Showbiz luminaries turned up dressed to the nines at the anniversary gala hosted by Nice Print Photography.
The glitzy event celebrating the 17th year of one of the country’s most renowned photography studios was held onMarch 17, 2023, at the Okada Manila Resort and Casino.
Here are the glamorous attendees rounded up by PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal).
THE WOMEN
Marian Rivera-Dantes
Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera exuded elegance in a black Jean Paul Gaultier x Lotta Volkova draped midi dress and toting iconic Louis Vuitton Petite Malle handbag.
From her Spanish-themed wedding in 2015 to her floral-themed 38th birthday last year, Nice Print has memorialized them for Marian, one of its most loyal patrons.
Read also: Here’s sneak peek at Marian Rivera’s new walk-in closet
Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla
TV personality and live seller Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla was stunningly chic in casual party dress ensemble of long skirt and sequined top.
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Nice Print covered Mariel’s maternity shoot and baby shower in 2016.
Read also: Mariel Rodriguez finds true calling and happiness in live selling
Pauleen Luna-Sotto
Eat Bulaga! host Pauleen Luna-Sotto sporting sleek, short bob posed in a plunge maxi dress with a keyhole chest cutout and long bell sleeves.
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Nice Print documented Pauleen’s pregnancy with daughter Tali Sotto as well as her “Pretty in Pink” baby shower in 2017.
Jillian Ward
Abot-Kamay na Pangarap lead actress Jillian Ward looked like a princess in a shimmering ball dress with tasseled sleeves in crystals, and pearl mesh in between the skirt’s pleats.
On February 25, 2023, Nice Print covered Jillian’s galactic debut party in Cove Manila at Okada.
Read also: Celebrities spotted at Jillian Ward’s galaxy-themed 18th birthday party
Carmina Villarroel and Cassy Legaspi
Gorgeous mom-and-daughter tandem Carmina Villarroel and Cassy Legaspi, were both showstoppers in their evening looks.
Cassy, in a double-breasted jacket and sequined trousers with fringe hem to go with her sparkling Sekusa clutch, and Carmina in shimmering halter maxi dress with a semi-cowl neckline and side ruching.
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The Legaspi family has had their fair share with Nice Print — from Carmina and Zoren Legaspi’s wedding in 2012, to the sweet 16 and debut celebrations of Cassy and twin Mavy Legaspi.
Niana Guerrero and AC Bonifacio
Dancers Niana Guerrero and AC Bonifacio were dressed to a T for the gala.
Niana in mannish gray oversized pinstripe blazer with matching trousers in contrast with AC’s feminine black halter mini dress wiith side cutouts complemented by a bow on her hair.
Niana’s epic 16th birthday party and AC’s surprise Riverdale-themed debut were covered by Nice Print.
Barbie Imperial
Kapamilya actress Barbie Imperial wowed in a sexy two-piece, crystal-studded Julianne Syjuco creatioin.
Barbie tapped Nice Print to take her official pre-birthday shoot to mark her 23rd birthday in 2021.
Sam Cruz, Angelina Cruz, Sunshine Cruz, ChesCa Montano
Four beauties of the Cruz celebrity clan came clad in black.
Sisters Sam Cruz and Angelina Cruz were knockouts in custom AJ Javier dresses, so were their mom Sunshine Cruz in a custom Bella Borromeo gown and Chesca Montano in a custom Christine Lam design.
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Needless to say, Nice Print was there for the birthdays of the three sisters.
Elisse Joson
Elisse Joson was all about that classy flair in a glittery straight-cut dress with flounce sleeves and teardrop chest cutout.
Elisse’s daughter with partner McCoy De Leon, Felize, had the most adorable first birthday shoot with Nice Print on April 17, 2022.
Anji Salvacion
Sultry and looking mysterious in full fringe and dark make-up, Anji Salvacion in black halter dress with a pleated bust and ruched side detail.
Nice Print undertook Anji’s 20th birthday shoot in 2022.
the MEN
Ogie Alcasid
It’s Showtime host, comedian, and singer, Ogie Alcasid, was dapper in a matte black suit with a velvet collar.
