Portrait Photography

August 21, 2019

These Passport Photo Shoots Reveal a Bizarre Twist When You Zoom Out

Passport photos are some of the most mundane types of portraits you can have taken. They come with a lot of restrictions. You have to look straight at the camera, wear a neutral facial expression, and be positioned against a clear background without a shadow—just to name a few. Because of these constraints, it seems like it’d be impossible to add any sort of creativity to the images.

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July 4, 2019

Interview: Wet Plate Photographer Captures Powerful Portraits of Native Americans

Inspired by the great historic photographers of yesteryear, Shane Balkowitsch has focused his artistic practice on taking wet plate photographs. Eschewing modern cameras, the only piece of photography equipment the North Dakotan uses is his wet plate camera. And it's with this technique that he has been able to document the rich local culture of Northern Plains Native Americans.

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June 18, 2019

Powerful Portraits of Rescued Farm Animals Who Were Allowed to Grow Old

Photographer Isa Leshko is terrified of growing old. After caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s disease, she was “forced to confront her own mortality,” but she intended to face this fear in an unconventional way. Leshko began visiting farm sanctuaries across the U.S. to snap pictures of the geriatric animals that lived there. Over the course of nearly a decade, however, the project shifted focus from being a vehicle for Leshko’s anxiety to activism.

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April 5, 2019

Interview: People Wear Inner Thoughts on Their Skin for Mental Health Awareness

In a powerful new portrait series, photographer Charlie Clift aims to spark a conversation about mental health. Let's Talk asks ordinary people who have suffered from mental health issues to open themselves up and share what goes on inside their minds. Their words are then transformed into artistic hand lettering across their skin by artist Kate Forrester, allowing their inner thoughts to come out in Clift's moving portraits.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.