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Win a Solo Exhibition in July 2026 + An Exclusive Interview!
Win a Solo Exhibition in July 2026 + An Exclusive Interview!
Melissa Lazuka
Melissa Lazuka
Melissa Lazuka

Melissa Lazuka

Country: United States
Birth: 1977

I am an artist and mother living in rural Ohio with my three teenage sons, 8 year old daughter, and husband. I always thought I would be a writer and studied English Literature at Ohio State University, but at the age of 30 I discovered the art of photography when my husband gifted me a camera. My earliest inspiration came from literature and my work has been described as "emotional, full of stories, and feminine." I am also inspired by the simple beauty of nature which is woven into my images. I am acutely aware of how time is passing and my children are growing up and from that awareness stems much of my work. I use techniques such as free lensing and multiple exposures to give my work a dreamlike, layered feeling, much the way the years passing in our lives feels. My series "Fly Away" and "Song of the Cicadas" have been exhibited nationally and I am now making handmade artist books of this work.
 

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Manuel Álvarez Bravo
Mexico
1902 | † 2002
Manuel Álvarez Bravo was a Mexican artistic photographer and one of the most important figures in 20th century Latin American photography. He was born and raised in Mexico City. While he took art classes at the Academy of San Carlos, his photography is self-taught. His career spanned from the late 1920s to the 1990s with its artistic peak between the 1920s and 1950s. His hallmark as a photographer was to capture images of the ordinary but in ironic or Surrealistic ways. His early work was based on European influences, but he was soon influenced by the Mexican muralism movement and the general cultural and political push at the time to redefine Mexican identity. He rejected the picturesque, employing elements to avoid stereotyping. He had numerous exhibitions of his work, worked in the Mexican cinema and established Fondo Editorial de la Plástica Mexicana publishing house. He won numerous awards for his work, mostly after 1970. His work was recognized by the UNESCO Memory of the World registry in 2017.Source: Wikipedia Manuel Álvarez Bravo, one of the founders of modern photography, is considered the main representative of Latin American photography in the 20th century. His work extends from the late 1920s to the 1990s. Alvarez Bravo was born in downtown Mexico City on February 4, 1902. He left school at the age of twelve in order to begin making a contribution to his family's finances after his father's death. He worked at a textile factory for a time, and later at the National General Treasury. Both his grandfather (a painter) and his father were amateur photographers. His early discovery of the camera awakened in him an interest that he would continue to cultivate throughout his life. As a self-taught photographer, he would explore many different techniques, as well as graphic art. Influenced by his study of painting at the Academy of San Carlos, he embraced pictorialism at first. Then, with the discovery of cubism and all the possibilities offered by abstraction, he began to explore modern aesthetics. He had his initiation into documentary photography in 1930: when she was deported from Mexico, Tina Modotti left him her job at the magazine Mexican Folkways. He also worked for the muralists Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Álvarez Bravo is an emblematic figure from the period following the Mexican Revolution often called the Mexican Renaissance. It was a time of a creative fertility, owing to the happy though not always tranquil marriage between a desire for modernization and the search for an identity with Mexican roots, in which archaeology, history and ethnology played an important role, parallel to the arts. Alvarez Bravo embodied both tendencies in the field of visual arts. Between 1943 and 1959, he worked in the film industry doing still shots, which inspired him to realize some of his own experiments with cinema. While Manuel Álvarez Bravo was alive, he held over 150 individual exhibitions and participated in over 200 collective exhibitions. According to several critics, the work of this "poet of the lens" expresses the essence of Mexico. However, the humanist regard reflected in his work, the aesthetic, literary and musical references it contains, likewise endow with a truly universal dimension. He died on October 19, 2002, at the age of one hundred.Source: www.manuelalvarezbravo.org Manuel Álvarez Bravo was a teenager when he first picked up a camera and began taking pictures, before he enrolled in night classes in painting at the Academia San Carlos, in 1917, or sought instruction in the darkroom of local German photographer Hugo Brehme. Initially self-taught, Álvarez Bravo’s style developed through study of foreign and local photography journals. In these pages, he first encountered the work of Edward Weston and Tina Modotti, who came to Mexico in 1923; the latter became a close colleague and supporter, introducing Álvarez Bravo to the artists of Mexico’s avant-garde, including Diego Rivera, Frida Khalo, and Rufino Tamayo, as well as encouraging him to send photographs to Weston. In the 1930s, Álvarez Bravo met Paul Strand, traveling with him while he worked in Mexico, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. With Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans he exhibited in a three-man show at the Julien Levy Gallery, New York, in 1935. Mexico was a cultural hub for many in the international avant-garde in these years; André Breton visited, including Álvarez Bravo in the Exposition of Surrealism he organized in 1940 in Mexico City. Although the artist never identified with Surrealism, it was a major theme in the analysis of his pictures throughout his career. Revealing the influence of his formative years following the Mexican Revolution of 1910, Álvarez Bravo would instead speak of his interest in representing the cultural heritage, peasant population, and indigenous roots of the Mexican people in the face of rapid modernization.Source: Museum of Modern Art
