The Everyday Lives of Villagers in Indonesia by Herman Damar
Photos by Herman Damar
Indonesia is a completely unique country, with a reported population of 246.9 million people, made up of 13,466 islands, surrounded by two oceans and plush with nature, capturing it all is mind boggling. Based in Jakarta, it's nation capital city, self-taught landscape and portrait photographer Herman Damar, set out to photograph the everyday live of villagers in Indonesia, and share it's beauty with the world.
Damar's photos feel genuine, crisp, and warm-hearted, and he captured the essence of the people and culture wonderfully. Check out the following photos, and find more of his work here.
[Via Demilked]
Migrants Photograph Their Journey Across the Border
Photos by MigraZoom Participants
Although border patrol has tightened over the past decade, there are still many people who cross from the Mexican border illegally every year, and it's not an easy task. After years of documenting migration in Mexico, Spanish-born photographer Encarni Pindado, began a new project that allowed undocumented migrants to photograph their journey across the southern border of Mexico and Guatemala, a point where many regroup as they continue North to the US.
Of course, this project would prove far more difficult and unsafe if done on the US border, but still, it's a similar look into the journey. The project, titled "MigraZoom," launched in early 2013 and was supported by a grant from the United Nations Development Program. In collaboration with other Mexico-based photographers, 200 Kodak cameras were handed out to actual migrants, a quick photo workshop was taught, and they were instructed to move up the usual migrant path, following the railroad lines, to gather more cameras along the way. By the end, MigraZoom collected almost 70 percent of the cameras that were given out, and in turn, each participant was given prints to keep. Also, large printouts of the photographs taken were displayed in parts of southern Mexico where Central American migrants travel through. Some photographs were even displayed on the cargo trains that migrants typically boarded.
The few photos below were taken by migrants throughout their own journey, and were sought out for further observation from Pindado. The names of the photographers are left out to protect their identity. It's noted by MigraZoom that many have likely crossed the US-Mexico border without documentation.
[Via Pri]
[IG Weekly] spinphotoart
Everybody is on their phone. Thousands of people everyday wear out their thumbs scrolling through photos, deciding which ones to post on Instagram. It’s so easy to do whether you’re a photographer or not; just point, shoot, choose a filter and post whatever you created. From funny duck face selfies, to breathtaking landscapes, to gritty city streets. Some use it as visual journal giving glimpses of their lives, while others have taken it to another level by creating works of art. All of us at Ruby Hornet are fans of the social media platform and decided to do a weekly series highlighting people whose Instagrams stand above the rest. Let us know in the comments section if you’d like to be featured, or let us know about some other cool Instagrams. Be sure to follow Ruby Hornet on Instagram, too.
This week’s featured Instagram comes from @spinphotoart. This NW settler photographer can really capture a scene and it's apparent from all the images in her gallery. You really get to see nature and the vastness of the great outdoors in the Northwest part of the country. Anyone who enjoys landscape photography should really take a look at her Instagram account to see what she creates with her camera.
[via @spinphotoart]
Capturing Blue Iceland by Andy Lee
Photos by Andy Lee
Although Iceland might be a small and remote nation, it attracts over half a million photographers and travelers every year, as it remains one of the most picturesque places in the world. Some of the most recently striking photos captured of the beautiful Nordic landscapes, waterfalls, peaks and roads, are that of UK-based photographer, Andy Lee, in his series titled, "Blue Iceland". Lee's approach to this series is with infrared photography to pick up invisible light rather than visible light, perfect for night, misty weather, or darkened interiors. The outcome is a set a photos that don't compare to other landscape photos taken of Iceland... ever.
Lee specifically shoots with a 5×4, medium format, digital and infrared. With this technique he put on his website, “Infrared and Iceland, a match made in heaven.” And he proves this point through his photos. Below are some of our favorites, and check out more on his website, and also follow him on Facebook and Twitter, as he plans to revisit Iceland soon.
