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Nicholas Scarpinato
Nicholas Scarpinato
Nicholas Scarpinato

Nicholas Scarpinato

Country: United States

From nicholasscarpinato.com
My love of photography began at a young age with a camera my parents had at their home. What I choose to photograph is images that tell a story, a secret that is waiting to be unearthed, a memory or a place in time. While the initial photographic capture is important, the ensuing creative process is the distinguishing factor in my work. My images are designed to expand the intellectual limits of surreal photography. I am a 19 year old Junior, studying Film and Photography, at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). I work digitally, with drawing and/or painting included in the some of my images.
 

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Jaime  Nisenbaum
United States
1959
I am an experimental photographer based in Berkeley, California. The camera has been a faithful companion throughout my life; however, over the past 20 years, my photography slowly began shifting from documenting life to being a more intentional form of self-expression. The wide expanses of the California coast, its rugged terrain, wide vistas, and thunderous waves were my first entry point into that process. Concurrently, I was discovering and getting inspired by Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Minor White, Ann Brigman, and several other pioneers whose work celebrated and exalted the natural environment. The quiet and intimate botanical images by Imogen Cunningham, the simplicity of Harry Callaham's nature shots, along with the moody atmosphere of the early 20th-century Pictorialists like Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, and Gertrude Kasebier, have also found their way into how I think and imagine photography. The textural and sculptural properties of natural elements are a main source and inspiration for my photography. I like to think of my images as inhabiting a world between the representational and the abstract, revealing the hidden beauty and simplicity of natural forms while evoking a sense of reverence and wonderment. My photographs have won awards through the Marin County Society of Artists (CA) and Louisville Art Association National Photography Show (CO), and have been exhibited at the A.Smith Gallery (TX), Arts Square Gallery (NY), Black Box Gallery (OR), d’Art Center in Norfolk (VA), Praxis Gallery (MN), Si Gallery in Austin (TX).
Christian Tagliavini
Switzerland/Italy
1971
Christian Tagliavini was born in 1971 in Switzerland, where he currently lives and works as a fine art photographer and craftsman. His work is heavily shaped by a childhood spent in Parma, where he grew up immersed in the rich artistic culture of the Plain of the Po, Italy’s longest river. Tagliavini’s evocative images represent just the final stage in his artistic process. His photographs capture the creative vision in his mind’s eye, which he brings to life with handcrafted props, made-to-measure costumes and unconventional models. This behind-the-scenes work establishes him as an artisan- photographer. Choosing unexplored concepts as themes, Tagliavini’s work narrates open-ended stories, inviting the viewer to actively experience unique ideas, sensations and feelings, and ultimately decide the ending for themselves. A self-taught photographer, Tagliavini originally trained in architecture and worked as a graphic designer. His interest in photography was sparked in 2000, at a photographic exhibition in Milan. Fascinated by the technical aspects of photography, he tried his hand at several photographic disciplines before discovering that the mise-en-scène technique was the most effective way to capture the stories that lived in his imagination. Embracing the art of slow photography, Tagliavini’s creative approach involves meticulous planning and careful design. Each project begins with initial historical and iconographic research, feasibility assessments, sketches, storyboarding, colour experimentation, and composition before he sets about making his vision a reality. Tagliavini uses various techniques to handcraft each and every detail, including the props and backdrops. Each costume is fashioned to Christian’s detailed designs, including the fabric and colour choices, and is made-to-measure for each model. Where possible, Tagliavini prefers to work with non-professional models, drawing inspiration from their spontaneity and curiosity. A champion of unconventional beauty, he has always favoured personality over a classical aesthetic. His models represent the only detail of his work that he cannot control: their expressiveness is instinctive and they often inspire him to take his stories in completely new directions. This unscripted detail casts him in the role of observer rather than director. Christian Tagliavini won the Hasselblad Masters Fine Art Category in 2012 and the IPA Fine Art: Portrait prize in 2013. His work has been exhibited in many art galleries and museums worldwide.