One of the most important moments in his life, his marriage to fellow artist Regine Velasquez in 2010, was beautifully chronicled by Nice Print.
Darren Espanto
The 21-year-old performer Darren Espanto channeled his inner K-Drama actor sporting one-sided perm curtain bangs and party ensemble of black turtleneck inner shirt, retro jacquard print blazer, and chain steel spikes necklace.
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Darren rang in his 18th birthday with a bang in May 2022, with Nice Print taking each moment snap after snap.
Khalil Ramos
Khalil Ramos, a charmer in an all-black outfit at Nice Print’s anniversary party.
In December 2022, Khalil arranged thoughtfully a surprise birthday party for his girlfriend of six years, Gabbi Garcia, the highlights of which were filed in Nice Print’s portfolio.
Tim Yap
Tim Yap came in an outfit straight out of a magazine, a dual-patterned Russell Tero Villafuerte creation from the Bench Fashion Week 2022 Collection.
Nice Print took realistic shots of Tim’s dystopian-themed Halloween party for non-attendees to enjoy.
Read also: Scene stealers at Tim Yap’s dystopian-themed Halloween party
COUPLES
Perry Choi and Kris Bernal
Expectant parents Perry Choi and Kris Bernal were outasight in sparkling color palette—he in a cool tone, gray and black peak lapel one-button dinner jacket; she in warm, glittery maternity co-ordinates and Yves Saint Laurent heels.
The couple’s wedding film was taken by Nice Print.
Read also: Kris Bernal, Perry Choi announce pregnancy through mock film posters
John Estrada and Priscilla Meirelles
Elegant lookers, couple John Estradaand Priscilla Meirelles—he in a classic black suit and tie OOTN and she in a sterling gray fitted silhouette with asymmetrical bejewelled gown straps neckline and a sleek mermaid skirt.
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John and Priscilla have been married for 12 years. Their wedding in 2011 was one among the grandest wedding ceremonies shot by Nice Print.
Rocco Nacino and Melissa Gohing
Celebrity parents Rocco Nacino and Melissa Gohing sent out Great Gatsby vibes in their evening fits.
Fashion designer Chris Ryan created Rocco’s black half wrap suit, while Roko Arceo styled Melissa in 1920s fashion perfection.
The short film of Rocco’s proposal to Melissa in 2020 was executed memorably by Nice Print.
Allen Ansay and Sofia Pablo
Team Jolly, Sparkle’s breakout love team of Allen Ansay and Sofia Pablo, shone brighter in their party togs.
Nice Print was the official photographer at Sofia’s sweet 16 milestone.
Sophie Albert and Vin Abrenica
TV personality Sophie Albert stylish in a white chest-baring Atelier Patty Ang creation accessorized by a notable black bow in mesh fabric.
Vin Abrenica matched Sophie’s ensemble in a black velvet sequin-embroidered jacket to top off his white undershirt.
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Nice Print documented Sophie and Vin’s union, from prenup shoot to their wedding day.
Dianne Medina and Rodjun Cruz
Events host and news anchor Dianne Medina flaunted her flattering proportions in a mini long sleeves dress with a deep neckline and sequin and rhinestone details.
Her husband, all-around artist Rodjun Cruz, was debonair in a dark gray suit to go with an all-black polo shirt and pants.
Nice Print filmed Dianna and Rodjun’s on-site wedding video.
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Cassy Athena remembers the moment her life changed.
During her junior year at Cal State Northridge, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The life-threatening obstacle forced her to reconsider her career aspirations and restart her life. After she recovered, she pursued photography full-time, emerging as one of the best and most well-connected photographers in the NBA world.
“It just kept taking me somewhere,” Athena told TheAthletic of her passion for photography. “I just didn’t know where it was going to take me.”
Athena’s photography skills have taken her from covering the early days of the Drew League to China, and also to Washington, D.C., for the Warriors’ championship ceremony.
She has been a trailblazer in sports photography, particularly for women who, she believes, are still underrepresented in the space.
