photographer extraordinaire

this is Sebastiao Salgado's "Greater Burgan Oil Field" taken during the Gulf War.

the photo is so intense and rich. i was staring at it for a bit, and i felt like i was looking at a photograph taken in color.

the lighting is amazing. the oil soaked clothes on the technicians serve as a great contrast with the rough texture of the ground. the emotion depicted is goose bump inducing. the oil falling like rain is just crazy. i love it

its engaging. great depiction of motion. great subject matter. great depth of field.

when i think of devastation, spewing oil doesn't exactly come to mind, but when i look at this i feel it

no words can ever give Salgado's work the justice it deserves

Afghan girl

I remember being just a small girl when seeing this photograph on the cover of National Geographic. I remember thinking this was the most beautiful girl Ive ever seen, like completely natural in her element.

Her eyes are insanely piercing and engaging; they tell a story but one that she will only fully know. Like I look at this and wonder what she must have been thinking when a complete stranger took this of her. And whats crazy is how famous this one picture became in the US and meanwhile she is living in Afghanistan without a clue.

So years later they [Im assuming the writer(s) of the original article] found the girl. Its nuts, the picture of her now its like looking at another person. The life looks drained from her face [which is understandable taking into consideration the standard of living in a country with such turmoil.] Be that as it may, it was still disheartening.

so this is the kind of effect I want to have when people look at my photographs. In high school we had to choose a photographer and imitate their work. I chose Sebastiao Salgado. He is this incredibly talented photographer who concentrates on third world countries. His work is phenomenal- raw, real, absurdly honest. I aspire to be him [really only in the artistic sense (I dont want to be a dude lol)]