Power To the Subject

"These portraits of patients in a Cuban psychiatric hospital the notion of power becomes even more central due to the vulnerability (or perceived vulnerability) of the subjects. This is addressed by handing over the majority of the power to the subject, who takes their own portrait with the help of a shutter release cable. Photographers Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin’s controls has been limited to framing (full body)  background (plain) and viewpoint of camera (eye level), all choices made for neutrality. The rest comes down to the subject’s personality/mood, the two most magical examples for me are Mario (top) who decided to turn his back on the camera and Julio (bottom) who made two portraits: One for his heart and one for his head."

Banal/beautiful?

Faruk Akbas is a Turkish freelance photographer specialised in nature and lifestyle.

I'm not normally interested in nature photography but there's something about this guy -should be the use of colours- that it really attracts my attention and somehow looks beautiful as ever. He concentrates of lifestyle, which is also documentary. When I look at the first two pictures, I can tell right away that they were taken in Turkey and I think that's what I'm meant to be getting from it so it's working to it's purpose. I find the last photo of the forest in Autumn absolutely fascinating -I could stare at it the whole day. I think I like how this guy can bring out the beautiful side out of something that really is usual and not very exciting or even banal in some cases.