Claudio Rasano
Switzerland
1970
Claudio Rasano lives and works in Basel, Switzerland. His work explores the relationship between spaces and humans, the subject within the space and the space as the subject itself. Rasano has a genuine and identifiable style that crosses documentary and fine art practices. He works with people from similar backgrounds, circumstances and experiences - environmental portraits and landscapes depicting a quiet anthropological commentary. There is a strong relationship between the environmental portraits and the landscape images. He is the recipient of Photovogue Portraits 2017, Taylor Wessing Photographic Prize 2016, Lensculture portrait award Finalists, Syngenta Photography Award Unseen and Life 2017 Framer World Travellers. 2019 Meitar Award for Excellence in Photography at PHOTO IS:RAEL Statement My work may cross countries and continents, but there is one thing that features centrally throughout, people. People are the focal point of his work, whether it's schoolchildren in South Africa or cigarette sellers in Tirana, the story of the country that Claudio is working in is told through its people. "I love to explore the relationship between spaces and humans, the subject within the space and the space as the subject itself, I work with people from similar backgrounds, circumstances and experiences -environmental portraits and landscapes depicting a quiet anthropological commentary. It is important for me to see that there is a strong relationship between environmental portraits and landscape images." His work is focused around the human stories of an area, but in many cases it is not just the person that is of interest. The composition of many of his images, even when portraits, provides a snapshot of the landscapes and built environments that are around the subject. This contextualises many of his photographs, helping you to build a more rounded impression of the individuals based on their surroundings too - the perfect example of this being his image of South African workmen in sodden clothes.
Laura Aguilar
Mexico/United States
1959 | † 2018
Laura Aguilar, a pioneering photographer, used her lens as a powerful tool for social empowerment and representation. Born with a keen eye and a deep sense of empathy, Aguilar sought to challenge the traditional narratives of art history by capturing the beauty and dignity of marginalized communities often overlooked by mainstream society. Aguilar's work defied convention, focusing on subjects that had long been excluded from the artistic canon. From lesbians and Latinas to individuals with disabilities and those whose bodies did not conform to societal norms, Aguilar fearlessly confronted stereotypes and celebrated the diversity of human experience. Her photographs were a testament to the strength, resilience, and inherent worth of each individual, regardless of their background or identity. I wouldn't know what to do with the perfect body. Can we get comfortable with the imperfections? – Laura Aguilar What set Aguilar apart as an artist was not only her choice of subjects but also her meticulous attention to the formal aspects of photography. Drawing inspiration from both modernist and Social Documentary traditions, Aguilar infused her work with a unique perspective informed by her own lived experience as a lesbian Latina. Through her lens, she sought to capture the essence of her subjects in a way that transcended superficial appearances, inviting viewers to connect with the humanity and complexity of each individual. Above all, Aguilar viewed art as a means of giving voice to those who had been silenced or marginalized. Her photographs served as a powerful form of advocacy, challenging viewers to confront their own biases and preconceptions while fostering empathy and understanding. Through her art, Aguilar sought to create a more inclusive and compassionate society, one where all individuals were valued and respected for who they are. I know some people see me as very childlike, naïve. Maybe so. I am. But I will be damned if I let this part of me die! – Laura Aguilar Despite facing obstacles and adversity throughout her life, Aguilar remained steadfast in her commitment to social justice and equality. Her work continues to inspire and provoke, reminding us of the importance of representation and the transformative power of art. Laura Aguilar's legacy lives on through her photographs, which serve as a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit and the possibility of positive change.
Umberto Romagnoli
Umberto Romagnoli was born in Rome in 1970; in 1994 he attended the European Institute of Design, where he followed photography courses for two years. In 1996 he received a special mention from the jury of the Europe: Crossing Borders competition organized by the European Cultural Foundation in Amsterdam for a work inspired by 100 years of Cinema. Since 2002 he has worked as a photographer, assistant and printer in the studio of Claudio Abate, the "art photographer", eyewitness of the artistic ferment and avant-garde from the 1960s onwards, where he deals with the organization and management of the archive photography and studio. Always interested in the cinematographic medium, often a source of inspiration for his work, in 2008 he made the short film War Box and in 2010 Spiriti del Lago. In the following years he founded the Mister Freedom-Brigata Cinematica, an association that supports and promotes visual culture and cinematographic in all its forms. Parallel to his photographic activity, he organizes and takes care of film clubs, film festivals and themed events such as: Posto Unico, Pape Satàn, Sdrive-In, Arena-Dentro La Storia and Street Cinema. Statement: I think that through a broad vision of photography I try to explore both the intimate and the analytical, creating a dialogue between the human essence and the visual representation, with this approach I try to combine originality and critical reflection. As for the interior and ancestral universe, I have always focused on subjects that reflect intimacy and human nature, from female nudes, to the elements to portraits used in a symbolic or metaphorical way, to still lifes of various inanimate objects that can hide deeper meanings. As for the analysis of the image and the fictional universe, I have worked on the understanding and analysis of the photographic and cinematographic image, examining how the visual image communicates, influencing the viewer, its authenticity and truth, asking myself questions about the nature of the image: how authentic is it? how manipulated is it? This can lead to reflections on perception and reality, passing through works of pure fiction, creating images that tell imaginary stories.
