Things to Read - Amazing Photography Blogs IV - Jonathan Levitt & Annette Pehrsson

A few months have passed since I last posted on Amazing Photography Bloggers (click here to see past posts), so today I thought I'd share some images from bloggers that I'm a little obsessed with lately. On his blog, Grassdoe, Jonathan Levitt posts incredible photos (presumably from his life in Maine), beautiful shots of the surrounding countryside and everyday items, every one of which makes you catch your breath for a second. They really have an almost majestic beauty to them - the colors, the light, the composition . . . just pure magic.


(Images above courtesy of http://Grassdoe.blogspot.com)

In the last few years, Annette Pehrsson has become an internet superhero, I continually run across her images on a variety of different blogs and publications. She definitely deserves all the hype - her photographs, many of which are self-portraits, have a dreamy surreal quality that isn't quite like anything else I've seen. Whenever people say "I just can't think of anything to take pictures of" I think of Pehrsson who can takes amazing photos in an almost empty room.


(Images above courtesy of http://blog.annettepehrsson.se/)

Things to Read Thursday - Amazing Photography Blogs III - The Blue Hour & Wishful Thinking

For the last two Thursdays, I've hosted a series on Amazing Photography Blogs. Today's post marks the final installment (though tune in next week for more exciting things to read in book format). Today's bloggers take ordinary things and make them into extraordinary photographs, in a way that often leaves you thinking "wow, I never saw it like that." Enough said, truly great photos below.



On her blog, Wishful Thinking, Michel Feist takes lovely photos of everyday-type things that are "amazingly" (i need to expand my vocabulary, as I'm sick of saying amazing) well-composed. Her images vary, but often she uses a shallow depth of field with tons of sparkling bokeh in the background. She posts one photo a day, every day, and for some reason, her images always make me smile, there is something positive about them that's hard to explain.



Brian Ferry's The Blue Hour is a lovely blog that documents his life, mostly through the objects around him. A lot of his shots are of ceilings and food, every day stuff; his composition is ALWAYS spot on and the lighting is perfect. I find it incredibly difficult to take photos of everyday scenes and create a "mood", I'm not sure how he accomplishes this over and over again, but I'm glad he does, his photos never fail to impress. Plus, he makes great mixes on 8track.com.

So this concludes the amazing photography bloggers series - everyone i wrote about is listed on my blogroll, so make sure to check it out periodically. I'll be back tomorrow with a new post. Plus, Things to Read will return next Thursday with new, interesting finds (probably of the book sort).

Things to Read Thursday - Amazing Photography Bloggers II - Linda Crayton & Max Wagner

My husband and I were married about five and a half years ago and we didn't have a wedding photographer. At the time, when I thought of wedding photography I pictured very posed, Owen Mills-type portraits, which can be beautiful, but not really my style. I wanted more of a photojournalist, capture-the-moment type vibe, so we put disposal cameras on every table and, honestly, I was pretty happy with how many of the photos came out. The downsides being that all the photos are less than one megapixel (i.e. no photos larger than 4x6) and none of them came out "just right" (if that makes sense). Well, as you probably know, in the last five years the world of photojournalist/creative/artistic wedding and portrait photography has exploded and there are several great photographers who specialize in never posing people in obvious ways. I admire many of them (and spend A LOT of time following their websites and blogs). But the BEST OF THE BEST, by far, are Linda Crayton and Max Wagner. So that's my introduction, let's get to the photos.



Linda Crayton is a local (DC area) photographer who simply amazes me. All of her photos have a very natural look, yet she always manages to get the perfect shot from the perfect angle with the perfect aperture. None of her shoots ever looks routine or cookie cutter, so when viewing her pictures you always feel as if you have a real sense of the family or couple. I regularly check her blog (which she updates frequently) for inspiration. I highly recommend it. And if you live in the area, I think a photoshoot with her would be beyond wonderful.



Max Wanger's photos are beyond creative, he has truly made wedding and portrait photography into an art form. I have no idea how someone can be that inventive day after day. Plus, I love the way he uses dream-like colors in his work. He updates his blog frequently, plus he sells beautiful screen printed t-shirts based on his photographs in addition to prints and postcards of his work.

Things to Read Thursday - Amazing Photography Blogs (Part I) - Mary Robinson & Sabino

I'm out of children's books suggestions for awhile. Okay, so that's a lie, I could recommend children's books every day for the rest of the year, as they seem to dominate my life lately. Truthfully, I just thought it was time for a change. So for the next few weeks, I'll be hosting a series of posts on my favorite photography blogs.

I took up photography as a hobby about four years ago (right after my husband bought me my first SLR camera) and life has never been the same since (wow, I sound even cheesier than usual). When I'm not taking pictures, I spend a lot of time on flickr and the web trying to find photographers who inspire me (many of whom are listed on my blogroll). Of course, the downside of always searching for inspiration is it leads one to constantly question his/her own talent. but then again, I'm learning. and sometimes learning is the best part. Okay, enough said, time for some truly wonderful photos -














Mary Robinson is a 17 old who must ooze creativity out of every pour. Most of her photos involve her sisters and friends in various poses around the neighborhood by her house. Her photos amaze me in that they're all similar yet each photo can stand completely on its own. In other words, her work definitely has a signature to it, but it never becomes repetitive or boring. I especially love how she sometimes incorporates small objects - butterflies and/or tiny-dimestore animals into her work. She just published a book - available at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1542784 and she sells her prints for INCREDIBLY reasonable prices. I literally cannot stop looking at her work. I log onto her blog almost daily, which she updates at random times.













Sabino's photographs are all very different but yet very similar in that they all make one feel as if something is being alluded to; as if a story, an important story, is being told, yet some of the characters are slightly out of reach. A sense of mystery if you will. Plus, I love how carefully crafted everything in the frame is. I often think how if any of these photos appeared on a book jacket, I would immediately buy the book, regardless of the author or title. Sabino also has a wonderful tumblr account in which he showcases the work of other photographers.

Have a great Thursday everyone! I'll be posting tomorrow. And remember to check back in next Thursday for two more wonderful photography bloggers.