interviews / inspiration / insight
featuring steve M ccurry don m ccullin saul leiter helmut newton bill brandt
Welcome
letter from the editor CAN PHOTOGRAPHY HELP SAVE THE WORLD?
On this issue’s cover is an image by Edward Burtynsky. See p52 for our in-depth interview.
aybe it’s the times we’re in, maybe it’s just confirmation bias. But it seems like more and more photographers are out to save the world these days. So in this issue, we hear from Edward Burtynsky (page 52), whose ‘Anthropocene’ project highlights the effects humankind is having on the planet. In a similar vein, Sean Heinrichs (page 44) has been travelling the seas to help protect its inhabitants from destructive fishing practices, and Kadir van Lohuizen and Yuri Kozyrev (page 12) are drawing attention to the plight of nomadic peoples in the Arctic, whose livelihoods are under threat due to climate change. And it’s not just environmental issues. Another big concern around the world right
now is rise of the far right. So on page 64 we hear from Espen Rasmussen, who’s been journeying across America to photograph everyone from backwoods militias to neo-Nazis. Of course, some issues are a little closer to home. The topic of gender discrimination has never been more potent, and so in this issue we also turn our attention to the obstacles faced by female photojournalists, and how they’re dealing with them. Turn to page 106 for a fascinating discussion of this topic, featuring three past and present winners of the Canon Female Photojournalist Award. But it’s not all politics: there’s plenty more to enjoy in this packed issue. On page 14, we take a look at this year’s Taylor Wessing winners, plus we’ve also got major interviews with Steve McCurry and Don McCullin (in conversation with Martin Parr, no less). Enjoy! Tom May Editor journo.tommay@gmail.com
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Contents Issue 24
@prophotomag
INTERVIEWS steve mccurry 22 The famed Magnum photographer tells all about his life and work
facebook.com/prophotomag
52
edward burtynsky
80
bill brandt
don mccullin 34 Martin Parr interviews the acclaimed photojournalist about his career shawn heinrichs 44 The underwater photographer who’s on a mission to save the oceans edward burtynsky 52 Burtynsky’s project examines the impact man is having on the planet ESPEN RASMUSSEN 64 The Norwegian photographer on how he’s documenting the far right NATAN DVIR 72 The Israeli artist reveals why he’s fascinated by New York’s subway
FEATURES STORY BEHIND 12 Kadir van Lohuizen and Yuri Kozyrev explore the impact of climate change TAYLOR WESSING We reveal the winners of the prestigious portrait competition
14
BILL BRANDT 80 A look back at the life of the iconic Hamburg-born photographer THE NUDE PORTRAIT 134 A new exhibition features work by Newton, Lynch and Leiter
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BUSINESS INSIGHT Embrace being uncomfortable
34
don Mccullin
14
ALICE MANN
98
SPECIAL REPORT 100 What the design industry can teach us about self-branding ROUND TABLE 106 A panel of experts discuss the role of women in photojournalism today
106
ROUND TABLE
Regulars
134
Saul leiter
WELCOME CONTRIBUTORS CALENDAR ASK THE CURATOR Pro Kit BOOKSHELF Lottie Davies
3 8 90 96 112 124 146
ISSUE 24_ PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY _ 7
Contributors Issue 24 / 2018 /
@prophotomag
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This month’s featured pros
Just some of the photographers, industry experts and writers that feature in this issue.
Steve Mccurry
alice mann
enda bowe
One of the world’s most famous and award-winning photojournalists, Steve tells us about his life, career, and some of his most celebrated images.
The South African photographer has won this year’s Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize with her four images of drum majorettes.
Irish photographer Enda Bowe came second in this year’s Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize for his captivating shot of a London mother.
JOEY LAWRENCE
don mccullin
edward burtnsky
Joey Lawrence, a Canadian photographer based in Brooklyn, came third in this year’s Taylor Wessing prize for his image of a child in Sierra Leone.
One of Britain’s most prolific photojournalists and with a new book out on landscapes, Don McCullin opens up to Martin Parr in a fascinating discussion.
natan Dvir
Ilvy Njiokiktjien
Catalina Martin Chico
The Israeli photographer explains the thinking behind ‘Platforms’, a major series that documents passengers waiting on the New York subway.
The Dutch photographer gives her opinions on female photojournalism in an expert discussion hosted at Visa Pour L’Image by Canon.
Last year’s winner of the Canon Female Photojournalist Award, Catalina offers her opinions on where female photojournalism is heading.
Laura Morton
ESPEN RAMUSSEN
MARTIN PARR
This year’s winner of the Canon Female Photojournalist Award, Catalina shares her views on the current state of female photojournalism.
The Norwegian photographer has been travelling across America to document the rise of the far-right, from backwoods gun militias to neo-Nazis.
The British documentary photographer interviews fellow countryman Don McCullin about photojournalism, landscape photography and more.
skye meaker
Lottie Davies
emmA-LILY PENDLETOn
Young wildlife photographer of the year Skye Meaker is among those on display at a special exhibition that we profile in our Shows section.
These days, it’s rare for an image to surprise or inspire, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying, argues our regular columnist Lottie.
In her regular column, the editor of Canon Europe Pro examines how to become fluent in photography and find your authentic voice.
