All about photo.com: photo contests, photography exhibitions, galleries, photographers, books, schools and venues.
Win a Solo Exhibition in July 2026 + An Exclusive Interview!
Win a Solo Exhibition in July 2026 + An Exclusive Interview!
Debbie Smyth
Debbie Smyth
Debbie Smyth

Debbie Smyth

Country: United Kingdom
Birth: 1959

Debbie is an avid travel and documentary photographer, always on the move, with eyes and lens constantly in action. The camera allows her to tell the stories she sees, portraying both the physical and cultural aspects of the places she visits. Her working life started as researcher in the British Library Reading Rooms, moving on to designing library systems for use around Europe, and from there into the payments industry. With her daughter now grown up, exploration and photography are getting a larger share of her life. Whilst travel has been limited for the last 18 months, Debbie has had time to concentrate on her photography projects, currently focussing on the traditions and architecture of the British coast, and Cold War architecture.
 

Inspiring Portfolios

Call for Entries
AAP Magazine #59 Shapes
Publish your work in our printed magazine and win $1,000 cash prizes
 
Stay up-to-date  with call for entries, deadlines and other news about exhibitions, galleries, publications, & special events.

More Great Photographers To Discover

Angelika Kollin
Estonia
1976
Angelika Kollin (b. 1976) is an Estonian fine art and documentary photographer based in Tampa, Florida. Her work is rooted in a lifelong desire to understand human experience: the search for belonging, the weight of faith, the quiet strength that lives inside ordinary people. She works primarily in portraiture and long-term documentary projects, drawn to relationships with her subjects that unfold slowly and demand patience. Over eight years living in Ghana, Namibia, and South Africa, her practice deepened through daily encounters with people who carried both hardship and grace with equal measure, and her work since has been an attempt to bring that presence through to the viewer. She enters the creative space intuitively, without armor and without a fixed destination, allowing what is true to surface. Her ongoing bodies of work include Song of Psalms, Parenthood, Mary's Children, and Maps of Grief, among others. Her photography has been recognized by the Sony Photography Award (2024), CPOY 78, the Julia Margaret Cameron Award (2024), LensCulture, and FMoPA, and has appeared in CNN, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Scientific American, and F-Stop Magazine. Her work has been exhibited internationally at the Helsinki Foto Festival, Photo London, FotoNostrum in Barcelona, the OFF Foto Festival in Bratislava, and in New York, Seoul, Berlin, Tallinn, and Cape Town. Statement: My main project for the year 2020 became You are my Mother that subsequently expanded into You are my Father. As the covid pandemic rolled over the world, many of us found ourself going back to basics and spending more times with our families. I started photographing my project in April, while we were still in complete lockdown in Cape Town,South Africa. Initially I only wanted to document an act of acceptance and joining I witnessed between a mother and her adult daughter. Afterwards I continued to explore same "story" in other mother/child connections, examining the impact it has on my own family life and on my audience. There is no groundbreaking story occurring in my project, and yet, at least for myself, I am learning to understand the significance and value of connection to our family and how it shapes us for the rest of our life.
Lucas Barioulet
France
1996
Lucas Barioulet, born in Angers, France in 1996, is a french freelance photojournalist based in Paris, focusing on islamic republics. He graduate from Ecole de Journaliste de Tours and San Diego State University. The same yearn he began working in between the United States and Mexico in 2016 and 2017 as a correspondent for french newspaper, following the presidential elections and the migrant crisis. He then came in France and worked for the daily french newspaper Le Parisien as a staff photographer for one year. In march 2018, he began working as a stringer photographer for the world news agency Agence France Presse, covering the world cup, the yellow vests movements and daily news in France. During the Covid-19 crisis, he extensively covered the situation