Shelby Lee Adams

(American Suburb X)

http://shelby-lee-adams.blogspot.com/

Shelby Adams mostly photographs people and families in rural Appalachia. I am usually interested in portraits that are not set up, so I was really surprised that I was so drawn to his images. I think that the people he portrays in his images are really interesting. Looking through his images you can really get a sense of the story he is trying to tell. The images are crafted to tell a story and they do a great job of that

Platon

(Photobooth)

http://www.platonphoto.com/index.html

The portraits I spent the most time looking at were the political ones. I loved that he made political figures that most people don’t like, look so beautiful in his images. I just loved looking at those images of such recognizable people, but thinking something completely different than usual. His images, while so simple in composition, changed, for a second, how I saw these people that I already had opinions about. I think that is something that is extraordinarily difficult to do, and also really wonderful.

Justin Mott

Photo etditor

http://www.justinmott.com/

I really enjoyed looking through his pictures because the he has a great variety of subject matter. Some of his images are really hard to look at, while others are very beautiful. I very much enjoyed his portraits. I think that there are some “innovative” portraits. Some of the images only give bits of the human form and hint at human presence. I particularly loved the color is most of his images. It is so vibrant and makes the image so interesting.

Helen Van Meene

(Boooooom!)

http://hellenvanmeene.com/

I really enjoyed most of her images because these portraits don’t function like most others do. While they tell a story that story was translated by conveying a feeling, not letting the viewer get to know the subject. Other photographers portray the personalities and lives of the people in their images, but she chooses to covey story through feelings. Her images are strange and slightly unsettling, but through those feelings of discomfort, she creates a narrative. That is what I really enjoy about these images.