographers sought out his advice at some point. Without senior figures like Harry how the hell are junior photographers expected to mature and learn? Closing a Picture Desk not only deprives the paper of professional eyes and images but it also restricts the flow of talent, although Newsquest have clearly demonstrated they have absolutley no interest in developing young photographers they would rather take a happy snap from a readers phone than invest in professional photographers. Pathetic.
Andy Scaysbrook
# Acknowledgements f8 is a Revolution Photography publication It is produced by Andy Scaysbrook and Andrew Bell. The f8 team would like to acknowledge the following people and thank them for their help and contribution to this edition Into The Polar Night A true, once in a lifetime adventure which was incredibly well organised and run by: Vertical Shot Expeditions and expertly led by: Vlad Donkov Find them on Twitter @VerticalShotExp Todd Prince Thank you to Todd for taking the time to talk with us about his exciting projects and share some of his fantastic images. You can see more of his great work at: www.toddprincephotography.com and www.shadesofrussia.com Todd is on social media:Â @shadesofrussia on both Twitter and Instagram
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