in France, from intensive care units to funerals parlors. He also contributes regularly to french newspaper Le Monde and magazine GEO. Since 2018, he works on a long term project on islamic republics, starting with Mauritania and then Pakistan exploring the different aspects and the young generations of these misunderstood countries. His last serie "The Long and Difficult Path of the Mauritanian National Women's Football" won the 2nd place in the "Sport" Category at the Sony World Photography Award 2020. "Camera is the best passport to my eyes. To not be a tourist, but a traveler. To not be only a photographer, but also a journalist. Trying to understand be fore judging, Watching and listening so that other can also see, go where the others cannot go for putting light on shadows areas. Take the time necessary to do photography, when the all industry is rushing. Build human connections that goes over the simple photographer - subject relationship. "
Takayuki Nakamura
Takayuki Nakamura is a photographer from Japan with a background in modern art history. He earned his master’s degree in the field at a Japanese graduate school, where he completed a thesis on the theme of “War and Art.” During his studies, he discovered the Naniwa Photo Club, Japan’s oldest photography organization founded in 1903, and soon became a member. Though largely self-taught in photographic technique, his artistic vision was deeply shaped by the legacy of the club’s pioneering figures, including Nakaji Yasui, Kiyoshi Koishi, and Yoho Tsuda. Much of his photographic work is dedicated to Japanese culture, capturing subjects such as ikebana, traditional performing arts, craft artists, and the artistry of the kimono. For more than 15 years, however, he wrestled with finding themes that resonated deeply enough to develop into cohesive series. Before the pandemic, he exhibited at art fairs through galleries in Osaka, yet broader recognition within the art world has remained elusive. Statement "My style is heavily influenced by avant-garde works, shaped both through my art history research and my activities with the Naniwa Photography Club. Because of my shy personality and a life spent suppressing my own assertiveness, I struggled for years to find subjects I considered worthy of photographing. I tried many directions, including artistic photography, yet none brought me true satisfaction. It was only after the pandemic, when I finally embraced street photography—a field I had avoided until then—that I discovered something essential. I realized that I was not consciously selecting subjects within this space at all. Instead, I became convinced that this approach could serve as a way to better understand my own thoughts. Drawing from the ideas I had studied for years, I recognized the potential of applying the Surrealist technique of automatic writing—except through photography, guided by the subconscious. My work now fuses two elements: a way of shooting without deliberate choice and the documentary nature of photography. In doing so, it captures scenes and events overlooked by passersby, hidden within the ordinary fabric of the street. What I present to the viewer is not simply the record of what I have seen, but an invitation to value the multiplicity of perspectives embedded in reality." Awarded Photographer of the Week - Week 37, 2025
Eddy Verloes
Belgium
1959
Eddy Verloes, a Belgian photographer, has won numerous awards for his literary symbolic photography. He skillfully weaves visual narratives that blend realism and surrealism, capturing the essence of interiors, landscapes, and urban life. Verloes’ spontaneous approach allows him to seize fleeting moments of everyday life, infusing his work with a sense of wonder and mystery. His fascination with literature and philosophy drives him to explore the profound and the poetic, leaving viewers with a profound sense of awe and contemplation. He shoots with his soul, not with the camera. Eddy Verloes is Master of Linguistics and Literary Studies (magna cum laude) at the University of Louvain, Belgium. Studies in photography at the Louvain CVO, Belgium. 