“I feel like the first three, four years of my career, if not more, were just proving that I was there for the right reasons,” Athena said. “And that’s just based on me being a female. At times, it would get very frustrating. There were certain brands and certain people that wanted me out of certain spaces, and they would use that against me. … And a lot of negative rumors, a lot of bad stuff. It would upset me and frustrate me so much. The one thing that I always did have, though, is the players always had my back. … I wouldn’t be here if those guys didn’t help me have the chance to do it.
“So now, I feel like I’m in a better position where I can help other women and help people enter this space and show them, like, ‘Hey, you can be here; you can shoot.’”
In Episode 1 of Season 2 of “Stargazing,” The Athletic’s NBA culture podcast, Athena spoke about her meteoric rise as a photographer, creating the famous Nick Young meme and shooting LeBron James, Stephen Curry and the game’s biggest stars. She also discussed overcoming her brain tumor, covering the Warriors’ championship ceremony at the White House and the advice given to aspiring photographers, among other topics.
Here’s parts of our conversation.
Editor’s note: Questions and answers have been edited for clarity.
You got your big break during the 2011 lockout. How did you start connecting with players and getting into the NBA space?
Around the time I was diagnosed with my tumor, like right before it, I had been working as a cashier at a sporting goods store, and I saved up. I mean, I was probably making $8 an hour. I saved up every dollar possible and bought my first intro professional camera from Costco — and it was not even that great. And then after my tumor, I kind of put the camera aside for a while.
But after I was recovering and I kind of got that passion reignited, I started trying to take pictures again and trying to see what I enjoyed taking pictures of. So, I would continue taking pictures. … Back in the day, there was a big Lakers message board I was a part of. I was a very big Lakers fan, and somebody on there had mentioned there was a league called the Drew League and that there were a bunch of NBA players (playing).
So, I drove down there by myself. Nobody ended up coming. I was the only person that showed up. I had brought my little point-and-shoot camera, and I just sat in the crowd and in the background and tried to take the best pictures I could. My first day at the Drew League, it was James Harden, O.J. Mayo, DeMar DeRozan, Nick Young, JaVale McGee. There were so many different players that, at that time, were really pretty great in the NBA. So, I think from Day 1, I was hooked, and I was trying to figure out, how can I get involved more.
One thing I did notice: There were no photographers at the Drew league. There was a couple of video guys. … So, I reached out to the Drew League on Twitter. I said, “Hey, here’s some pictures I got last week. I would love to come back again.” And they told me, “Well, we can’t pay you, but we’ll save you a seat in the front row.” To me, that’s all I wanted. I didn’t want anything else. I think that was a big reason why I had a lot more access, because a lot of photography at the time, sports photographers, they were hired by the league or by an outlet. If they’re not getting paid, why are they going to spend eight or nine hours on the weekend taking free photos for something that didn’t even make sense at the time? There was no social media other than Facebook and Twitter. Instagram hadn’t even been a thing. … So, it just kind of came out of nowhere, but it ended up taking my career and starting it off, really.
At my first day ever shooting the @drewleague in 2011 I captured @DeMar_DeRozan vs my most recent pics of him yesterday in 2022. One of my favorite and most amazing players I’ve got to capture over the years! #comp10 (check out my old watermark ) pic.twitter.com/Q39GWvJM2g
When did you come up with your watermark? You were the first person I saw doing that on social media. And then it kind of took off and became a badge of honor for NBA players to post one of your photos on their Instagram feed. How did you come up with it? Obviously, you do great work, but I think that little detail really took it to another level for you.
Yeah, I started doing that in college, actually, when it was just Facebook. I would take pictures and I’d send them to the guys, and I would put it in the bottom corner. Unfortunately, a lot of people didn’t like watermarks. They would just crop it off. To me, I was just, like, “Man, I spent all my hard-earned money on buying the camera, driving there, taking photos, editing photos for free. The least I should get is credit.” So then, I started trying to experiment with maybe putting the watermark in the middle of the photo. Then people were like, “Oh, it’s too much.” And then, “OK, maybe I’ll put it next to your face.”
So over the years, my watermark would evolve. I would experiment a lot. When it first started, it was a straight line. It said photography. It had plumeria flowers. And then every year, I would kind of make it a little more simplistic and not as obnoxious. I never wanted a watermark that was obnoxious because, at the time, watermarks would be all over photos. I wanted it to be very subtle, because when I was studying art in college, when an artist paints something, it’s not worth anything until they sign it. So to me, I felt like this was almost my signature on my photo.