Armineh Johannes
United States/France
I was born in Tehran, Iran and studied in England where I obtained a Journalism Diploma, and later in France, where I obtained a B.A. in History and a B.A in English. I started my photography career in 1986 with my first assigned in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. My work has been mainly on the Middle East and ex- Soviet Union countries. I started working on various assignments in Armenia since 1989 and continue to do so up to this day. In 1989, a year after the earthquake in Armenia, I went there for the first time. I am Armenian born and raised in Iran. Setting foot on the land of my ancestors for the first time brought great emotion for me. Since that first trip to Armenia and the deep connection I felt with the people and the land, I have continued to make regular trips to all corners of Armenia and Artsakh, depicting the lives of my fellow Armenians. In 1989-1990, I made my first trip to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and photographed the first Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; I was one of the few photojournalists who managed to travel to the village of Getashen and the villages of the Shahumyan/Shahoumyan region (northern Artsakh) just before Operation Ring in 1991. I continued to travel across Armenia for decades and my humanitarian photo stories have been widely published in magazines and newspapers around the world, such as Los Angeles Times (USA), Washington Post, Newsweek, Le Monde, Peuples du Monde, Libération, L 'Express, Révolution (France), Photo Reporter, France - USSR, UN Multimedia, Foto Pratica (Italy), l'Autre Journal, Marie Claire (Italy), Pop Eye (Japan), Asahi Graph (Japan), Asahi Magazine ( Japan), AIM (USA), Photography (England), etc. In 1997 I decided to go to Armenia and stay there for one year in order to have a more profound understanding of their lifestyle and customs. That period was one of the most enriching and interesting experiences of my life… During the past thirty years I has been documenting the life of Armenians in Armenia, in Karabagh as well as in the Middle East and around the world. I held several exhibitions in France in Portugal and in the United States. In 1990, the prestigious French Newspaper “Le Monde” organized a solo photo exhibition of my work in its halls in Paris. I currently work as a freelance documentary photo-journalist but also collaborate with “Les Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine”, an Armenian magazine published in France. I am working on having a photo book published of my work on Armenia and Artsakh (Karabagh). I started travelling to Armenia since 1989. I am of Armenian origin (born in Iran) and have continued to travel there on regular basis depicting the lives of Armenians. I travelled to Artsakh (H. Karabagh) several times starting in 1990 and covered the first conflict with Azerbaijan which ended in 1994. During my travels to Artsakh I also photographed moments of their daily lives.
Matthew Finley
United States
1972
Matthew Finley uses his photography to express himself and connect to the world around him. With a variety of photography processes, he explores intimate emotions through gesture, line and performance to communicate his experience. Growing up queer in an unaccepting environment, Finley felt apart from the world around him. Now, as an adult working through social anxiety, the studio is a safe space to create where he can be vulnerable and express his true self. Creating and exhibiting his work is a way to forge relationships with viewers and help those who see themselves reflected in it to feel less alone. Finding inspiration in nature, classic art and found photographs, he address-es modern issues such as his coming out story, intimate relationships, and finding peace in our tumultuous world. Based in Los Angeles, Finley’s work has shown in solo and group shows in multiple galleries across the U.S. Most recently, his work was on the walls of the esteemed Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles with the likes of Herb Ritts and Herbert List. Other works have circled the globe as part of the FOTOFILMIC 17 traveling show and he has pieces in the permanent col-lections of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago, The Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, and the Center for Fine Art Photography. His images have also appeared in publications including Oxford American, Shots Magazine, and Plates to Pixels where he won the Juror Award in The Visual Armistice 10th Annual Juried Showcase. Finley’s most current project An Impossibly Normal Life recently received Center Santa Fe’s 2024 Personal Award as well as the Center for Photographic Art’s 2024 LGBTQ+ Artist Grant. Article Exclusive Interview
Gerda Taro
Germany
1910 | † 1937