2015-2024: exhibitions in different galleries or special locations (solo or with other photographers, painters, poets, sculptors, musicians, composers, video artists, mixed media artists) in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Brasil, Mexico, Russia, Germany, Greece, Crete, Malta, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Austria, France, The Netherlands and Belgium. Photo books No time to Verloes (2015), Cuba libre (2016), Zeezuchten/Seasighs (2020), Buiten zinnen/Losing Our MInds (2021), Aardelingen/Earthlings (2022). Most important awards in 2020-2024 Selected as one of the best contemporary photographers worldwide by the American site All-About-Photo | Winner Life Framer Photo Contest 2020 (Theme: "Civilization") judged by Tate Modern's Curator of Intern. Art & Photography Emma Lewis | Travel Photographer of the Year 2020 (cat. People of the world) | Winner Pangea Prize Siena Creative Photo Awards 2021 (cat. Open Theme) | Winner Malta International Photo Travel Award 2020/2021 | 2nd Place MonoVisions Awards 2021 (Photojournalism), London (UK) | Finalist FOCUS Photo L.A. 2021, Los Angeles (USA) | Winner Siena International Photography Awards 2021 (Fascinating faces and characters) with my "Remarkable Artwork" | Winner 16th Annual Black & White Spider Awards 2021, Beverly Hills (California) | Winner of the Union of Lights 2021 World Photography Contest ("Street & Lifestyle") | 3rd Place Winner (Photojournalism) Monochrome Photography Awards 2021, London (UK) | Winner 17th Pollux Awards 2021 (Open Theme - series), Barcelona (Spain) | Winner of The Chelsea International Photography Competition 2021/2022, New York (USA), Exhibition @ Agora Gallery, NY, 2023, Jan 4-17 | Winner Fine Art Photography Awards 2021/2022 (Photojournalism), 8th edition, London (UK) | Gold Winner Muse Photography Award 2022 (Fine Art Photography - People) with my series 'Losing Our Minds', NY, (USA) | Gold Winner London Photography Awards 2022 (Black & White Photography - Religious) with my series 'Losing Our Minds', London (UK) | Gold Winner London Photography Awards 2022 (People Photography - Religious) with my series 'Losing Our Minds', London (UK) | Bronze Medal Paris International Street Photo Awards 2021- Category Black & White | Winner of the Intern. Black & White Photography Awards 2022 with my series 'Losing Our Minds', also awarded with a 'Special Mention' (Paris) | Overall Contest Winner @ the reFocus 'One Shot Contest' Awards 2022, honoring the most extraordinary photographers of our time | Photographer of the Year Winner (Amateur) with an 'Outstanding Achievement' @ the 17th B&W Spider Awards 2022, Beverly Hills (USA) | Silver Winner in Portfolio/Fine Art @ Budapest International Foto Awards 2022 with my series 'Losing Our Minds' | Silver Winner NY Photography Awards 2022 - Editorial Photography/Religious with my series 'Losing Our Minds' | Silver Winner NY Photography Awards 2022 - People Photography/Religious with my series 'Losing Our Minds' | Inductee to the Influx Gallery's Hall of Fame (London) - Merit of Excellence - 2023, January | Finalist Life Framer Humans of the World Competition (USA) - 2023, January | Winner of the 1st Salamander International Art Prize + exhibition @ Monteoliveto Gallery Paris (France) - 2023, February 23-28 | Gold Winner Muse Photography Award 2023 (People Photography - Couple) with my series 'Get connected', NY, (USA) | Silver Winner in Portraiture/Culture @ PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris 2023 with my series 'Losing Our Minds' | Winner 1st Budapest Intern. Art Show artBIAS 2023, organized by Teravarna Art Gallery Los Angeles (USA) and Golden Duck Gallery Budapest | Grand Prize Winner of the Great Photo Awards 2023/ Black & White World Photo Competition, Athens (Greece) with 'Losing Our Minds' | Finalist Travel Photographer of the Year 2023 | Selected for the Xposure International Photography Festival @ Expo Center Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2024, Feb. 28 - March 5 | Platium, Gold & Silver Winner @ 2024 MUSE Photography Awards, New York | Bronze Winner in Architecture @ PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris 2024 with my series 'The coal mine' | Finalist Travel Photographer of the Year 2024 | Winner of the 1ste edition of The B&W FotoNostrum Choice Awards Barcelona (Spain) + exhibition @ FotoNostrum Gallery Feb. 2025 | Winner and 'Discovery of the Year' + 'People's Vote Award' @ 2024 World Photo Annual Refocus Award (Cat. Film/Analog) | Grand Winner Paris International Street Photo Awards 2024 (Cat. Elder People Street) with my series ‘Cuba libre' Awarded Photographer of the Week - Week 52
Advertisement
AAP Magazine #59 Shapes
Win a Solo Exhibition in July
AAP Magazine #59 Shapes