To me, I felt, like, how can I place my watermark in a way where it kind of flows with the photo so you can still know I shot it, but it’s not taking away from the image? I had so much pushback, mainly from other photographers. They would all tell me, “This is ugly. Nobody’s going to want to post your photos because of your watermark.” To me, I just felt like it was my art. But also, I needed to protect myself because on the internet, stuff is very easily moved around and used without permission. I felt like if I had my watermark — and I’m pretty stubborn, so I feel like I’m just going to do it — I don’t care if every photographer thinks it’s ugly. The players weren’t complaining.
And then, it started to become, “Oh, who shot this? Oh, who’s Cassy? Oh, I want a photo by her.” It started turning into this thing, especially in the basketball world, where people now want my watermark. I get paid now to keep my watermark on photos. So, it’s kind of full circle how it’s all turned into my brand. But I feel like at the beginning, I wasn’t really thinking of long term. I was just like, “This is a cool idea, and I’m just going to run with it.”
I’ve always wondered if you wish you had your watermark on the Nick Young meme, which you created. When did that take off? How did that go viral?
In 2013, I realized I had this really cool opportunity having all this access to such cool NBA players. And I noticed at the time, mainstream media was not covering the things that I was covering to the point where I had companies telling me, “Nobody cares about what players are doing off the court. Nobody cares what they’re wearing.” And I was just like, “OK, let me find a way to show it and put it on my own channels.” I had been very familiar with editing video, filming video. I went to school for a lot of that stuff. So, I decided to start a web series, and I called it “Thru The Lens.” I would follow NBA players for a day in their life, and I was going to edit it and post it on YouTube — and whatever happens, happens.
The first player I decided to reach out to was Nick Young. Nick was the best person I could have thought of to start with, because he obviously has a great personality and he just gave me all access. (We) linked up for the day. His assistant was there, and the three of us just hung around L.A. At one point, he took us to his mom’s house. His mom is funnier than him. She’s just got the greatest personality. She was just telling us childhood stories about Nick. Then she mentioned this one story about how he ran into a player at a local park and how Nick was playing good, but how he needed to take the game more serious, that he was a clown back then.
When she said that, it was like the fastest look ever, if you watch the actual video, it was really quick. But then when I started editing it, going back to my motion graphics, visual effects background, I was like, “How can I add little funny graphics throughout the video?” That one moment I was like, “I have to add question marks.”
I think it probably took me a year to edit it and get it right, the whole episode, because it was my first one. Once I got it uploaded, I think within a few months I just remember going on Twitter one time, and then I saw somebody post a meme of that screenshot. I was like, “Wait a second. That’s my Nick Young meme.” And then it just went viral. I feel like the second I saw it was maybe around April 2014. By Christmastime, it was everywhere. Every single person was using it. And then when people found out it was a video clip, it went viral all over again, because now it was fun that this moment that you love actually has a video, as well. That’s why I don’t have (my) watermark, because it has a “Thru The Lens” watermark in the corner of the video. People just cropped it off.
I would have never thought a video of all things would be the most viral thing I’ve shot. … Nick has been interviewed multiple times, and he always gives me credit, too. It was a really cool moment, but I feel like a lot of people for at least two or three years were like, “She created the Nick Young meme.” And I’m like, “I have so much more work I’m doing.” But yeah, that’s my most viral, honestly. I’ve embraced it.
Is there a photo of yours that LeBron (James) posted that had a real impact on your social following or interaction?
I flew to New York for Fashion Week with Victor Oladipo, and I got there really early and I hit up (trainer) Chris Brickley. I had never been to one of his runs out there. I said, “Hey, I’m in New York; can I come to your gym today?” And he was like, “LeBron is going to be here,” and I was like, “Oh, cool.” I had shot LeBron maybe one time the year before, so LeBron was familiar with my work, but I’d never actually met him. When I went to Chris’ gym, there were, like, 10 other photographers. There was a lot of people with their iPhones. LeBron walks in, his bodyguard shuts down everything — no cameras, no cell phones, nothing — and I’m like, “Wait a second.” So, I’m trying to argue back and forth with the bodyguard like, “Hey, I’m not some random photographer.” And he was like, “I don’t care. The answer’s no.” So he goes in the corner and he’s standing in front of LeBron. I’m trying to talk to Chris. Chris is like, “Just leave it alone.” And I’m like, “No, like, I’m not.”
