Fotoeins Fotografie

Photo Essays on the Web, February 2014

By HL fotoeins on 27 Feb 2014

I highlight a number of photo-essays not only for their content, but also for the unique perspectives photographers bring to their photographs. I think there are also many ways to view the world, and sometimes, we go through our cameras. Does what we see always come into focus? Not always, but often it’s the attempt that matters most.

Cynicism Illustrated

Funny and simple, Eduardo Salles highlights his own cynical (and frankly, universally 21st-century) view of the world through his illustrations. What makes his work very effective is how he gets to the point directly and brilliantly (My Modern Met).

Photographing an African Safari

A lot of people dream about going to Africa, experiencing a safari, and seeing and learning about the special animals which live in a very special place on our planet. Photographer Essdras Suarez spent 2 weeks in Kenya and Tanzania in 2013, and some of his experiences are highlighted here (Boston Globe).

Fukushima: How Emergency Becomes Normalcy

After the devastating 2011 Tohoku/Sendai earthquake, part of the everyday conversation in eastern Japan still involves recovery, radiation, and rebuilding. Photographer Kosuke Okahara set out deliberately with a large format camera to highlight how the “abnormal” has become “normal.” The camera choice required time to prepare each of his photographs (Lens Culture), and forced him “to only take pictures of things or situations that were slow-moving” so he could “(effectively) convey some of the impact of the disaster”.

Greenland: Where Ice and Population Are Thinning

It’s easy to forget ice-covered Greenland has a population of over 50000 people. But the ice is thinning, and so too is the population. Slovenian photographer Ciril Jazbec spent two weeks with Uunartoq Lovstrom in a remote settlement with a population of 250. Jazbec’s photographs (NY Times) highlight the effects of climate change on “traditional” ways of life, how current residents cope with the changes (or leave), and what they mean to the people of Greenland.

Black and White Simplicity

Paul Outerbridge once said “in black and white you suggest; in color you state”. There is a quality, an air of mystery surrounding black and white photography. The work by Derek Toye is no exception, and there’s a wonderfully somber mood to his photographs (My Modern Met): a loneliness to be found in wide open spaces.

The Cassini Spacecraft Orbiting the Planet Saturn

I’ve always been fascinated by the Solar System, ever since I saw those first images transmitted by the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft as they passed by and photographed the outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus. Subsequent spacecraft, like the Cassini probe, allows us to study the outer planets, particularly Saturn, in greater detail to provide more insights about the creation of the Solar System and about why there’s a difference between the terrestrial planets (like our own Earth) and the gas giants (like Saturn). Frankly, these photos (The Atlantic) are absolutely stunning.

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