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An intimate portrait of my grandmother

Recently, we had the chance to join the photography postgraduate show at the London College of Communication (LCC). On the hunt to award three creatives with our RAW Talent Award, we were blown away by An Liu, whose project was inspired by her grandma’s life experiences at 87 years old.

We got the chance to talk more with An – like how she approached capturing intimate moments of her elderly family members, developing her dreamy storytelling style, to how LCC helped her grow as a photographer and combine empathy with artistry.

How did you first get into photography?

Because I majored in computer science during my undergraduate studies, I didn’t have formal and systematic training in photography before coming to LCC. Aside from using a camera to document life during my teenage years, my first proper encounter with photography was during a university student union event. I needed to capture a series of photos showcasing the daily work life of an award-winning teacher. Since then, I have fallen in love with the storytelling aspect of photography.

What type of photography do you like to shoot the most?

Before coming to LCC to study photography, I worked as a commercial photographer for four years. However, after my studies at LCC, my interests expanded beyond commercial photography to documentary and fine art photography.

Congratulations on your project. How did you come up with the idea for it?

My project originated from real stories involving my 87-year-old grandmother, who collected toy gun bullets left by neighborhood children due to loneliness, isolation, boredom, and having nothing to occupy her life. This incident served as the catalyst for the project, driven by my deep understanding and empathy for the situations my elderly relatives faced.

What did you enjoy the most when working on the project?

I thoroughly enjoyed the extended period spent with my elderly relatives during the shooting process. Spending a month with my grandparent’s great-aunt and delving into their lives increased my understanding and revealed the charming aspects of their personalities that went unnoticed.

You captured elderly relatives and their daily challenges in an almost dreamlike way. How did you develop this approach?

I unconsciously achieved this effect. Living closely with elderly relatives made me realize that their lives, compared to younger people, are inherently closer to a dream. Their lives blur time and memories, lacking young people’s precise boundaries and plans. My initial vision for the project was to create a dreamlike world for my elderly relatives – dressing them up and engaging in childhood games aimed to construct a vibrant, candy-colored dreamscape in contrast to their real lives.

The photos in your project feel very intimate and authentic. How did you work with your subjects?

This intimacy stems from my genuine and close relationship with my elderly relatives. Before deciding to shoot this project, I would routinely do handicrafts with my grandmother or go to the market to buy groceries. These long-term, genuine relationships maybe unconsciously manifested in the final work. I didn’t inform them of any specific plans or actions related to the shoot. Still, I suggested activities like playing games or dressing up. By being on the same wavelength as my subjects, I earned their trust, allowing them to relax and present their authentic selves.

How would you describe your photographic voice?

Viewers often mention sensing warmth and softness in my work, even when exploring heavy topics. This quality comes from my perceptiveness and empathy. My approach makes me reluctant to explore subjects in a very conflicting or confrontational manner. Instead, I prefer to express and heal through a more soothing approach. This subconscious protection of the subjects I photograph contributes to my work’s unique warmth and softness.

Can you describe a unique moment that shaped your style or approach?

I attribute much of my perspective to my tutor, Kalpesh Lathigra. He emphasized the importance of not just thinking about securing jobs in magazines or with brands but understanding what is in people’s minds and establishing one’s authority. This insight prompted me to explore beyond commercial photography.

How did the education at LCC impact and help your journey as a photographer?

LCC provided more assistance than I initially expected. Beyond thorough academic lectures and practical workshops, I appreciated the industry visits that broadened our perspectives. The dedicated and enthusiastic tutors in the program provided valuable feedback on my projects. They offered clear guidance for my photography career. Their vitality and passion for photography and education infected and inspired me, giving me the confidence to pursue photography.

What role does our software play in your workflow?

I first encountered Capture One in 2019 during an indoor shoot, and it has become an indispensable tool for me since then. It efficiently provides feedback and rich details during shoots, facilitating the organized post-production of images. The recent introduction of a mobile version for iPad suggests that Capture One will continue to be a crucial part of my workflow in outdoor shoots.

What are some of the photographers you look up to?

I admire Larry Sultan for his well-balanced approach between staged and documentary photography, creating a magical experience that lingers in the viewer’s mind. Additionally, with its combination of empathy towards subjects and a sense of grand solitude, Chris Killip’s work resonates deeply with me.

Now that you’ve just graduated, what are your plans for the near future?