I walked over and I start going back and forth with the bodyguard, like, in a respectful way: “Hey, I didn’t come here with the intent to just shoot LeBron. I came to shoot all these other guys.” There were still, like, 20 other NBA players there. LeBron saw me going back and forth with the bodyguard, and he stands up, walks over, gives me a big hug and says, “Thanks for coming out” and walks away. And I’m in my head, like, “What just happened?” Like, this is wild. But on the outside, I got to remain calm, you know? And then I was like, “We good?” And (the bodyguard is) like, “You’re good.” So, I was the only person allowed to shoot that run.
And then, I got this photo of LeBron dunking, and I posted everything on Instagram, because I still didn’t talk to LeBron. He screenshotted them, reposted them and then gave me photo credit. I wasn’t aware he was wearing a Kith x Versace shorts collaboration; it was Fashion Week and he was out there doing an event with his shoes. So, it just went super viral. I remember Tom Brady was commenting, (as were) all these superstars. And then every media outlet picked it up, and everybody who picked it up, all you see is in the caption, the photo credit, “Cassy Athena photo.” I was already more established in my career, but I feel like getting respect from somebody that is, honestly, one of the greatest players of all time … to me, that felt like a really cool stamp of approval.
Since then, I’ve gotten cooler with him. He moved to L.A. I get to shoot his family a lot. I got to build a cool friendship with the whole family and also get credit. I’m a huge fan of LeBron as a person and a player.
You recently covered the Warriors’ championship ceremony at the White House. How did that come about? What was that experience like?
I was in Washington, D.C., shooting a boxing fight with Gervonta Davis. Then I flew back to L.A., and I got this email, and it said it was from the White House. It said, “The president invites you to come to the Warriors’ ceremony.” I was like, “I was just in D.C.; this has to be some spam email.” I figured somebody knew I was out there and was trying to mess with me. For the invitation, you have to give your Social Security number. I’m like, “This seems like a crazy scam.” So I tried to double-check my facts as much as I could: “It seems legit, you know?” So, I RSVP’d, and I bought a ticket and went back to D.C. a few days later.
It was really cool because the Warriors were playing a game against the Wizards on Monday, which was Martin Luther King Day, and then on Tuesday was the White House. I had no idea what to expect because I wasn’t with the Warriors, I wasn’t with the NBA. I was invited by the White House. There was a girl who had reached out to me from the White House, and she is in charge of working with their brand partnerships and social media. She was the one, I guess, that knew who I was. So me and her connected, and they had to ask for special approval so I could bring my camera in and take pictures.
It was the most surreal, cool experience to be invited to the White House of all places — but not as a photographer for a team, to be invited as a guest by the actual White House. I got to go through a bunch of layers of security, and once I got in, there was a lot of people there that don’t know the Warriors, that maybe had connections to just be at the event. Because of that — and me being really the only person with a camera that could move around, and then being friends with Steph and Draymond (Green) and all the wives and everything — I was able to capture the coolest moments, even though I wasn’t necessarily the photographer for the day. I think I got more access than anybody because I was able to go back to having that trust from everybody and people knowing I was going to take some really cool photos. To me, that was one of the coolest experiences.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to an aspiring photographer coming up in 2023?
It’s tough now because 2023 is a whole different world than when I started. But I would say, the main thing is to have a good attitude and to be consistent and to fall in love with photography. A lot of problems with photographers over the years that have come and gone (are), they get so caught up in trying to shoot the people that have the most followers or who can get them the most attention or who’s the most popular, instead of trying to actually enjoy editing and taking photos and the grind, the process part of it. It’s always exciting when you post a photo and it goes viral and people love it, but (the) process it takes to get to that point of even posting the photo, I think a lot of people don’t realize how much work is involved behind the scenes. I think that’s the biggest part, really falling in love with it and finding what makes you unique.
