500px’s Editors’ Choice is your best bet if you’re looking for inspiration, new photographers to follow, or just want to take a break and get lost in amazing photography. The collection is curated by two different 500px photographers each month, selected by 500px’s Photo Editors. Our Guest Editors are tasked with discovering photos across all genres of photography: landscape, portraiture, travel, street, fashion, still life, food, and more.
This month we are happy to welcome our two new Guest Editors: Blake Pleasant, a street photographer from Chicago, and Marta Syrko, a portrait photographer from Ukraine. Read on to learn more about these two talented artists and their amazing photos.
Meet Blake Pleasant
Blake Pleasant is a professional street, portrait, city, and documentary-style photographer from Chicago, Illinois. Blake was first introduced to photography in 2013 while studying at University of South Carolina for advertising. Despite being relatively new to photography, his work has been published by some of the world’s biggest brands (Thrillist, Adobe Lightroom, Moment Lens, Choose Chicago, 500px, and more). His work has been described as clean, colorful, and vintage—something he attributes to his love of 35mm film and studying America’s mid-20th century photographers. Today, Blake loves to get lost in the everyday scenes of Chicago’s streets, and aims to capture authentic street scenes and the city’s diverse people in a creative, inspiring way.
Q: Who are two of your favorite photographers and why? What about their work interests you?
Blake: I really love Joel Meyerowitz’s color street photography. He is a pioneer of early color in street photography, when most photographers only shot on black and white 35mm film. He captures the decisive moment in a way that inspires my work daily. My second favorite photographer would have to be Todd Hido. I recently bought his book titled Todd Hido on Landscapes, Interiors, and Some Nudes, which describes his photographic process, and I’ve been able to use his approach in my own work. He captures mood, light, and place in an inspiring way. His style has really influenced my tastes and body of work.
Q: Tell us about a photo that represents a significant or memorable photographic experience.
Last summer I took “Flash Flood Cab” and posted it here on 500px. The response was incredible and turned into my first published photo appearing in Digital Photo UK magazine. It also reinforces my #1 tip for photographers starting out (see below)—ALWAYS carry your camera with you every day! This shot was taken after eating pizza with friends in downtown Chicago.
Q: What’s the best photography advice you never got as a beginner?
ALWAYS carry a camera with you every day… Most of my favorite photos have been captured by being in the right time and in the right place, but they wouldn’t be possible without being ready, camera-in-hand. Get used to feeling uncomfortable with your camera as part of your daily outfit; it will eventually become second nature, and your body of work will thank you.
Links
500px: 500px.com/pleasantblake
Instagram: @PleasantPhoto
Website: BlakePleasant.co
Meet Marta Syrko
I’m a portrait photographer from Lviv, Ukraine. I’m photographing in a variety of genres: portraits, wedding photos, lifestyle, nude photos, and even street photographs. From the age of 16, I began to take photos of female nature, even ran off lessons in order to be able to engage in photography. Now I’m paying more attention to portrait photography and even teaching portrait photography in photography school.
Q: Who are two of your favorite photographers and why? What about their work interests you?
For me: Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, Sally Mann. They have their own style and work in it all their working career; they feel another fashion, true and pure fashion portraits.
Q: Tell us about a photo that represents a significant or memorable photographic experience.
This image is of my favourite girl and it’s very important to me. I’ve been taking photos with her for six years. I was at her wedding, but I also remember her as a 14 year old. For me, this relationship is very important.
Q: What’s the best photography advice you never got as a beginner?
That light is everything.
Links
500px: 500px.com/Syrko
Instagram: @MartaSyrko
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000390008889
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