Latest Interviews

Exclusive Interview with Trevor Cole: Pastoral Peoples and Practices
For this interview, we wanted to focus specifically on The Face of the Mundari and the wider Pastoral Peoples and Practices series. We spoke with Trevor about his long-term work among the Mundari, what continues to draw him back to their cattle camps, and the experience of documenting a culture whose identity remains deeply connected to livestock, tradition, and the natural environment.
Exclusive Interview with Frank Meo
In our latest exclusive feature for All About Photo, I speak with veteran photography representative Frank Meo about what it truly takes to build a sustainable creative career today. Frank brings decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, major agencies, and documentary photographers to the table. We dive into the critical business skills often left out of art school curriculums, the power of mentorship, and the inspiring evolution of PROJECTIONS—his international salon platform for visual storytellers. It’s an essential read for anyone navigating the commercial or editorial photography landscape today.
Exclusive Interview with Carolyn Moore
American photographer Carolyn Moore explores the inner landscape of emotion, memory, and personal transformation through a deeply intuitive photographic practice. Her work unfolds as a quiet dialogue between artist and viewer, where images become a space for reflection, vulnerability, and connection.
Exclusive Interview with Luca Desienna and Laura Estelle Barmwoldt
For over seven years, Of Lilies and Remains has explored the depths of the goth and darkwave underground, unfolding in Leipzig—a city long associated with a vibrant and enduring subcultural scene. Moving between iconic gatherings such as Wave-Gotik-Treffen and more intimate moments on the fringes, the project offers a rare and immersive glimpse into a world often misunderstood, yet rich in expression and community. Created by Luca in collaboration with Laura Estelle Barmwoldt, the work embraces a cinematic and deeply personal approach. Rather than documenting from a distance, it moves within the scene itself, capturing its atmosphere, its codes, and its quiet contradictions. The title Of Lilies and Remains hints at this duality—where beauty and darkness, fragility and strength coexist. As the book prepares for its release, we spoke with both artists about the origins of the project, their process, and what it means to document a subculture that continues to evolve while remaining true to its spirit.
Exclusive Interview with Matthew Finley
American photographer Matthew Finley turns inward, using photography as a way to explore identity, memory, and emotional truth. Based in Los Angeles, his practice moves between performance, gesture, and found imagery, creating a visual language that is both intimate and deeply personal
Exclusive Interview with Jan Janssen
Dutch photographer Jan Janssen explores universal human experiences through his long-term project It Matters, winner of the May 2025 Solo Exhibition. Begun in 2016, the series captures intimate moments of everyday life—love, loss, connection, and belonging—across Central and Eastern Europe. Working in countries such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, Janssen spends extended time within communities, building relationships based on trust and respect. His approach allows him to move beyond observation, revealing deeply human and authentic moments. Rooted in travel and personal discovery, It Matters reflects Janssen’s search for what connects us all in an increasingly divided world. The project is ongoing and will culminate in a photobook scheduled for publication in 2026.
Exclusive Interview with Henk Kosche
German photographer Henk Kosche turns his lens toward the streets of Halle an der Saale, capturing everyday life in the late years of the former German Democratic Republic. At the time, Kosche was studying design and exploring the city with his camera, drawn to the atmosphere of its industrial landscape and the quiet rhythms of daily life. His series Street Photography at the End of the 80s, selected as the Solo Exhibition for July 2025, revisits a body of work created just before a period of profound change. Rediscovered decades later in a small box of 35mm negatives, these photographs offer glimpses of a city and its people at a moment suspended between the familiar and the unknown.
Exclusive Interview with Anastasia Samoylova
Anastasia Samoylova is an American artist whose photographic practice is shaped by close observation and a deep attentiveness to place. Working between documentary and formal exploration, she photographs landscapes, architecture, and everyday scenes with a sensitivity to light, structure, and atmosphere. Since relocating to Miami in 2016, her work has increasingly focused on how environments—both natural and built—carry social, cultural, and emotional traces. We asked her a few questions about her practice and her way of seeing, to better understand the thoughts and experiences that shape her work—while allowing the images themselves to remain open and speak in their own time.
Exclusive Interview with Marijn Fidder
Marijn Fidder is a Dutch documentary photographer whose work powerfully engages with current affairs and contemporary social issues. Driven by a deep sense of social justice, she uses photography to speak on behalf of the voiceless and to advocate for the rights of those who are most vulnerable. Her images have been widely published in major international outlets including National Geographic, CNN Style, NRC Handelsblad, Volkskrant, GUP New Talent, and ZEIT Magazin. Her long-term commitment to disability rights—particularly through years of work in Uganda—culminated in her acclaimed project Inclusive Nation, which earned her the title of Photographer of the Year 2025 at the All About Photo Awards. She is also the recipient of multiple prestigious honors, including awards from World Press Photo and the Global Peace Photo Award. We asked her a few questions about her life and work.
Call for Entries
Win A Solo Exhibition in July
Get International Exposure and Connect with Industry Insiders