I aim to maintain a balance between commercial and personal work. Commercial projects will allow me to pursue personal endeavors like my final major project. I also intend to share my projects with a broader audience through competitions and open calls for exhibitions.

What do you wish someone had told you when you decided on your career?

I wish someone had shared the most challenging aspects of persevering in this profession. Overcoming these challenges would have provided me with the endurance needed for a long-lasting career in photography.

See more of An Liu’s work on her Instagram.

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The paradox project: spirituality meets technology

We attended the postgraduate photography show at LCC to present our RAW Talent Award to three creatives. Goda Kraštinaitytė stood out with her surreal and tech-driven imagery. Journeying from advertising and tech to photography, she showcased a project challenging the connection between spirituality and technology — a paradoxical relationship, according to herself.

We spoke with Goda about her willingness to keep experimenting and drawing inspiration from surrealist sources like Twin Peaks. She also underlines the importance of persevering – never letting go, even if unsatisfied. Consistency, practice, and hard work are the key to breaking through.

How did you first get into photography?

I got my first point-and-shoot camera when I was 13. Since then, I have experienced all my vacations looking through the camera viewfinder because I just couldn’t put my camera down. After I got my first job at an advertising agency as a Content Creator, photography never left my life professionally.

What type of photography do you like to shoot the most?  

I like working with objects and creating sets in the studio. Bending reality to create something born in my imagination is very satisfying. Doing that in a studio with music playing in the background is always a meditative experience.

Congratulations on your project. How did you come up with the idea for it?  

Thank you. I wanted to do something about the current mental health crisis in society. I was also greatly inspired by the show Twin Peaks. This all resulted in a surrealist project that questions our reality and distance from spiritual practices.

What did you enjoy the most when working on the project?  

Having the freedom to work without the boundaries of a marketing campaign, tight deadlines, and experimenting with different techniques was great fun. The most challenging part was finding the right visual language for the project.

What motivated your surrealist and digital approach?

While working for a tech company, I was immersed in the world of analysis, optimization, data-driven decisions, and AI-powered tools. I saw many people in the industry also use the same approach in their personal lives. Whether we work in tech or not, we increasingly approach our lives as a technology project. Optimizing our sleep, counting steps, calculating protein intake, tracking insulin levels, and measuring our temperature to record hormone levels are just a few examples. It’s quite paradoxical that I’m using a highly digital process to draw attention to spirituality with my work, but that is actually my point – we can use technological and scientific advances to our advantage but still prioritize and cultivate what’s most important to our human nature – spiritual practices, traditions, values, connection to other humans and self.

How do you see the importance of scientific data vs. creativity in photography?

It all goes hand in hand. It’s important to be well researched on a topic you’re working with. Scientific data is essential in all areas of our lives, photography included, but there are other equally key elements beyond data that art helps bring attention to. It’s a relationship between the two.

How would you describe your photographic voice?

It’s a long process, and I’m still on the journey of exploring it. Currently, my style is trying to convey the feeling of uncanny, out of this world. It’s dreamlike, but in my photography world, this is a good dream that you want to keep dreaming. That’s why I use vibrant, happy colors and lots of light in my images.

Can you tell us about a unique moment that shaped your style or approach?

I wish there had been a light bulb moment and an exciting story to tell but to be honest, it’s just experimentation and hard work that led me to where I am now. You try and fail many times – only my MacBook memory storage can tell how many unpublished images I have on it – and sometimes you succeed in creating something you and others like.

How did the education at LCC impact and help your journey as a photographer?

Studying at LCC among great talent and tutors well-known in photography has been a privilege. Having someone of a high caliber direct you in the right direction, being exposed to great artists regularly, and studying in London – a city full of galleries and events – was a life-changing experience for me. It really shaped my style and future career path.

What role does our software play in your workflow?

Capture One is the industry standard, so I have used it for personal and commercial projects for some years. My work is all about the details, so tethering while I shoot is extremely important. I spend much time on each still-life image, perfecting my composition detail by detail until I get the desired result. Seeing each change live on screen and organizing many pictures as I go is crucial.

What are some of the photographers you look up to?

I look up to photographers like Aaron Tilley, Jack Davidson, Bobby Doherty, and Aleksandra Kingo. I have some non-photographer idols, such as Sarah Illenberger and David Lynch.

You’ve just graduated. What are your plans for the near future?

