Much of the photography on 500px feels somewhat unattainable for many of us. “When am I ever going to make the time to go to Iceland?” we wonder, gawking at yet another photo of Skógafoss as we put down our camera and decide to watch Netflix instead of going out to shoot.
It takes photographers like 23-year-old Lithuanian shooter Simon Alexander to remind us that great photos are first about composition, then about light, then about a signature processing style, and THEN, after all of those things, about the subject in front of your lens.
His photos are, as the title says: authentic, minimal, and modern… a powerful combination that is quickly sweeping through the photo world as THE style of the modern-day photographer.
And that modern-day photographer is looking more and more like Simon: not a pro, but an enthusiastic amateur with a great eye. A UX/UI designer for a Chicago-based software, web, and mobile development company by day, he didn’t even pick up a camera till 2012.
Not that he didn’t think about it. His job helped him hone his visual style before he ever held a “real” camera:
“I’ve always wanted to start taking pictures because it fascinated me and it has similarities with design,” he told us over email. “I love to look at pictures from a design perspective.”
We caught up with Simon and asked him about his style. Why do you shoot the way you shoot, and what are you trying to say with your photos, we asked. Here’s what he told us:
I like to break rules and experiment. I always shoot images just for my personal projects, I don’t have clients. It’s important to shoot for yourself, I think this is the good way to learn something, improve skills, creativity and find your own style.
[…]
I try to show people something different than they see everyday from other photographers. Try to make my photos more dramatic, cinematic, and artistic… photos with more feeling. All that I try to convey for people.
The irony is that, dramatic and cinematic thought they are, I still find myself reaching for synonyms of the word simple to describe Simon’s work.
Not that his photos are minimal in a traditional sense—some are quite “busy” in fact—but the combination of extremely crisp composition (no doubt the result of his design training) and desaturated processing style lends a simple, REAL feel to his photos.
Amidst an ocean of hypersaturated imagery and stunning vistas, his “cinematic, artistic” images of everyday life stand out… they get noticed. And that, after all, is what we’re all after right? Here’s a look at some of our favorites from his 500px account, which you should follow ASAP:
To see more from Simon or follow along as he continues to upload work, follow him on 500px, visit his website, or check him out on Flickr, Instagram, and Dribble.
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