Don’t try to just copy every other photographer. Find your own style that’s going to make you stand out more. Being a good person, networking and relationships are everything. I mean, I would never make it to this point in my career if it wasn’t for other people that have reached out their hand and helped me, and vice versa, you know? So, relationships are huge.
(Photo of Dwyane Wade and Cassy Athena: Cassy Athena / Getty Images)
New Delhi (India), March 15: Wedding Diaries, a Jaipur-based pre-wedding and wedding photography company, has been providing its services all over India for more than a decade. Founded in 2017, Wedding Diaries by OMP has become one of the most renowned and sought-after names in the Indian wedding photography industry. The company specialises in various types of photography and videography services, including Couple Portraits, Candid Video, Wedding cinematography and photography, pre-and post-wedding shoots, advertising, and events. Their expertise in pre-wedding shoots in Jaipur is something that sets them apart from their competitors.
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(Above mentioned article is a Consumer connect initiative, This article does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever)
The Sony World Photography Awards has unveiled the Open category winners, as well as the shortlist of final images, selected from over 200,000 entries competing for the title of Open Photographer of the Year 2023.
Yet to be revealed are the overall winners in the Student, Youth and Professional competitions, which are expected to be announced next month at the prestigious awards ceremony taking place in London, England, on April 13.
• These are the best Sony cameras – which may help you take award-winning shots of your own!
Recognizing the best single shots from 2022, the Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA) aims to showcase the excellence of global photography without placing any barriers on who can enter, welcoming photographers of all ages, abilities, incomes and skill levels to flaunt their best work for consideration.
Over 415,000 images were submitted across all categories, and from photographers situated all around the world, representing 200 different countries and territories.
The SWPA is essentially the Olympics of photography, and only the very best images and photographers are destined to come out on top, selected by an esteemed panel of industry judges.
The overall winner of the Architecture category was photographer Mark Benham from the UK with The Silos (above), which had been captured at the Port of Brest in France.
Winning the Creative category was German photographer, Boris Eldagsen, with his image The Electricia (below), a black-and-white portrait of two women clearly from very different generations.
An image of a Greek mountain landscape that features a hiker climbing up Mount Tymf won the Landscape category. The untitled image (below, top) captured by Giorgos Rousopoulos also showcases the distant Pindus National Park.
Azim Khan Ronnie was the overall winner of the Lifestyle category with their image, Childhood (below, bottom), that depicts children playing with a dry rice cart, as well as giant cones (topas) at a Bangladeshi rice processing plant.
Zhenhuan Zhou, hailing from mainland China, was named the Motion category winner for their shot, Slam on the Brakes (top of this article), that features a cowgirl in a barrel racing competition that took place in Ontario, Canada.
The Natural World & Wildlife category winner was photographer Dinorah Graue Obscura, from Mexico, with Mighty Pair (below), which features two crested caracara birds that are posing perfectly together, creating a balanced black-and-white portrait that was captured during a trip to South Texas.
Mieke Douglas from the Netherlands won the Object category with their image, Recycled (below, top), depicting flower-like plastic bags and tulle arranged as a bouquet.
The Portraiture category winner was UK photographer, Sukhy Hullait, with Charlie (below, bottom) – a photograph of a young teenage boy who transformed an abandoned car park into a skatepark during the pandemic closure of social spaces.
Andreas Mikonauschke from Germany won the top prize in the Street Photography category for Exhausted, a black-and-white portrait of individuals carrying religious statues and relics through the streets of Andalusia, during the traditional ‘Semana Santa’.
Lastly, a black-and-white image titled Ghosts (bottom) won the Travel category and was captured by UK photographer, Max Vere-Hodge. It depicts the Mundari tribe of South Sudan, among the nightly fires lit to deter tsetse flies and mosquitoes from Ankole-Watusi cows.
Each of the category winners will receive photo equipment courtesy of Sony, as well as the opportunity to compete for the prestigious Open Photographer of the Year title and a generous $5,000 (approximately £4,150 / AU$7,570) prize.
The overall winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 will be announced on April 13 and will go on display as part of the exhibition at Somerset House, London, running from April 14 until May 01 2023.
