Dear Followers,

This week PforPHOTO will get a brand new design. After hours of work I’m finally done and satisfied with the new design. So out with the old and in with the new. On top of the amazing new layout I will start hosting the site myself. I’m sad to be leaving WordPress.com. So to all the WP.com followers I would like to ask you to stay in touch via www.PforPHOTO.com The new environment will give me more freedom. As I am planning on letting PforPHOTO grow. Self hosting the site will let me grow all I want. And that gives me the opportunity to let PforPHOTO become something special!

So please make sure you bookmark www.PforPHOTO.com.

I would also like to use this opportunity to let everybody know that I am looking for a guest poster. Are you fluent in English and are just as crazy about photography as I am? Then please send me an email: info@marceleverts.com.

See you soon on the all new website!

Cheers,

Marcel

I would like wish everyone a merry christmas and a very very good new year! I will be back in 2o13 with lots of interesting photography. See you in 2013!!!

Today is a memorable day for me: Article number 100!

What started as a passion project, to share my passion of photography, has developed into a blog with many visitors. Just shy of 20.000. And from all around the world. I’d like to thank all you photography enthusiasts for coming to PforPHOTO!

I started this blog to see how it would turn out. And seeing that many others are intereseted in the art of photography I am planning to keep on going. I would also like to use this moment to ask for your input. If anyone has anything that they would like to see on PforPHOTO please let me know! I’m also looking for guest bloggers to create posts for PforPHOTO. So if you have a keen eye for wonderful photography and know how to write about it, please let me know. You can email me or just leave a comment.

Again thank you and I hope to see you again on PforPHOTO!

Find us here: www.facebook.com/Pforphoto

The color of the skin has been, and unfortunately still is, a reason to discriminate. Somehow we human beings have to label people for our own comfort. And the first impression of someone is one of the mayor influences in this labeling process. But how many colors are there? If you say a person is black, brown, white, yellow, red or something in between, what do you really mean? We only have a few words to define so many colors.

Brazilian artist Angelica Dass started a project called Humanæ. She strives to record and catalog all possible skin tones. By using the PANTONE® color scheme. Visit her website and look if your skin can find a matching PANTONE®  code. A wonderful project showing us that there isn’t just one black, white, or whatever.

Angelica Dass’ website: humanae.tumblr.com

PforPHOTO has also a page on Facebook now!
Join PforPHOTO to share ideas, thoughts and photography!

www.facebook.com/PforPHOTO

Portrait photography has been a big hit ever since the invention of photography. The subjects photographed evolved along with the evolution of the camera. From dead people, stationary living people, to spontaneous portraits. Exposure times were just a little longer back then, than we are now accustomed to. Often the eyes of the people photographed in the middle of the 1800s looked weird. Due to the long exposure, people were able to stand still, but blinking and moving your eyes seemed a challenge.

Today we are able to portray anything we like. Some photographers seem to take it on them selves to photograph subjects that are not easily controlled. So long live the short exposure times and the ability to control light. Andrew Zuckerman photographed different animals in his series “Creature”. With his studio approach he photographed elephants, giraffes lions, and many other creatures. And he did this on a white background. Just like Richard Avedon did with people in his series “In the American West” (1985). Zuckerman takes the animal out of its natural habitat to show us just the animal and all its beauty.

Website Andrew Zuckerman: www.andrewzuckerman.com

A true master of photography is Dutchmen Erwin Olaf. With Anton Corbijn perhaps one of the names a Dutch-non-photography-enthusiast might know. Erwin Olaf is an artist who tries to set a mood and tell a story with his work. He isn’t out to tell his story, per se. He creates a scene in which the viewer can create his or her own story. The photographs are so wonderfully lit that a random crop would probably even produce another wonderful photograph. His latest work is called The Keyhole.

The Keyhole is showcased as a video/photo installation that, at the viewer’s own responsibility, can be watched, or be peeked at, through a keyhole. Erwin Olaf uses film and music to enhance his photographic work. And vice versa. The whole packages brings an extra dimension to this work of art. The Keyhole shows us seven individuals from their backsides. We look at them as if we have caught them doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing. The feeling one might get when sneaking a peek at something. The awareness you’ll have of doing something sneaky or even wrong, when looking at something or somebody through a keyhole.

In the video below Erwin talks about his work.

#1  500 Photographers by Pieter Wisse
Pieter Wisse simply posts active image-makers until he reaches 500 photographers. The type of photography doesn’t matter. What does matter is if it is worth looking at. And so far, I can only agree with the choices he has made.

#2 Camerabag.tv
 ”To celebrate image-makers and to highlight the beauty and style of the camera” A showcase of different photographers who show us why and how they work. Every photographer has a showcase of photos and is introduced by an inspiring video.

#3 Foam
Foam is a wonderful place in the center of Amsterdam. It just breaths photography. This museum has also a nice website and a blog. Please give it a go and get inspired.  I know I did.

#4 The New Yorker – Photo Booth
The New Yorker’s photo department blog. Different editors showcase interesting photographers and their projects. Among them James Pomerantz. A photo student. See #5.

#5 A Photo Student
 James Pomerantz blogs about photography. He also links to movies, writings and songs about photography. Goes to show that photography is a cross media medium.

#6 Fieldeye
Hans Aarsman, Dutch photographer/writer, is an expert in analyzing photographs. He has a keen eye for little details. On the blog Fieldeye he shares his views with three other contributors. They see things for that they are. On this blog they share their views with us.

#7 I Love That Photo
An online photography magazine. They try to show the differences or similarities between individual photographers and photography in general. With interviews and a blog they cover the subject of photography.

#8 PhotoQ
A Dutch photography news site. News, discussions, exhibitions, portfolios and even a bulletin board for those who want to share, sell or ask other photo enthusiasts about anything. It’s unfortunate for those who don’t understand Dutch, but since I visit this website a lot, I didn’t want to leave it out of this Top 10 list.

#9 Jeff Curto Photo History
Professor of Photography Jeff Curto at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, records his lectures of his History of Photography class. He posts these lectures as a podcast on this blog. An educational and nice way to learn more about the history of photography.

#10 Solar Photography
Part of Solar Initiative. Some interesting photographers showcase their projects.

Spanish photographer Chema Madoz is a true visual poet. He is able to melt ordinary objects together into something very unique. He teaches us something about looking. He does this as no other.

The minimalistic way of presenting us this surreal reality is just marvelous. By only showing what is needed, and by doing so in black and white, he plays with our visual senses.