Keep taking pictures! And hopefully, get paid for it. I have lots of new ideas for future projects and am still working on expanding my portfolio.

What do you wish someone told you when you decided on your career?

Read more, go into art galleries more, and explore other photographers’ work because this will shape your style and inspire your projects. Keep going even if you aren’t pleased with your work because everyone has to start somewhere, and only consistency and practice will improve your work.

See more of Goda’s work on her website.

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Storytelling and craft: Ejatu Shaw on her vision and our new features

In 2013, London-based photographer and multidisciplinary artist Ejatu Shaw found her passion for photography during a family trip to her native country, Sierra Leone. She was fascinated by the people she met and the environment she experienced, which inspired her to turn her memories into visual reflections. Over the years, Ejatu has experimented with self-portraiture. As her passion grew, she delved into more deeply-rooted projects, such as “Poly-” and “Teranga,” which allowed her to explore her heritage through her work.

We were thrilled to join Ejatu at her recent photoshoot at Spring Studios in London, where she shared her journey with us and explained how our latest features have affected her workflow. During the shoot and creative process, she was one of the early testers of our new features, including ReTether, AI Masking, Snap to Eye, and plenty more.

“Poly-“, Ejatu Shaw.

Can you tell us about your journey as a photographer and content creator and how you started in this field?

I think my knack for photography kicked in during a trip to my native country of Sierra Leone in 2013, where I spent the entire time taking photographs on my phone—of the beautiful scenery and people we visited from various households. I’d spend the long journeys in the car between each family visit editing the photos on editing apps on my phone. I absolutely loved the process. One of the main reasons I have used photography as my primary medium for expression is the brilliant interactions it allowed me to have with people I knew and strangers.

Your work explores themes of identity and personal experiences. Please share a bit about your path and how it has influenced your work.

I’ve always been very drawn to African cinema and photography, studying how themes are explored in a sensitive but provocative manner that can generate some practical conversations. For example, in my 2017 project “Poly-”, I explored my Fulani/Islamic heritage, using subjects from my family and a friend to step in for me (before I started taking self-portraits). I used elements of Islamic symbolism and rich colors and textures to delve deep into the realms of my Islamic identity and African heritage, showing a fusion of the two and a departure from both.

What is your favorite subject or genre of photography to shoot, and why?  

I’m pretty drawn to self-portraiture, as the process can uniquely bring forth your internal, private image. While I use self-portraiture to explore identity and documentation, it can also be seen as a performance, an opportunity to reinvent oneself and explore a new character, bringing to light what may usually be hidden.

“Teranga”, Ejatu Shaw.

Tell us about a project you’ve worked on that has profoundly impacted you?

I truly enjoy going back home and exploring culture and community under new circumstances. For example, my project “Teranga,” translated from Wolof, which means ‘hospitality,’ documents the sense of welcome I felt when I first visited Senegal, which has a high population of Fulani people. I was able to reconnect with my culture and heritage on this trip thanks to the incredible people I met and my experiences in the country. I wanted to document the individuals that showed me this hospitality and capture the essence of my visit.

At your recent shoot in London, you got to try out our new features. Could you share your experience with us?

What really stuck out to me was the flexibility the new features offered me. The ReTether feature, for example, was so helpful to remove my tether cable and keep shooting freely without affecting my workflow. This meant I was not limited with my angles and left me with so much room for creativity and trying out new things in an environment that is typically high pressured – and then I could plug back in and have all the files load up with the correct naming and all my adjustments applied automatically.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at Ejatu Shaw in action, testing our upcoming features at Spring Studios.
Photographer: Ejatu Shaw, BTS Photographer: Thomas Martin, BTS Video: Nina Veech, Makeup: Billie Mckenzie, Stylist: Efe Igbinadolor, Digi: Holly Louise Taylor, Model: Temi (Named Models), Spark: Brian Salcedo, Gaffer: Nathan Ford.

Collaborating with clients and sharing your work is crucial to any shoot. Have the Live updates impacted your client interactions and feedback process?

The Live update has been so helpful in alleviating pressure on shoots. Giving all collaborators (both on set and remote) access to the live imagery from their own devices gives me much more space to focus on the model and communicate. While still maintaining communication with my team and receiving immediate feedback in an organized way.

Snap to Eye is designed to speed up reviewing images for sharpness. How has this feature influenced your post-shoot image selection and editing process?

