Photographer: Osher Partovi

My name is Osher Partovi. I am a 42 year old photographer from Ramat Gan, Isr ael. During my travels to the Far East, nineteen years ago, I discovered my passi on for photography with use of a tiny old film pock et camera. This passion was put on hold during my stud ies, but four years later, after finishing my B. A , my love for photography was re-ignited and drove me to do w hat I love. Since then, the camera became an insepa ra-ble part of my life. Photography is the way I choos e to express myself. I present photographs that sho w the world as seen through my eyes. I seek to capture ce rtain moments, whether I create them or experience them, in the most unique and different way that I c an.

I seek inspiration to jump-start my creative process. This inspiration can be general, like a feeling or a sense. It could also be an image, stor y or a movie that can C rosse my way. Sometimes my inspiration come with in the location These locations are rich with feeling , his tor y, colors and contex t, all of which help build a picture in my head. I then share it with my creative team that Together we build the frame and perfect it from th e inspiration part to the final picture. This team w ho help me are my imaginative wife Korin, a choreog rapher and dance teacher, and Michael Polkanov, a talented fashion designer. Ever y one of us contributes a un ique point of view which develops these ideas further, a s well as hard work to bring these concepts to life .

Together, we think about ever y detail in the frame. We consid er which style we’d like to use, which colors would match perfectly to the location, which kind o f a dress to create, which model would suit the bes t, which accessories would match and many other variables. T hese details must all work as part of one cohesive piece to portray the concept.

When it comes time to shoot, we arrive prepared and organized with ever y step pl anned out. Despite this, we must keep an open mind for changes and inspiration, allowing for improvisations on the spot. Sometimes when the idea takes shape on location, inspiration can a ppear, and that is when magic happens. This leads t o wonderful things that can only be thought of natura lly and on the spot.

The equipment that we use to photograph is not the most important thing factor in determining our success. Until 4 years ago I used simple crop format gear wi thout any high-end lenses. Some of my best works ar e still made with this ver y simple gear. I left my day job and decided to focus my career in photography 5 yea rs ago, and this is when I started using more professional gear. I have a Canon 5D mark 3 accompanied by 2 mai n lenses that I always carr y in my bag , a Canon 70-20 0 2.8 and a Tamron 24-70 2.8 vc G2. These lenses ar e great and give me a lot of flexibility, especially when t eaching in my workshop classes. Despite how fantast ic my equipment is and how useful I find it, I think the most valuable tool that photographer needs to learn to use is their eyes, vision and imagination. Better gear can make a photographer ’s life easier, but It's not th e most va-luable asset needed to create a great image. Our cr eativity and imagination, along with technique and know-ledge, are the best ‘gear ’ any photographer can hav e. It doesn’t matter if this creativity may come at the in-stant of the shutter opening and closing , or whethe r an idea may come only during editing and postproc essing.

The best advice that I can give to enthusiastic, aspiring photograp hers is not to shy away from tr ying out new things, not to fear failure. Tr ying and failing is part of ever y photographer ’s journey, it is part of what builds experience and makes you better at your craft in th e future. Learning new stuff by yourself or at mast erclass, Experimenting and creating are the best way to get a head improve yourself and discovering your unique style which is a great experience, so don’t rush and enjo y the ride! As cliché as it sounds, stay true to yo urself. Getting inspiration from the work of other is ver y good, but do so in your own way, doing what you wan t to do. Eventually, you’ll have your own signature style, m aking your work recognizable from miles away.