Steve McCurry is one of the most well-known contemporary photographers in the past few decades. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McCurry studied mainly cinematography and traveled to India. After months of traveling and exploring the country, he then crossed the border into Pakistan, where a small group of refugees from Afghanistan smuggled him into their country's border. McCurry made it in that small window as Western journalists were being closed off. The rest was history on his road to his beautiful photography. McCurry’s photos were the first to showcase the destruction of the Russian invasion and continued to create unforgettable images.
Contemporary photography is a style that can be described as happening in time. To elaborate, it’s driven by the word contemporary, which is present or recent times, meaning that any photo taken right this very minute is considered contemporary. Contemporary prints are not labeled permanent as it would go against the fact that permanent has a never-ending time stamp.
Out of all the street photographers I’ve chosen, why a contemporary one? Well, Steve McCurry has a unique style in which he photographs the world. From the small corners to the world's biggest wonders and is not afraid to photograph. The ability to travel and diversify his understanding of the cultures while maintaining his love for photography is inspiring. McCurry’s portraits of people interacting with one another and the human elements are just teachings that can be implemented into my street photography.
Steve McCurry’s images are captivating by capturing the human elements worldwide. The first element is how he photographs the human eye. McCurry's portraits draw the viewers by eye contact with the camera. Additional features such as what the person is wearing help the photo, but Steve McCurry captures these people with beautiful colored eyes. His technique utilizes a high aperture lens such as an F1- F1.4 to create a bokeh effect by blurring out the background to focus on the vision of the person.
The last human element that Steve McCurry utilizes is the social aspect of humans. This type of image that Steve McCurry is similar to street photography in which he photographs people engaging one another. The rawness and undisturbed part of his photos inspire me as it keeps the subject undisturbed creating a perspective of just viewing through the lens. No matter where McCurry is in the world, he shows us that all humans are always together.
The vivid and colorful still life photography of Stotz will immediately reel you in and bring you into a dreamscape. Her passion for food and food culture in combination with her joy of photographing it birthed a unique style that has captured clients such as The New York times, Starbucks, Ubereats and Bon Apetit. Her work has now evolved to stop motion animation that elevates the bar and meaning of still life photography in the commercial world. Her story and techniques are truly inspiring for me as a current product photographer and I hope Julia will inspire other creatives in some shape or form.
photography by Julia Stotz for beverage company
"I love how still life can catch little moments in time."
Julia Stotz grew up in Northern Carolina and started photography in high school. A Nikon FM was gifted to her from her father and it became an immediate staple piece for her black and white film photos. Stotz got her BFA in photography at Columbia College Chicago and remained in Chicago where she began her career. Stotz expressed how the beginning of her career helped her explore different photography styles through small jobs. Her first clients were smaller jobs for publications such as Timeout Chicago, Paper Magazine and Dwell.
Stotz eventually decided to move to Los Angeles which helped define her photography style. The aesthetic of LA’s food scene helped her career and the type of work she eventually got involved in. Julia began to pitch her personal work to social media and reaching out to newsletters and emails. She made sure to only show the work that she wanted to shoot which led to clients and brands that wanted that style of imagery. Julia has been working as freelance commercial and editorial photographer for over 10 years now.
photography by Julia Stotz for Starbucks
"When you're promoting yourself, you want to be the look and feel that someone comes away with. You want them to remember you for something and you want that to be the thing they think of when they're pitching their next job."
Apart from creating capturing visuals, Stotz emphasizes the importance of working together. Her final pieces would not be achieved without her team and continuous effort. Julia states there's planning, testing, rearranging, lighting, finessing, resetting over and over until the final image comes together and everyone is collectively satisfied and happy with the final result. Julia almost always works with prop stylists and food stylists that help her achieve her vision. Her team includes photo assistants, a digital tech, producer, PAs, hand talent, retouchers, and occasionally wardrobe stylists, hair and makeup.
photography by Julia Stotz for Jollibee
"Most of my photoshoots are very collaborative and need a lot of talented people to come together. That was the main reason I went into commercial photography. I wanted a chance to work with lots of people, all specializing in different things."
Deep dive into the unique style of Julias still life photography https://juliastotz.com/
Click the article below to learn the detailed process of how Julia achieves her unique style of imagery
Every year since 2018, there has been an agenda to perfectly capture the essence of each theme for the Met Gala. The ability to make an event seamlessly into a short film all on the spot is incredible. Vogue has given a video booth an entirely new meaning for us.
The image on the left is a still from Patrick Golan, the director of photography. The set is different every year, designed by David White. These films are all directed by the one and only Bardia Zeinali. Who first worked with Vogue but then proceeded to become a freelance Director (https://www.bardiazeinali.com/) then edited with Modern Post; who are well-known for editing high fashion video work. Collaborating with brands such as Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, Tiffany & Co, etc.
I only know all of this after years of keeping up with these videos on Instagram. Deep diving to learn that the best things have the greatest teams.
I don't know how the process of creating these videos go in real life. I wish there was some type of step by step vlog where you could see all of the behind the scenes chaos and excitement of shoot day - aka the met gala. But that just doesn't seem to exist as of now. Every year my fascination with these video booths has me binging through the internet for hours because I love having the inside scoop of how it's done. So I thought with the 2022 Met Gala approaching in a few days, it would be only right to pay an homage to these reminiscent shorts.
Going back to last year, the theme was celebrating all things American, "A Lexicon of Fashion". The clips were melted together with sounds of melodic tunes and inspiring speeches of moving forward
- then cut with funk. Something to remind you that you are indeed watching fashion in a city where "People don't own cars, they own clothes". (Vogue, I Love New York.) Cutting to those dance break clips, they are fast paced, cut to zoomed in shots that waiver over the extravagant details of beloved figures, who are displayed as exhibitions on their very own.
They have the perfect balance of elegance and fun. Modern & Classic.
There is always something so intriguing to me to see that contrast. It makes for an animated dynamic blend in the shots.
You see the hours of work and preparation that took place in the tiniest of places - down to the sparkle in an Oscar De La Renta dress.
Cinema holds so much power to elevating our experiences. Vogue nails the vibe every single time. I’m never not impressed with the execution. With the 2022 Met Gala approaching, I am eager to see fun and beauty with what crew throws at their audience. There is a lot to learn even if there isn’t much “Behind the Scenes” information about these projects. And I am ready to soak in another year.
