EDITORS’ PICK
The Space Between Us
BLACK & WHITE
BLACK & WHITE EDITORS’ PICK
Following Marta Weiss’s selection of winning images for our recent Black & White competition, this compilation of 20 images represents some of the other talented photographers whose work struck us and left a mark. Each a stunning image worthy of exposure and attention…
When selecting for editor’s picks we’re always searching for those striking photographs that make for an unforgettable single image, whether from a broader series or not. We enjoy the accompanying text some photographers submit with their images, and while not always necessary it can be relevant when understanding the work in full context.
These are intended to be a conversation starter… so feel free to join the discussion on our social networks.
BANNER IMAGE: ANASTASIIA LEONOVA
The photographer takes an overlooked element of beauty and cleverly celebrates it through a simple yet skillful exposure, while considering the most basic of features to highlight a particular element of masculine appeal. However, with how stereotypes have typically evolved in modern society to marginalize minorities, it’s important to note this is a very specific perspective on how the male face is defined. A subtle but detailed image. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – I consider the profile of the male face to be underrated. Natural depth of contour, character, stubbornness, sexuality…
AGA KARMOL
This is a striking scene of structure, form and pattern – the full composition only existing in this instant for the viewer to observe. The light falls with varying intensities, casting both soft and harsh shadows, as the combination of elements and action brings many questions to mind on location and context. A memorable image. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – The Gatekeeper.
ERIKA SCHMIDT
This is a haunting and thought-provoking photograph for the viewer to consider – the added depth within the caption evokes a sense of fate and mortality. The double exposure is considered and not overproduced, allowing the viewer to project their own experiences and reflections onto this scene. An interesting style of portrait. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – The passing of time.
LEWIS ABLEIDINGER
A dramatic and cinematic landscape welcomes the viewer’s gaze, a scene of simplicity yet full of suspense. The soft gradient of greys and the agricultural buildings, give the scene an antiquated, ‘picture of the past’ ambiance, as the low light subtly struggles for position against the rolling storm clouds. The photographer portrays patience and understanding of the natural elements with this dramatic yet calming scene. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – St. Joe, North Dakota.
RICHARD HONG
Through a simple vignette the viewer is invited to peer into this little silhouette of the natural world, and allow all their focus to gather within this one image. The concept is not complex, and yet it’s open to interpretation, from the sharp ink blacks to out of focused greys. The picture unfolds like a creative moment of mindfulness and escapism. – LIFE FRAMER
BENJAMIN OLSON
The duck, an unassuming yet confident subject, appears to glide effortlessly through this sharp scene. The water drops, although out of focus, seem to sparkle sharp and bright like diamonds within this symmetrical, ink-black frame – giving this image its overall fine art feel. An unconventional wildlife photograph that seeks and succeeds to engage the viewers on a level of simple aesthetics, and where the use of black and white celebrates the patterns of this creature which may otherwise go underappreciated. – LIFE FRAMER
KIM JIHOON
The photographer openly ponders the varied layers of symbolism within this one unique street portrait, as if the strangeness of the shapes drew them to take the photograph first, with the concepts then following. The image is structured so the viewer can consider each element – the cloud of smoke, the bald head, the towering buildings – and draw their own conclusions to this curious portrait. It’s interesting to see a very real scene interpreted so conceptually by the photographer – we’d love to also know more about the reality of the moment and what is creating such a plume of smoke. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Stress Release, Busan, Korea. Black smoke is seen in front of a bald man. It also looks like smoke from baldness. Many people live under stress. They work hard to lose their hair or are struggling with many events. Let’s not live too hot. The smoke looks like a person’s side face.
LOUIS SANGAN
The photographer has chosen a busy part of a globally recognised capital city and turned the lens away from the crowded streets of people, switching their angle to focus on an iconic monument. This perspective instantly slows the pace of life unfolding around the statue and urges the viewer to consider the past – the good, the bad and the ugly – of this symbolic city. An understated and beautiful example of using slow aperture to highlight both past and present. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Nelson, London, 2023.
SANGRAM BISWAS
This wintery scene opens a window into a life that may have not ever been considered by some viewers. The work and culture intertwined in the life of a shepherd is both ancient and potentially understood, seemingly more than a commitment and more like a vocation. The black and white lends itself to the simple elements of the image, from snow to sheep. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – The shepherd, his flock, and the snowstorm.
RENÉ GREINER
This striking coastal-scape with dark shades and grey tones seems timeless and perfectly proportioned between water, land and sky. There is both a sense of trepidation and adventure to this scene, the dark waters casting uncertainty on this quiet part of the world. The image is elevated with the use of black and white, allowing an aspect of unknowingness to become the main character. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Havet (Norway, 2023). I photographed the Havet series during a boat trip along the Norwegian coast in June 2023.
TIFFANY BRACHE
The subject seems immersed in their environment, as if completely and happily lost in the space they are occupying. The surfaces, textures and elements effortlessly support one another within this frame, appearing as natural in black and white as they are in their true culture. A portrait that celebrates the natural world and all it provides us in a physical and mental capacity. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Finding New Waters from the series Rhythms and Religions. We are all worlds apart. We follow different Gods, beliefs and systems. What connects us all are the rhythms of life. Walking, talking, thinking and being. Worlds apart, we are connected by the human condition. We all find our rhythm, through ritual or religion, and within it we find a space where being feels melodic.
