Photographer of the Week 13

Mike Swiech

Mike Swiech is a another fashion photographer but he takes a much more photojournalistic approach to the fashion scene than Ruan van der Sande. He has a lot of action poses and doesn't direct the models. Even in his wedding shots they are almost all candids. He seems to shoot like he is a fly on the wall. The only thing I didn't like was that all of his pre show shots were in black and white. This may be due to a unflattering lighting in the room but I would like to have seen at least some in color. Mike's motto is, “Never stop learning, once you do, you’ve given up."
Source: http://www.mikeswiechphotography.com/about/

Photographer of the Week 12

Raun Van Der Sande 

Much to the contrast of the last few photographers' ideas of beauty, Raun Van Der Sande photographs the traditional standards of beauty. He is a lingerie photographer and makes extraordinary pictures of these alluring creatures. He has no formal training or education in the photography realm. He is a self-taught photographer from South Africa and lives in London. He often travels to the fashion capitols of the world capturing supermodels in a promiscuously gorgeous light.
Sources: http://www.ruanvandersande.com

Photographer of the Week 11

Jasmine Star 

Jasmine Star is a wedding photographer out of LA. She has a very distinct brand and style. She is energetic, fun and really tries to make every shoot an experience not just a photo shoot. She has turned her brand in to more than just a photography business, she now does motivational speeches and teaches other people how to grow their own business. She didn't start her journey as a photographer, she was on a full ride at UCLA Law School when her mother got diagnosed with breast cancer. This was the turning point in her life, so she picked up her passion of photography and ran with it. Four years later she was voted in the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World. Jasmine is a great story of how following your heart can lead to great success and your fullest potential. 

Photographer of the Week 10

Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger is a conceptual, pop art, feminist photographer from New Jersey. She first attended Syracuse University, then developed an interest in photography and graphic design. After a year at Syracuse, she moved to NewYork and attended Parson's School of Design with fellow photographer Dianne Arbus. Her most popular work is comprised of black and white images with a long red text bar across them, commonly used to convey a bold message against misogamy and sexism.
Sources: http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.html

Photographer of the Week 9

Julie Blackmon 

Julie tells the story of a mother and children through the work of her lens. She gives us insight as to what it's like being a mother raising her children in the midwest- Missouri specifically! She shows the rowdiness, the stress, the chaos, and the lovely memories. I love her because she doesn't shy away from the hectic, crazy moments and is perfectly fine admitting to the world that she surely does not have it all together. The last part of Julie's artist statement sums it up well, "We live in a culture where we are both “child centered” and “self-obsessed.”  The struggle between living in the moment versus escaping to another reality is intense since these two opposites strive to dominate.  Caught in the swirl of soccer practices, play dates, work, and trying to find our way in our “make-over” culture, we must still create the space to find ourselves.  The expectations of family life have never been more at odds with each other.  These issues, as well as the relationship between the domestic landscape of the past and present, are issues I have explored in these photographs.  I believe there are moments that can be found throughout any given day that bring sanctuary.  It is in finding these moments amidst the stress of the everyday that my life as a mother parallels my work as an artist, and where the dynamics of family life throughout time seem remarkably unchanged.  As an artist and as a mother, I believe life’s most poignant moments come from the ability to fuse fantasy and reality:  to see the mythic amidst the chaos."
Sources: http://www.julieblackmon.com/text_page.cfm?pid=181