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Editorial
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The Canadian photographer discusses his latest project, ‘Anthropocene’, which focuses on the damage that humankind is inflicting on our planet.
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Emma-lily pendleton OPINION
Finding your authentic voice Becoming fluent in the language of photography is a long and difficult journey, with originality the end goal
recently interviewed Magnum photographer Paolo Pellegrin, and something that he said stuck with me: “It took me 10 years to become proficient in this language. I guess the analogy is writing. We’re all alphabetised, we all write – we can all take pictures at this point. Everybody has a smartphone, everybody has a digital camera, it’s this universal language that we all somehow know how to read. But then you read a page of Nabokov... and you understand the difference. I think a professional photographer, somebody who dedicates his entire life to photography, will always produce something different.” Becoming fluent – finding your authentic voice – is a long and difficult journey for most, and the end goal is originality, to have ‘a voice’. But I think it’s fair to say that, for many, 10 years doesn’t deliver you to Paolo Pellegrin authority with a lens. What was Paolo doing during that decade to ensure he arrived at the right point? When it comes to photography, the saying that ‘there are no new ideas’ rings truer than most industries. There is an image that all photography competition judges are familiar with – the Ophelia, woman in water. It’s there every time. I don’t find the great ‘inspiration versus imitation’ debate engaging (it’s obviously about intent), but entering imitations in competitions is, for me, a step too far. Our industry is rife with accusations of imitation at all levels. Annie Leibovitz’s Vanity Fair cover of Julia Roberts, Clooney, Gore and Kennedy, to take one example, looked strikingly similar to Irving Penn’s 1948 ‘Ballet Society’. But I think taking inspiration from, paying homage to, or parodying the masters of photography is a rite of passage. You might even say that it’s vital, to start where others have left off, rather than at square one. And after all, Terence Donovan
apprenticed with John French; Helmut Newton with Elsie Simon; Douglas Kirkland with Irving Penn. If you can’t learn from the masters themselves, the next best thing is to research and imitate, to fully understand where they took the craft. But, of course, it’s where you take it next that matters – otherwise it’s just plagiarism. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told by great photographers that they look outside of their own industry for inspiration: to literature, to art, architecture. It’s great advice. But I don’t think it’s explicit enough. You can learn to be technically able within a year, months even, but to become “fluent” in the language of photography isn’t about the technical execution (although that of course is a necessary skill set that shouldn’t be remiss). Great photography stems from great thought and original opinions. To have an understanding of current affairs, cultural and historical interests – that’s as important as studying the mechanics of photography. Taking your own experiences and sharing them with the world in a way that’s enlightening, shedding light on issues and commenting on current affairs, is vital. Then finally, it’s the ability to string a narrative together visually – to know the sequence of shots that will communicate what you’re trying to say. Photo editing is its own profession for a reason. Consuming photography through photobooks and exhibitions will allow you to develop a curatorial eye. Portfolio reviews will teach you to edit a succinct series. It’s not as easy as learning conversational French. It’s like learning the proper grammar too, and how to write a compelling article. But when you can do these things, then you’re proficient in the language of photography. Follow me on Instagram @emmalilyphoto
Taking inspiration from the masters of photography is a rite of passage.
Issue 24 _ PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY _ 11
9000
Story _ Behind _ Arctic _ New_ Frontier
Story Behind
trend continues, it will livelihood of Arctic communities”
“If this endanger the these
Kadir van Lohuizen WINNER OF this year’s Carmignac Photojournalism Award, ‘Arctic: New Frontier’ was a pioneering expedition carried out by Kadir van Lohuizen and Yuri Kozyrev to explore the effects of climate change on the Arctic, both its natural landscape and its traditional inhabitants. In the picture shown above right, Yuri Kozyrev captured the Nenet people of the Russian Arctic during their seasonal movement, which they call ‘transhumance’. This takes the reindeer herding people 400 miles north to the Yamal Peninsula and the Arctic coast, before they return south for the winter. But in 2108 it was interrupted for the very first time, due to the melting of the permafrost. The picture below it tells a similar story. Taken by Kadir van Lohuizen, it depicts an Inuit whale hunter in Point Hope, Alaska, on the lookout for Bowhead whales (the community have special dispensation from the International Whaling Commission to catch 10 bowheads a year). “The whales are migrating up 12 _ PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY _ issue 24
North because it’s the end of the winter and the beginning of spring,” Lohuizen explains. “Initially when the sea ice starts to break, the whales use the channels in the sea ice to come up and breathe, so they’re fairly easy to spot and hunt.” But right now, climate change is making life difficult. “The problem was that the sea ice disappeared very early this year, as it’s been doing now for a number of years,” says Lohuizen. “This was May, and there should have been loads of sea ice, but it was all gone. So it’s difficult to find the whales.” And that’s having a big impact on this small, tight-knit, Inuit community. “They don’t hunt whales for commercial use,” he stresses. “They eat from them, they dress from them, they use almost every part of the whale. So if this trend continues, it will endanger the livelihood of these communities.” Arctic: New Frontier by Yuri Kozyrev and Kadir van Lohuizen is available to buy for 35 Euros, co-published by Reliefs and Fondation Carmignac