My post-production workflow is so much faster now that I can quickly check each image’s sharpness. I can now dedicate more of this time to the grading and editing process. It’s also very helpful while working on set as my assistant no longer needs to manually click on the eye of each image, which means they have more flexibility to help with other aspects of the shoot.

In photography, precise and complex masking is crucial but time-consuming. How was working with our new AI Masking?

I absolutely love the AI Masking. It’s very responsive and gives you much more control when adjusting a specific image component. So far, I’ve used it to brighten my subject, bring back details in the sky when shooting outdoors, and change the color of backgrounds or clothing items.

Can you share any upcoming projects you’re excited about and where these new features might play a role?

Thanks to the new features, I have a few editorial and commercial projects coming up where this very flexible workflow will be beneficial. From my smaller shoots and personal projects to the busier commercial shoots where my team may be bigger, I’m confident that all my shoot days will run smoothly.

Discover what our new features have to offer. Curious to see more? Explore now.

See more of Ejatu’s work on her Instagram and website.

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RAW Talent with Vincent Alban

With a blend of curiosity and family legacy, Vincent has been navigating the world of photography for most of his life. Hailing from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), this recent photojournalism graduate has been joined by his camera since early childhood. Since exploring the countless possibilities photography and storytelling can bring, Vincent has been all about capturing the deep essence of the people he photographs.

His moving project “Absence and Presence” highlights the relationship between gun violence, segregation, and poverty. He dives into the human connections that shape these communities. In this interview, we talk about the emotional landscape of his work, the importance of empathy in his approach, the process of finding his artistic voice, and the future.

Devon Reynolds feeds his son, Elijah, while watching the movie “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” with sons, Devon Jr. and Karter at Greece Ridge Mall in Greece, N.Y. on April 26, 2022.

When did your photo journey start?

I traveled a lot when I was younger and always had a camera with me. My grandparents on my father’s side ran a small-town newspaper for over 50 years, inspiring my love for journalism. I was also a part of my student newspaper in high school, which progressed to studying photojournalism in college. The combination of these engrained my love for photojournalism.

Jasmin and her daughter, Za’Ryah Hernandez-Ruffin, 11, visit the gravesite of Za’Ryah’s father at Riverside Cemetery in Rochester, N.Y., on Oct. 23, 2022. Deavoghn Hernandez-Ruffin was shot and killed on June 18, 2012, when Za’Ryah was only eight months old. The pair visited Deavoghn’s grave to mark Za’Ryah’s 11th birthday.

Why did you decide to go for photojournalism?

I remember joining my high school newspaper to improve my photography. At that point, I spent my Saturdays making street portraits in New York City. Soon, I discovered Sebastião Salgado and Lynsey Addario. I was amazed by how photojournalism could combine the art of photography and the facts of journalism to tell a deep story.

How did RIT support your vision and help you grow as a photographer?

RIT gave me the opportunity to be surrounded by inspiring peers and supportive professors whom I hold close to my heart. Most importantly though, it allowed me to immerse myself in the City of Rochester which I have grown to love. The university set an incredible foundation for me to photograph in Rochester that I hope to continue throughout my career.

Friends of Trent Davis hang out at his shrine on Mohawk St. in Rochester, N.Y., on Feb. 12, 2022. Trent was shot on the street in 2017 and succumbed to his injuries in 2020. New research from the Cornell ILR Buffalo Co-Lab finds a correlation between eviction filings and crime rates, saying the two “are related in ways that cannot be explained by chance alone; but surface-level patterns in these variables are products of deeper structural variables, such as poverty and inequality.

Congrats on your ‘Absence and Presence’ project. The storytelling is delicate and sensitive. How did you come up with the idea for it?

Thank you. I saw a news story about how the city of Rochester, where I was attending college, was on track to surpass the per capita murder rate of Chicago. It made me think about the cities ‘defined’ by violence which I saw as an overreported stereotype. At the start of that following semester, I was given a class assignment entitled ‘Make it Local.’ We had to find a national news trend and make it a local story. At the time, gun violence was rising everywhere. I wanted to tell this story more layered than through numbers and rates that create stereotypes about specific neighborhoods and demographics.

How did you showcase this layered story and organize your documentation?