DANTE CLOSE
The photograph requires the viewer to consider another angle on the world – in both a metaphorical and literal sense, attempting to understand the photographer’s personal perspective and life experience. The sky here can be interpreted as an awesome presence of wonder or just a dark, vast empty space. There is hope and magic within the scene, the photographer is searching for something to hold on to and here – through their photography – it feels like they may have found it. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – From the series The Only Spectical His Eyes See Is Death Oncoming. A person isn’t born a person. A person is made. Made from the influence of their surroundings. I was never really surrounded by anyone. An only child who often stays alone. My youth spent mostly alone.
The area I spent of my youth is a bit odd. It always felt empty. Little notable characteristics. A small village with a few small businesses, mixed amongst abandoned space. Interconnected by design, like a rundown network. Somewhere that was just forgotten about. There wasn’t much of much. The name would stay on the tip of your tongue. Though the name would never be uttered.
I found growing up with a feeling of being surrounded by carelessness it bled into me. I often question how my life would differ if I was born somewhere else. I often question my existence. Thus felt the need to create something relative to that.
I have near no care for life or the possible courses it could take, carefree is what people would think but truly it’s a feeling of meaninglessness that motivates my behaviour. I can’t stop the feeling that if I was born somewhere that held my attention I would care for life and the fleeting nature if it.
JUNE TAMÒ-COLLIN
This watery portrait is both intriguing and unnerving. Although the subject appears relaxed and mischievous the viewer is almost encouraged to feel like they too are submerged without breath – the tight framing acting to emphasize such a feeling. The contrasting black and white tones give this playful photographic portrait balance and an edge of abstraction. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Underwater.
PETER MANT
An interesting insight to the relationship between photographer and subject, the balance between expectations and concept seemingly in both synergy and contrast. The image has a classic portrait style of athleticism subtly inspired by ancient gladiators and bodybuilders. A modern twist is introduced in the form of contrasting patterns between the creased backdrop and the subject’s pronounced muscular physique. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Turmoil – my gym instructor had asked me to take some photos, but was very tired on the day of the shoot. When his head went down I thought, ‘that’s the shot I want!’.
JENNIFER NEWITT
A symbolic sense of resilience embodies the scene – nature’s strength in the face of human-made structures is both wondrous to witness and unnerving to understand. The photographer allows light to fill the frame, the movement of water considered and captured. An elegant picture of an impressive force. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Standing Strong Through Adversity. After heavy rains, the tree in this photo was subjected to torrents of water at the Croton Reservoir Dam Spillway in New York.
RAYMOND VOS
The portrait embodies the core of what a carer is – being everything to everyone at every time. The photographer has told us this woman has devoted her life to caring and raising at least two generations, and it seems to be worn on her face with all the seriousness and responsibilities it entails. A portrait full of strength, character and obligation, emphasized by the use of black and white. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Mary Wanjiru’s chief concern is for her grandchildren in spite of her failing eyesight. Kenyan grandmothers make unimaginable sacrifices for their children’s children.
JOSEPH LEAVENWORTH BAKALI
At first glance the image is startling, as if an unsettling scene from another time – it’s uncertainty of time and place only enhanced by the darkness of the black and white. The range of shades and tones are varied within greys and blacks with a sharp and exact focus, allowing the mystical boat creature to take on a larger than life quality. A compelling composition, skillfully exposed. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Floating Uros Islands at Dawn, Peru.
GONZALO BOTET
For an image that is predominately black there seems to be a lot going on – from the peering eyes of the subjects at the entrance of the skylight hole to the logistics of the photographer’s perspective and their journey (or that of their camera alone?) to this destination. The viewer is left to contemplate the reality of this extreme type of work and the wider want, culture and trade attached to these precious stones. An eye opening perspective from an enclosed space. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – Perspectives from the Depths. This image provides a unique view from inside a hole in the sapphire mines of Madagascar. The picture reveals the interdependence and collective effort required in the quest for these precious gemstones.
EKATERINA KOZLOVA
The photographer takes on a complex and poignant topic with this striking image, attempting to understand man’s place, response and impact to and within the landscape. The starkness of it sets the tone, while the black and white contrast underlines the serious questions posed by the photographer. It would be interesting to see how the theme is explored over a wider series of this style of work. – LIFE FRAMER
Photographer statement – This series explores toxic masculinity and its impact on the environment through the vibrant contrast of brutal, emotionless backgrounds of the Baltic Sea, and the tender soft fabric being worn by a male model. The black and white film helps the viewers to immerse themselves in the dry, cold reality a lot of men are living in. It represents the limitation of opportunities they experience owing to the toxic social traits and their inner fears to be seen tender, soft, flexible and having emotions. The retrospect represents the whole spectre of emotions and its worthlessness and misery against the global sense. It invites the viewers to ponder, how important self representation is when seen from the distance, or in the crowd, when everything and everyone merges and nearly disappears.
DOUGLAS FISCHER
An air of seriousness surrounds the scene, as if concentration carefully anchors the subjects in the moment. Regardless, the black and white treatment lends a softness to this raw and rural undertaking, allowing for a more realistic and modern concept of masculinity. A lot of intense emotions are quickly expressed within this close and intimate portrait. – LIFE FRAMER
