Author: Capture One

A question, a gust, and a boat: New talent enters the scene

No flash, no studio. Here’s how three Capture One RAW Talent winners made their work and shared something true to themselves.   Three winning projects. One is a set of portraits built around a single uncomfortable question. One is about the draft of air that moves through a subway passage. One is about people who live on boats.   On paper they share nothing. In practice, none of the three used a flash. All three found their subject somewhere they had already walked past a hundred times. And two of them came out of the London Underground.   We asked each of them how the work happened.   Jenny Liao: Probe Jenny Liao was an oral surgeon before leaving the profession to study photography at the University of the Arts London. Now based in China, she built Probe around a question she had wanted to ask other people for years, having once struggled to answer it herself.   “Is there a trait that has often been discouraged or undervalued throughout your life, but that you still choose to keep?”   Every …

Self Portraiture: the Lens of the Heart

I’ve always had a strong sense of direction. That was the problem. What if after 7 long days trudging through the deep woods, you discovered the compass that had been guiding your every step was actually broken? You’d realize you were lost. It wasn’t until 7 years into my creative career that I discovered I was utterly and completely lost. I was operating with a broken compass. I had a strong sense of direction, it was just the wrong direction. If you are headed in the wrong direction, the sooner you stop and turn back, is actually when you begin to make real progress. It wasn’t until I picked up a camera and started taking self portraits did I begin to find the way. The most important lesson I’ve learned is this: what matters more than anything a photographer has in their kit is the heart from which they create. I was working in the movie industry pursuing the American Dream: appearing really busy and successful on Instagram and trying to be the envy of …

Why observation is a photographer’s greatest material

Tom Barreto is a Brazilian photographer and director whose work balances technical precision with emotional sensitivity. Born in Taubaté and now based in São Paulo, he has built a career spanning fashion, beauty, advertising, and personal projects, creating images defined by choreographed light, atmosphere, and a deep sense of humanity.  His portfolio includes campaigns for Dior Beauty, Fendi, Arezzo, and Bvlgari, alongside collaborations with artists such as IZA, Fernanda Torres, and Marina Ruy Barbosa. His work has appeared in global publications including Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, and Numéro Netherlands.   Tom’s practice goes beyond creating imagery. At its core is a philosophy rooted in observation: of people, of everyday life, and of the quiet tensions that exist beneath the surface. It’s this mindset that shapes how he approaches storytelling, navigates uncertainty, and maintains a consistent visual language across analog and digital workflows.  In our chat below, Tom reflects on why observation is a photographer’s most valuable material, how he trains his eye away from the camera, and what keeps him grounded when the industry feels unstable. He also shares insights into his creative process, the role of controlled chaos in his work, and how …

How Sarah Silver stays creative by being organized

Fashion and beauty photographer Sarah Silver might be best known for her bold, playful, and colorful visuals, but behind every image lies a bulletproof workflow and process that make it all possible. For Sarah, creativity doesn’t come from chaos. It’s built on structure.   In this quick Q&A, she shares how preparation fuels her imagination, the systems that keep her shoots running smoothly, and the tools she relies on from concept to final export.  What’s essential when prepping for a shoot?  There’s so much information coming at me from all sides while prepping a shoot, so filing everything properly for easy retrieval is a MUST. I have pre-made digital folders, shoot sessions, job checklists/tasks, and naming conventions that keep me on track and consistent for EVERY project I undertake. I find that if all the pieces are in the right place, it opens my mind to maximum creativity. Do you have any post-production advice for us?  Post means so much more to me than just retouching. It also includes proper file storage. When backing up files after a shoot, I use on-site RAIDS …