You may also be interested in the best lenses for portraits, as well as the best cameras for landscape photography, and not forgetting the best action cameras for freezing time and documenting a precious moment.
If you’ve got a photographer’s eye, today’s smartphones certainly won’t hold you back from taking incredible photos. The winners of the 12th annual Mobile Photography Awards prove that the best camera truly is the one you’ve got with you.
Dinosaurs among us may remember when mobile phones started getting cameras around the turn of the millennium. It looked like such hubris stuffing these not-even-a-megapixel digital cameras into phones with screen resolutions even smaller. Nokia’s first crack at a cameraphone in 2001, for example, was the 7650, which would take you a terrible 640 x 480 picture, and then show it to you on a 176 x 208-pixel screen.
Clearly, things have moved along just a tad. With today’s smartphones, everyone’s got a monster of a digital camera in their pocket at all times. The result has been an utter decimation in camera sales, which peaked around 2010 and have since plunged a staggering 93%. The overwhelming majority of photos are now taken on mobile devices, so it’s just as well that the hardware is now so damn good.
Old Mate – first place, Portraits / Self Portraits
Glenn Homann
“Mobile photography has come a long way, and it is exciting to see the quality of the images that can be created with just a smartphone,” says Daniel Berman, Founder of the Mobile Photography Awards. “The Mobile Photography Awards are a testament to the power of this medium, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.”
Across 12 categories, including an “Artificial Intelligence” category as well as more traditional areas like Landscapes, Travel, Architecture, Street Photography and more creative designations like Silhouettes and The Darkness / Noir, judges attempted to highlight the unique “accessibility, immediacy and portability” of mobile devices in their selections from a record number of international entries.
The overall winner for 2023 is Glenn Homann of Australia, who mainly shoots on iPhone and submitted a broad portfolio of works highlighting his talents in several different areas.
“Oh wow,” stated Homann, “I’m blown away. This recognition means a lot to me, and I hope it will inspire others to explore the endless possibilities of mobile photography.”
Miners of Ijan Volcano – first place, travel/transportation
Chen Lin
Jump into the gallery to see all this year’s winners, plus Homann’s entire portfolio of submitted works.
The paradoxical work of acclaimed fashion photographer Rodney Smith will appear in a brand new book by Getty Publications. Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith is a collection of more than 200 photos, many of which have never been seen before from Smith’s hugely successful 45-year career.
Born and raised in New York, Smith started his career as a photo essayist but he found success as a fashion photographer. Carving a niche that blurred the lines between fashion and fine art, Smith’s approach to photography was fun, free-spirited, funny and grounded in feeling. As a regular contributor to The New York Times and Vanity Fair, Smith was no stranger to seeing his work in glossy magazines and by brands such as Ralph Lauren and Paul Stewart.
• Check out the best film cameras (opens in new tab), classic SLRs that are still popular today
Plate 110 – Reed Leaping Over Rooftop (Image credit: Rodney Smith • Getty Publications)
Plate 132 – Saori on Sea Plane Wing (Image credit: Rodney Smith / Getty Publications)
Smith shot entirely on film using a Leica M4, a Leica M6 (opens in new tab) and a medium format Hasselblad with an 80mm lens. Almost all his portraits were lit with natural light, preferring to work with his surroundings, although Smith did occasionally enlist the help of constant light.
Getty Museum Curator, Paul Martineau describes Smith’s work as, “like Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, his photographs lead us down the rabbit hole to a fantastical place that is just beyond our reach but one intended to inspire us to be better versions of ourselves.”
Figure 1 – Twins in Tree (Image credit: Rodney Smith • Getty Publications)
Plate 63 – Skyline, Hudson River, New York, 1995 (Image credit: Rodney Smith • Getty Publications)
Plate 41 – Self-Portrait with Leslie (Image credit: Rodney Smith • Getty Publications)
Smith’s photographs are accompanied by a weaving, historical essay written by Martineau covering Smith’s introduction to photography and how his career evolved. Rebecca A Senf, the chief curator at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, Tucson has also provided a technical assessment of his work, exploring his exact processes and how he used photography as a way of connecting to people.
Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith is a celebration of the late photographer’s life and career, and will be available to buy from May 16 for $65 / £55 (Australian pricing to be confirmed). The 248-page, hardcover book includes 224 images and direct insight into this prominent photographer’s life.
Pre-order at Amazon US (opens in new tab) Pre-order at Amazon UK (opens in new tab)
Front cover Rodney Smith: A Leap of Faith(Image credit: Rodney Smith / Getty Publications)
If you want to shoot like Rodney Smith, check out the best Leica cameras (opens in new tab) and the best Hasselblad cameras (opens in new tab). Our guide to the best books on photography (opens in new tab) will also point you towards other great volumes on great photographers.
Here are the 30 incredible photographs of photographer Mou Aysha who beautifully captured the people of Bangladesh. Mou Aysha is a documentary photographer from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has completed her graduation in Masters in Applied English Linguistics at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh. Also, she has completed photography course in First Light Institute of Photography and she is a volunteer for social and humanitarian projects of First Light Institute.
In her words “I am dedicated to capturing life’s best moments as I see and feel them. I’ve always loved people, and I’ve always wanted to get to know them up close. The people, their culture, and their experiences have always fascinated me since my childhood. I have found that photography gives me the opportunity to learn about people and their journeys.”
Scroll down and inspire yourself. Check Mou Aysha’s Instagram for more beautiful photographs.
Sixty years ago this summer, more than 200,000 people marched in Washington, D.C. for the right of African Americans to participate fully and equally in American life. This mass movement spurred Roland L. Freeman to pick up a camera.
“I wanted to say something about the times in which I was living, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since,” said Freeman said in an interview with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Roland L. Freeman
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Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library
Bikers Take a Break. Sunday Afternoon in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland, September 1973
In the decades since, his work has spoken volumes. The prolific documentarian traced the lives of Black Americans in urban and rural environments, with a focus on folk traditions throughout the South. Now the photographs that make up much of Freeman’s life work have found a new home at the UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library’s Southern Folklife Collection.
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Reynoldstown Quilters in Atlanta. Left to Right: Pearl Walker, Annie S. Heard, Annie L. Parks, Mamie L. Hughle, and Stephanie S. Hughley. Fulton County, Georgia, November 1992
Roland L. Freeman / Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library
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Cigar Box Fiddler Scott Dunbar, Mississippi, 1975.
Roland L. Freeman / Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library
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Wednesday Night Quilting Sisters of Detroit. Wayne County, Michigan, October 1986.
Roland L. Freeman / Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library
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Florence Barnes. Wilkinson County, Mississippi, October 1992.
Roland L. Freeman / Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library
“The Southern Folklife Collection is deeply honored and excited to preserve and provide access to Roland Freeman’s photographic archive,” said Steve Weiss, curator of the Southern Folklife Collection, in a press release.
Later this year, visitors to the library will be able to take in the nearly 24,000 slides, 10,000 photographic prints, 400,000 negatives, and 9,000 contact sheets, along with published and unpublished writings that make up the archive.
Roland L. Freeman
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Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library
Community Elders, Mississippi, July 1975.
Roland L. Freeman
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Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library
Hettie Barnes and her Granddaughter, Wilkinson County, Mississippi, August 1976.
But it’s the way he engaged with people behind the lens that stands out to Glenn Hinson, a longtime collaborator of Freeman and an associate professor in UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of Anthropology.
“The brilliance of Roland is that, as a photographer, he is absolutely committed to working collaboratively with those whose photographs he’s taking. He would get to know the person and then work to capture representations that are both deep and deeply honest,” said Hinson in the release.
The Kohler Foundation, an arts non-profit, organized and donated the materials to the university and provided a $20,000 grant to help preserve the work.
A selection of the photos will be on display at a free public event at the Wilson Special Collections Library on Thursday, April 27, from 6 to 8 p.m.
This story features a subset of the images from the Roland L. Freeman collection with original captions, courtesy of the Southern Folklife Collection.
Roland L. Freeman
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Courtesy UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library
Using the ‘ETTR’ technique doesn’t cost you a thing and is a great way to improve the image quality of your photographs. Chris Niccolls explains what it is, and when you should use it.
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