I worked with many people in Rochester, but two people, Devon and Jasmin, are the main characters of ‘Absence and Presence.’ I focused on them because their stories were solid visual representations of the issues I was focusing on. Education, food insecurity, poverty, and segregation are intertwined with gun violence as root causes but are not always reported in that way. The common thread connecting them is their desire to create a better life for their children.

Titiana Bogar, the mother of Ly’Saun Curry, cries out after a balloon release honoring Ly’Saun on the second anniversary of his death in Rochester, N.Y. on Oct. 2, 2022. Ly’Saun, who was 18, was killed while walking home from work on Oct. 2, 2020. Orange was his favorite color, and his friends and family use it to honor him in their everyday life. Bogar has become a mentor to Ly’Saun’s friends, as they all deal with his passing. Jonathan Spinks, the man who shot and killed Ly’Saun was sentenced to 90 years to life in prison on Dec. 22, 2022.

How did you first come to understand the correlation between segregation, poverty, and gun violence?

Rochester is a city that shares many of the same issues as other American cities despite being relatively small. It did not take long to notice how neighborhoods experiencing high shootings were also experiencing high levels of food insecurity, amongst other issues. I worked closely with researchers at The Center for Public Safety Initiatives, a research center at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where I went to school, to find studies of these correlations to include in my project.

Zhyon Stewart poses for a portrait with his 1-year-old son, Zhyon Jr., at their home in Rochester, N.Y. on Nov. 13, 2021. Zhyon was shot in the chest on June 23, 2021, after he was caught in the crossfire of a shooting. “It was stressful, honestly, because it’s like, ‘Why did I get shot? Why me? Why do I have to deal with this pain?’” says Zhyon. “I couldn’t even hold my son for two months.

Can you share your experience of documenting people exposed to traumatic events?

To make people more comfortable, I did not change my style of photography much. But I made sure to tell and remind them that I wanted it to be a collaboration. I did not want to take my photos and leave. I often spent time with them, not photographing, hanging out, talking about our life experiences, their hobbies, or anything. This approach helped me to understand how they see themselves and their community. It helped me represent them and their community more accurately in my photographs. Being able to photograph someone in their home for many months is a privilege, and I wanted to make sure they felt perceived in the right way.

Jamma, 8, the son of Jamen Balkum, who was killed in a shooting on Aug. 30, 2021, tries on one of the many pairs of shoes that once belonged to his father, at his aunt’s home in Rochester, N.Y., on Oct. 3, 2021.

Did your captures of the raw and intimate family moments happen naturally?

It happened naturally, but, of course, it was not right away. It took a lot of time with the families beyond just getting the ‘safe; photos and calling it a day. That is when the collaboration I mentioned earlier comes into play. Having empathy for their situation is vital to capture true and raw emotion. In the beginning, it’s important to discuss with whoever you photograph that you will be there to document both the good and bad moments. That is critical to telling a well-rounded story.

Jamma dances while surrounded by friends and family at the 30th birthday celebration for his late father in Rochester, N.Y., on Jan. 14, 2023. During the two years since Balkum’s passing, his mother, Michele Balkum, has hosted birthday parties to celebrate the legacy of her late son.

What information shocked you the most, and what was the most challenging part of working on “Absence and Presence”?

The information that surprised me the most was how much youth-involved shootings have risen and continue to rise. According to data from the Pew Research Center, gun deaths among U.S. children rose 50% from 2019 to 2021. 

The most challenging moments were not in the peak moments of emotion, like a funeral or a shooting scene, but rather when I was not working. I felt I was not doing justice to the stories I was working on. That pushed me to continue telling these stories long beyond the initial moments of grieving to go deeper beneath the story’s surface.

Have you found your photographic voice?

This project has helped me develop my voice greatly, but my voice is constantly evolving. It is a process. We are always learning no matter how long we have been photographing, and I want to continue down that track. If I were done learning, I would be quite bored.

Follow along with Vincent as he edits his photos to bring out the details of the scenes.

You’ve just graduated. What are your plans for the near future?

Now, I am interning at Boston Globe for the summer. Following that, I will be working for National Geographic. By the end of the year, I plan to move to Chicago to begin my freelance career. I want to be centrally located for 2024 election coverage, and there are a few stories I would like to pursue there. 

What do you wish someone told you when you decided on your career?

I wish someone would tell me about the importance of pacing oneself throughout one’s work. I have found the idea of this career being a marathon, not a sprint, very fitting.

See more of Vincent’s work on his Instagram and website.