INSPIRATION
The Art of Connection
OPEN CALL
PHOTOGRAPHERS CREATING CONNECTIONS ABOVE ALL ELSE
“Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start” – Andy Williams, (Where Do I Begin) Love Story lyrics
Our society’s love for photography started when Nicéphore Niépce managed to first record the image produced by a camera obscura. It was a technical experiment; his only interest was in science. But as soon as cameras became available to the wider population, the technical aspects became less and less important, and the love became more intense.
Few wanted to know what was inside the first Kodak camera or what happened to the film when sent for development. People were excited to see the photographs that recorded their happy memories, loved ones and life milestones. Photographs became a connection between lovers, friends and family members. Soon after, photography became a medium to document wars and worldwide events – a form of connection between nations. People used photography to connect with nature, create intimacy, share stories, and raise awareness. Photography became the ultimate connective medium, ready to capture and convey feelings and emotions, instantaneous moments and lifetime stories. And when technical innovations put a camera in any pocket, our opportunities for connection became endless.
The photographer can create connection in many ways, from capturing a unique subject matter to finding a meaningful and unexpected perspective, to altering the photographic process in the moment or in post-processing. With technology more accessible than ever, each of us has the creative freedom and material means to pour our hearts into our creations.
Our August 2023 Open Call competition welcomes any artistic process, photographic genre, and way of creating connection. It invites realistic storytelling and abstract representation. Because regardless of the tools used, photographers who focus on connecting above all else will find that their work stands the test of time.
Here Monica Radulescu, one of our editorial team, shares a short list of inspirational photographers proving that every photograph is a journey in which you are never alone.
Banner image © Birdee
THE EXPLORER:
JEAN-LUC GROSSMANN
Images © Jean-Luc Grossmann from his Instagram grid. See more at www.stories.photopulse.com and @jlgrossmann
Beautiful scenery in a remote location has the potential to make a good photograph. But what makes an outstanding, memorable photograph is the spirit encapsulated in the photograph. When you look at a photograph and know what the photographer feels, thinks, and believes in, you are in front of an artwork.
Grossmann is an explorer and adventurer who has travelled the world to “live hand in hand with nature,” as he likes to say. His subject matter is nature, landscapes and the locals he meets along the way. His aesthetic is clean, artistic and impactful. Sometimes he gives up color to capture the true spirit of the scenery. But more than anything, he immerses himself in the places he visits. Grossmann’s photographs are never about a location or event but always about a shared experience. And in his compositions, the nature–human ratio speaks about his philosophy more than anything else. The message is clear: we are part of the world, not above it.
THE GIVER:
JAMIE JOHNSON (BIRDEE)
Images © Birdee from her Instagram grid. See more at www.bird.ee and @bird.ee
“Self portraiture came into my life when I felt disconnected and l lost, and it completely shifted my life in so many incredible ways. It became a sort of meditation and time to slow down and notice. It also became a sacred time of play, and also envisioning.” – Birdee
For Jamie Johnson, photography is a way of liberation and empowerment. Even her pseudonym, Birdee, is a metaphor for freedom. She discovered the power of self-portraiture and embraced it with all her heart. But she also decided to give the same power to others by offering them access to immersive portraits as a medium of self-reflection and transformation. Birdee’s photography is a holistic experience that enhances the deepest, most authentic, and most damaged connection: the connection with ourselves.
With a clean aesthetic and artful compositions, Birdee focuses on the human body. Exposed to the sun or hidden underwater, alone or surrounded by love, lost in meditation or restless in dancing, the human body is the path to the soul. Her photographs are fluid, natural, and intimate; her presence is discrete and encouraging. And while looking at them, the viewer feels the need to look inwards and reflect.
THE ARCHITECT:
JEFF KARP
Images © Jeff Karp from his Instagram grid. See more at www.jeffreymkarp.com and @jeffreymkarp
Karp is a man of many faces: paediatric dentist, university professor, public speaker, and photographer, but he is ultimately a creator. His photographs are a complex mix of shadows and highlights, a dance of lines and shapes. Like an architect designs his work, Karp uses color purposefully, and although he takes snapshots of street life, nothing enters his frames by chance. His photographs capture the essence of our surroundings and may be austere, dramatic, playful, cheerful, or full of wisdom. The creativity of his compositions has no limit.
Karp’s work is mesmerizing. The use of geometry and contrast keeps the viewer glued to the photo. In his case, the experimental aspect doesn’t come from the technicalities of the photographic process or the uniqueness of the subject matter but from the exquisite perspectives that only he can find.
THE HEALER:
JAKUB ČERŇAVA
Images © Jakub Čerňava from his Instagram grid. See more at @jakubcervsk
“Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.” – Jakub Čerňava
Jakub Čerňava is a Slovakian photographer who looks deeply into the soul of nature. Flowers and insects are his favorite subject matters macro, bokeh, and vintage looks are his preferred instruments. His photographs focus on tenderness, sensitivity and grace. There is not a single flaw or disturbing pixel. His compositions are delicate and carefully curated, with colors that are always soft, natural, and with a subtle chiaroscuro resemblance.
Čerňava’s portfolio is an endless fairytale that makes the viewer curious about the tiny details of nature. But to achieve this magical state, the photographer needs a secret ingredient. For Čerňava, the ingredient is post-processing, thoroughly and meticulously designed pre-sets that make his signature style. In the final retouches, the artist brushes off the dust, dims the light, and lets shape and color take the scene.
THE EXPERIMENTALIST:
JODIE CARTMAN
Images © Jodie Cartman from her Instagram grid. See more at www.floorshow.weebly.com and @__floorshow__
Jodie Cartman is an experimentalist in every sense of the word. She uses digital and film photography, Polaroid and 3D Format cameras, Lomography and portraiture techniques. She labels her work as ideas and concepts in progress. The results of this ongoing journey are spectacular, colorful, unpredictable, frenzied and utterly accurate. Cartman’s work is an epic description of humankind. One can find any mood, attitude, feeling or reaction embroidered in her photographs.
With accents of color and light, a surrealist aesthetic, and a powerful feminine perspective, Cartman proves once again that photography is a personal journey, a reflection of the photographer in a pool of reality. Looking at a photograph is subjective as well. The photographer and viewer need to have the same language to understand each other and connect. Cartman’s works expose their photographer, making her vulnerable and open to connection.
THE OBSERVER:
KLAUS-MARTIN GAREIS
Images © Klaus-Martin Gareis from his Instagram grid. See more at www.gareis.com and @gareis_km
“A life without art is imaginable – but meaningless.” – Klaus-Martin Gareis
In love with analogue photography, Gareis created his own development process and experimented with printing techniques. His purpose: chaotic results, unpredictable prints, and unique works that cannot be reproduced. On top of this, he’ll sometimes paint his works with oils. He does everything in his power to make us observe.
On the other hand, his subject matter of choice is always real, natural and almost fragile. Delicate plants in absolute solitude, vulnerable human bodies, serene landscapes, or silent city life snapshots invite the viewer to acceptance and life in the present. Gareis’ works are meditative, peaceful and poetic. They speak about the lyrics of life, ephemeral moments, and myriads of connections that surround us. And his experimental photographic process makes them unique and unpredictable, which can only enhance the ephemeral character of the present.
Created with ❤️
Words by Monica Radulescu
Photography © the author.