Juan Cruz Olivieri
Argentina
1980
Juan Cruz Olivieri was born in 1980 in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, where he currently resides. Although he is an electrical engineer by profession, his passion for photography emerged in 2012. His most notable work revolves around gaucho culture, deeply influenced by childhood memories and travels with his father through the Buenos Aires countryside. In series such as Gauchos and Silent Inhabitants, Olivieri portrays Argentine rural life with sensitivity and authenticity, capturing not only faces but also the soul of his subjects. For Olivieri, photography is a way to preserve cultural heritage: “It’s not just an artistic expression, but a way to perpetuate our traditions.” His intimate and unembellished style seeks to move away from the idealized image of the gaucho, instead revealing its mystical and resilient essence. Summary of the “Gauchos” Series The gauchos in Argentina are emblematic figures, representing the men who conquered the pampas. In my work, I strive to create intimate photography, stepping away from the role of the intrusive outsider to become a confidant in a story told through light and shadow. I distance myself from the typical idealized images that viewers expect, allowing the mystical and rugged identity of gaucho culture to emerge through a sense of closeness and spontaneous naturalness. Each photo is free of ornamental pretension, and its magnetic power lies in the determined way the gauchos position themselves before the camera—resolved to reveal more than just their faces: the living soul of the life they embrace. Awarded Photographer of the Week - Week 33, 2025
Marcin Owczarek
Poland
1985
My art has always been focusing on condition of our globe and the condition of man. My antiutopian, critical photography is based on the anthropological research. I focus on exploring and interpreting the impact of: new technologies, bio-science, unconscious, fears, morals, social situations, behaviors, habits, rituals, biological changes, the use of animals, depression in urban envi...ronments, destruction of the soil, overpopulation, deforestation, universal famine and - over human life. As a result, I create the image of the 21 century and the image of our current society. In this way, by commenting behaviour of human individuals I want to indicate that: Man is imperfect. Man is a savage, greedy rebel of Nature, living between the insanity and lunacy, away from his true nature. Man live in the play cage because he was captured by Illusions of this world: welfare tyranny, desire of possessing material things, consumption, jealousy, hate...what all in all led him to the broken relationship with the globe and other human beings. As a result I stress the present process of dehumanization, mechanization and standardization of human race, false norms and illusional values that was given for the truth to the society by religion, governments,laws,propaganda, false mirror of the television...etc. In my opinion, nowadays it is essential to articulate this kind of behavior, because the way which the present world run, might guide the human species: firstly- into a total slavery, then to new nuclear era, and finally to the total extinction...There is number of potential scenarios, but one of them is definitely Total Extinction... I admire the way of dadaism as well as surrealism. My spirit flies with counterculture and the idea of transgression. I regard my critical collages as the prediction of human degradation, and as a consequence - 'Apocalypse'....... Many wise people said that before but I will repeat: we are responsible for this world and for other human beings, and in our hands is decision: Do we want to live in coexistence or do want to reproduce another monsters to this world who will fight against each other in another nuclear war... What are the crucial implications of this? - The world's Future. "You pays your money and you takes your choice".Marcin Owczarek, Lier 2011
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Latest Interviews

Exclusive Interview with Susan Anthony
American photographer Susan Anthony brings a painter’s eye to documentary photography, creating nuanced portraits of people and places shaped by time, community, and tradition. Her work is rooted in observation, empathy, and a deep curiosity about the lives of others. Through long-term projects, she explores the relationship between individuals and the environments they inhabit, revealing the stories that connect people to a place and to one another.
Exclusive Interview with Carole Mills Noronha
Carole Mills Noronha is an Australian photographer whose deeply personal work explores memory, family, loss, and the fragile nature of identity. Living with epilepsy and a lifelong sensitivity to light, she has developed a distinctive photographic language rooted in observation, empathy, and emotional connection. Her images are shaped by lived experience, revealing intimate stories with remarkable honesty and tenderness.
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.
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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
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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.
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