Ibarionex Perello

When looking for photographic inspiration, I rarely used to turn to street photography. Not because I dislike or disliked the genre, as a viewer, but mostly because I'm not attracted to making those kinds of images, so I (to my detriment) tended to not seek out those images.

Ibarionex Perello puts out a podcast, titled The Candid Frame, and I've been a listener for years and years. When I first started listening, circa 2008 (the podcast has run since February 2006), it seemed like nearly all of his guests were street photographers, or portrait photographers, and I let my disinterest in making street photography or portraits get in the way and I skipped so many of those early episodes. But eventually I got over myself, and regularly turn to Ibarionex and other street photographers, either actively, or passively, and for the past seven or eight years haven't missed an episode.

Ibarionex is one of the best interviewers I've known, up there with the likes of Charlie Rose. Each episode is so inspiring and it's great to learn from all of the wonderful artists he has on the show.

But, enough about the podcast, and lets get into some photographs!

In addition to being a fantastic interviewer, Ibarionex makes excellent street and portrait photography. He talks a lot about gesture, and uses that element (something that took me a while to comprehend in the images where there aren't any people—I always connected gesture to sentient beings, mostly humans) masterfully to create impact within an image.

Ibarionex has such wonderful sensitivity to light and shadow, and attention to shape, and line.

Ibarionex is quite a prolific photographer and has enough images to keep you busy for hours. Go check it all out on his website, and subscribe to The Candid Frame podcast while you're at it, and then follow him on Instagram!

Bill Wadman

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the podcast On Taking Pictures in my post on Jeffery Saddoris. Bill Wadman, was the other host of that podcast, and is the subject of today's post.

Bill is a portrait photographer, and makes truly excellent work. His Motion body of work is my favorite, having a personal history in ballet. Instead of freezing the dancers in motion, he photographed them in a way that captures their whole movement, blurring their arms, and legs, and bodies, and the images are just lovely.

As I mentioned, Bill's portrait work is excellent. Whether it's a corporate headshot, or environmental, he makes some of the best portraits I've ever seen. But if you want to see any of it, you'll have to go visit his website. And while you're at it, follow him on Instagram.

Linda Foard Roberts

Linda Foard Roberts has some really breathtaking work. There is so much emotion and depth in her photographs. It's been a while since I've been impacted so deeply and emotionally by someone's photographs. At least in a way that is deeper than just seeing a nice photograph and recognizing/acknowledging the skill or craftsmanship of the photographer, and their ability to compose a photograph. These images stir up memories! They bring you right in to Linda's world, and make you feel as if you're a part of it as well. Many of them have such a dreamy quality to them.

Wisdom

Wisdom

My Mother’s Grace

My Mother’s Grace

Last Day of Winter

Last Day of Winter

Limbs, over 100 years old

Limbs, over 100 years old

Spared Tree

Spared Tree

The Road Home

The Road Home

Fallen

Fallen

Aging Grace

Aging Grace

Tree, which held our old swing

Tree, which held our old swing

A Measure of Time, both thirteen years old

A Measure of Time, both thirteen years old

Nicole at Fifteen

Nicole at Fifteen

I asked Linda about her influences as a photographer, and she responded with this:

“My early influences were many and include Paul Strand, W. Eugene Smith, Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Dorothea Lange, Imogen Cunningham and later Diane Arbus. I have always been interested in metaphor and how the camera can convey emotion.
I also have tremendous respect for the authentic work and voices of Emmet Gowin, Sally Mann and Josef Sudek who gave us intimate views of their lives, forever changing the world of photography for me. My work has always been an extension of myself but their work allowed me to unselfconsciously find inspiration from home, looking for answers to the larger philosophical themes of life. There was a time when I believed you had to travel the world to be inspired. While working on these series, I wanted to document, not what is new to me, but what is a part of me. Over the years, I have discovered that it has as much to do with what you are feeling as it does with what you are seeing.”

Clear your schedule for a while and go visit her website. She has so much more truly wonderful work and it is worth spending some time with all of it! She also has a book, Passage, that can be purchased at Photo Eye.