Photography By Tiago SperottoWritten and Photographed By Tiago Sperotto
When I first arrived in San Francisco I was sure that the city had more to discover than I ever imagined. It was the Summer of 2009, and my friends and I were looking for an adventure. San Francisco was perfect. The very first day I found myself surrounded by the magic of this mystical feeling that’s distinctive to Northern California and from then on I was sure that something special would happen. We just followed our instincts.
Photography By Alexey TitarenkoDedicated to his native city of St. Petersburg, Russian born photographer Alexey Titarenko set his lens upon the people of his country to capture the feeling of the times. Enduring the demise of the Soviet Union, Titarenko experienced first hand the realities of a crumbling economy. Armed with his camera, Alexey set out to document this decline, over time creating a visual history of the Soviet Union’s final years and the poverty that ensued.
“Food was rationed,” says Titarenko. “To obtain food in exchange for the ration tickets, people would run from one store to another, with a desperate air, and their eyes full of sorrow. I’d place my camera at the subway entrance and take photographs.” The photographs he took are what you see above. Titled the “City of Shadows,” Titarenko’s images take on an almost ghostly air, a symbolic reminder of a dark period in the history of the USSR.
“In 1983, a local TV station held a contest for anyone who wanted a chance at reporting the weather. My role was to take head shots of contestants after each screen test. Five winners were chosen out of nearly one hundred applicants. The pictures were never used, but I developed the negatives anyway (without proofing them). These images had been lost until recently and I am seeing them for the very first time.”
-Michael Jang
Sometimes, I wonder what it’s really like to lose your mind. Even the phrase lose your mind is a strange one. It’s not like it’s really gone — I mean something is going on up there. Just, not exactly what’s going on in everyone else’s mind. In Ethiopia, the problem of mental illness is a widespread phenomenon, with an estimated 15% of all adults affected, or just over 12 million folks. Due to the lack of psychiatric care facilities however, most of these people live on the street. Referred to, perhaps endearingly and perhaps pejoratively, as the Sweet Crazies, Ethiopia’s mentally ill fascinated photographer Jan Hoek, so much so, that they became the focus of his latest portrait project, and a resulting gallery exhibition in Amsterdam.
Rather than simply documenting the Sweet Crazies in the streets though, Hoek decided to pose their portraits against a backdrop of thrones, pillars and colorful backgrounds — typically the scene of Ethiopian wedding portraits. Along with the portraits, Hoek includes a few anecdotes, recounting his experiences in Addis Ababa, and the colorful personalities he encountered along the way. Troubling as their broader context may be, the shots are practically iconic, approaching a difficult and strange reality in an original way.
Immersing himself within a world that few if any of us will ever experience ourselves, famed cultural photographer Boogie has recently released a collection of images from his second trip to Kingston Jamaica. And while I can try and relate Boogie’s experience through my words as I sit here in the comfort of my home, I feel it best, to let Boogie take it from here…
“My second trip to Kingston totally made sense. I got a better picture of the city, got to see a couple more neighborhoods, and took a bunch of pictures of course. In a way I have a love/hate relationship with Kingston, my mood there is up and down too … for example, my last day there sucked, I spent all day inside staring at the computer (kingston is not a city where you just walk around and make friends with locals) – but than that night I hung out some serious gangsters, took pictures of guns and stuff, I can’t go into details here. But at the end of the night no one could take the smile off my face.
In Kingston, if the police catch you with a gun, they will most likely kill you on the spot without making an effort to arrest you. So the fact that these guys were letting me shoot them with guns meant much more than just good photo material. Trust and respect. In the end, it’s not all about taking pictures, that part you can learn, for me the stories are equally important. Here I mean the stories that I’ll tell to my grandchildren when I’m 90.”
Photos By Bertil NilssonCelebrating motion and the human form, London based photographer Bertil Nilsson has recently released a new collection of photographs that capture the body in extraordinary positions. Photographing contortionists along with dancers, Bertil has managed to amass a variety of engaging shots that relate the capabilities of the human body. And here I am still trying to touch my toes.
I’m not always sure what to make of animals in captivity. On one hand, there are some obvious reasons to be conflicted about commodifying and organizing nature for our own purposes. On the other hand, it has its perks. Speaking from personal experience, I know having firsthand access to the wonders of the world at places like the Oakland Zoo or the Monterrey Bay Aquarium had to have an impact on my imagination as a kid. Tiny Oceans, a photo essay by photographer and graphic designer Ashley Oostdyck captures that phenomenon taking place, while also offering an objective, yet original perspective on one of our culture’s more peculiar institutions.
Picasso was once quoted as saying that good taste was an enemy of creativity. I’m not sure if I’m completely on the same page, but there was definitely some truth to what he was saying. For some artists, it’s easy to hold back your own creative output from the world, and effectively, get in your own way. Everyday, however, a project conceived by visual artist and photographer Charles Bergquist, seems like a simple solution to that problem. Each day, Charles posts a new piece of art, be it a short film, a graphic design piece, or a single photo, all of which would have never seen the light of day otherwise. And for these nature scenes, light experiments and other cool shit, we’re thankful.
Chatting over a cup of gelato, I recently had the chance to talk with Rebekkah Castellanos about life, her pursuits, and Lil’ Wayne among other things. A native of Diamond Bar, California, Rebekkah has immersed herself in the realm of photography and visual arts, already building an impressive portfolio for herself at the ripe age of 19. Even better in person, Rebekkah is as just as impressive when she isn’t behind the camera, as her demeanor reveals the comfort she has in her craft and her abilities. A joy to be around, I’m sure this is not the last time you’ll hear Rebekkah’s name around these parts. Read on for a conversation with Rebekkah Castellanos.
A few weeks ago, we asked As Is what makes a great party, and he told us, eloquently enough, that it’s all about the people. Yes, Rosewood is a great space, and plenty of thanks goes to them for hosting. And yes, summer nights in the city are usually nights well spent. But good company is crucial, and once again, we have you to thank for coming out. More than anything, we do this for the folks, and for the memories. And thanks to Max and Joe, we have a few to throw your way too.
At 24, South African photographer Natasja Maria Fourie is already an extremely accomplished photographer. Exhibitions with Ryan McGinley, work in publications like Dazed, Vice and Nylon, and most recently a prize for the best international photography entry from Ten Best Ten are just a few accolades she’s racked up so far. The love is deserved, and her aesthetic and outlook are unique. But perhaps most impressive, and most common in her catalog are images of women. Often, her most powerful images are raw, less stylized portraiture, focusing in on the naked body, and the concept of nudity on a visual, psychological and even philosophical level. The female body is always a beautiful thing, but Natasja’s work is just exceptionally dope.
Photography By Emmanuel Fauque 