Gerda Taro, a pioneering figure in the world of photojournalism, illuminated the harrowing realities of conflict through her lens. Born Gerta Pohorylle on August 1, 1910, in Stuttgart, Germany, she would later adopt the pseudonym "Gerda Taro" as she ventured into the tumultuous landscape of war-torn Europe during the 1930s. Taro's journey into photography began as she fled Nazi persecution, seeking refuge in Paris. It was there that she crossed paths with fellow photographer Robert Capa, sparking a creative and romantic partnership that would shape both their lives and redefine the boundaries of photojournalism. Together, Taro and Capa embarked on a mission to document the Spanish Civil War, a conflict that would serve as a crucible for their artistic and ideological convictions. Working under the banner of "Robert Capa and Gerda Taro," they captured the raw intensity of battle, immortalizing the struggles of Republican forces against the backdrop of Franco's fascist regime. Despite the dangers inherent in their profession, Taro fearlessly ventured into the heart of the conflict, often disregarding personal safety in pursuit of the perfect shot. Her images exuded a sense of urgency and immediacy, offering a stark reminder of the human cost of war and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Tragically, Taro's life was cut short at the tender age of 26 when she was struck by a tank during the Battle of Brunete in July 1937. Her untimely death sent shockwaves through the world of photojournalism, serving as a sobering reminder of the risks faced by those who bear witness to history's most tumultuous moments. Though her life was brief, Gerda Taro's impact on the world of photography endures as a testament to her courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to truth-telling. Her images continue to serve as a powerful reminder of the human toll of conflict, inspiring future generations of photographers to wield their cameras as instruments of social change and justice. As we reflect on the legacy of Gerda Taro, we are reminded of the profound significance of bearing witness to history's darkest chapters and the enduring power of images to shape our understanding of the world and ignite the flames of empathy, compassion, and solidarity across borders and generations.
André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri
France
1819 | † 1889
André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri (French: 28 March 1819 - 4 October 1889) was a French photographer who started his photographic career as a daguerreotypist but gained greater fame for patenting his version of the carte de visite, a small photographic image which was mounted on a card. Disdéri, a brilliant showman, made this system of mass-production portraiture world famous. Disdéri began his working life in a number of occupations, while also studying art. He started as a daguerreotypist in Brest in 1848 or 1849 but in December 1852 or January 1853 he moved to Nîmes. There he received assistance from Édouard Boyer and Joseph Jean Pierre Laurent with his photography-related chemistry experiments. After a year in Nîmes he moved to Paris, enabling easy access to people who would be the subjects of his cartes de visite. Photographs had previously served as calling cards,[6] but Disdéri's invention of the paper carte de visite (i.e. "visiting card") photograph second enabled the mass production of photographs. On 27 November 1854 he patented the system of printing ten photographs on a single sheet (although there is no evidence that a system printing more than eight actually materialized). This was the first patent ever for a carte de visite. Disdéri's's cartes de visite were 6X9 cm, about the size of conventional (nonphotographic) visiting cards of the time, and were made by a camera with four lenses and a sliding plate holder; a design inspired by the stereoscopic cameras. The novelty quickly spread throughout the world. According to a German visitor, Disdéri's studio became "really the Temple of Photography - a place unique in its luxury and elegance. Daily he sells three to four thousand francs worth of portraits". The fact that these photos could be reproduced inexpensively and in great quantity brought about the decline of the daguerreotype and ushered in a carte de visite craze as they became enormously popular throughout Europe and the United States. So great was the publicity that all of Paris wanted portraits. Disdéri also invented the twin-lens reflex camera. The great French photographer Nadar, who was Disdéri's competitor, wrote about the new invention in his autobiographical "Quand j'étais photographe", "about the appearance of Disdéri and Carte de Visite... It spelled disaster. Either you had to succumb - that is to say, follow the trend - or resign." At the pinnacle of his career, Disdéri was extremely wealthy and renowned; but like another famous photographer, Mathew Brady, he is reported to have died in near poverty. By the end of his life, Disdéri had become penniless. He died on 4 October 1889 in the Hôpital Ste. Anne in Paris, "an institution for indigents, alcoholics, and the mentally ill". He was a victim of his own invention. The system which he invented and popularized was so easy to imitate that photographers all over the world took advantage of it.
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