[Via ThisIsColossal]
[IG Weekly] bethanymarieco
Everybody is on their phone. Thousands of people everyday wear out their thumbs scrolling through photos, deciding which ones to post on Instagram. It’s so easy to do whether you’re a photographer or not; just point, shoot, choose a filter and post whatever you created. From funny duck face selfies, to breathtaking landscapes, to gritty city streets. Some use it as visual journal giving glimpses of their lives, while others have taken it to another level by creating works of art. All of us at Ruby Hornet are fans of the social media platform and decided to do a weekly series highlighting people whose Instagrams stand above the rest. Let us know in the comments section if you’d like to be featured, or let us know about some other cool Instagrams. Be sure to follow Ruby Hornet on Instagram, too.
This week’s featured Instagram comes from @bethanymarieco. This Seattle based photographer really has a talent for capturing beautiful landscapes. When checking out her feed, you get sucked into each photo because of the composition making you feel like you're actually there. For anyone you enjoys landscape photography like myself, you'll really enjoy all the imagery that she creates. Check out some of her work below and head on over to her Instagram for more photos.
[via @bethanymarieco]
Intimate Photos That Challenge Sexual Identity
Photos by Chloe Aftel
In light of marriage equality, gender identity is new topic to many people, and an evolving culture refusing to define themselves as strictly male or female. In a shoot commissioned by San Francisco Magazine, photographer Chloe Aftel began an ongoing series titled, "Agender". The series is a set of intimate photos that challenge sexual identity, and beautifully sheds light on the complexities of the genderqueer and neutrois communities.
The theme for this photo series was sparked by a tragic act of violence, after Sasha Fleischman, an 18-year-old San Franciscan who identifies as agender, was brutally set on fire by a fellow student while sleeping on a bus in November of 2013. The cruel and unfortunate incident prompted a small, but nationwide discussion in mainstream media regarding gender binaries and transgender identities. Thus leading Aftel to Fleischman's home to photograph the new icon of America's genderqueer youth.
In hopes to raise awareness of this diverse and often-overlooked community, San Francisco magazine published Aftel's photos, and the portraits are beautifully intriguing. Some of Aftel's subjects identify themselves as gender-fluid (with a fluctuating gender identity), some as gender-queer (a more general term for any gender identity other than male or female), some as agender (those who do not identify with any gender), and some as transgender (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both).
Check out the following photos, including one of Sasha, and find more of Chloe Aftel's work here.
[Via PolicyMic]
Klause Kampert's Water Erotica Shoot [NSFW]
Photos by Klause Kampert
Klause Kampert's work focuses on the human form, particularly women, as evident by the body of work he's created. He captures his subjects in a variety of ways each project being different from the previous one creating a style of his own. These aren't your typical portraits with each one having a specific message, and his latest collection, "Water Creatures," is no exception. When looking at the photos, you can see that the model and water are the focal points, and it shows how both the female body and water are one in the same. As Kampert states he'd rather "like to present the human being as a whole. Body and mind united." You can check out the Water Creatures series here, then you can check out more of his projects at his website here.
[via Juxtapoz]
Bricksy by Jeff Friesen is a Lego Homage to Banksy
Photographer Jeff Friesen has emerged with the “Bricksy” series, a classic American take on some of Banksy’s most iconic work that substitutes the figures in Banksy’s art with Lego pieces. The Lego spin takes the ominous colors and sense of anonymity Banksy accentuates in his work and plays with it, developing a contrasting angle to his art by means of depicting it with a lighthearted, multicolored, and childish spirit. While it’s a completely distinct way to perceive Banksy’s art, the pieces still manage to stay true to what Banksy is all about: repetition, incognition, and the manipulation of consumerism.
My first glance at Friesen’s “Bricksy” was an interpretation of a nod to pure entertainment, with Lego facial expressions and body language serving as a comedic homage to Banksy’s work. After all, even with only a limited comprehension of the Lego world, it’s difficult for me to instantly construct an association between a seemingly innocent child’s toy and negativity. A closer look at Friesen’s work reminds us that the misleading and innocent nature of the iconic, mass-produced, and homogenous toys serves as satirical commentary on postmodern consumerism, doing the exact opposite of what Banksy does in an artistic sense but still conveying the same subject matter to the masses.
While Banksy pushes the limits on street art himself by exploring relatable and controversial themes, Friesen takes “Bricksy” to a unique level, permeating the Banksy charm and giving his cult following something new to talk about. Check out Friesen’s “Bricksy” series below.
[via Co.CREATE]
