All images by Dolly Ave. Used with permission. As a teen growing up in Sikeston, Missouri, Dolly Ave could be found exploring her surroundings with a camera. She ventured into lesser-known urban landscapes, capturing youth culture from the inside-out.
There, she found a community of artists and creatives, spending every free moment she could behind. thephoblographer.com
"It was my goal to really capture the spirit of the person," says talented portrait photographer Jaimie Milner about the people she photographed for her book over the last decade. She noticed that there was already adequate coverage for talented black men in cinema and music.
"I usually have eureka moments in odd places," says Indian professional photographer Harshith Dambekodi about when inspiration strikes him. He makes sure that he sets aside time to pursue personal projects while juggling a handful of commercial ones.
Alex Miller (aka Liquid Verve) has had a rapid rise throughout her photography career. It took her only 18 months to turn pro after first picking up a camera. That's impressive. However, Miller doesn't get lost in her success; rather, she is overly modest about her achievements.
"I am an artist photographer," writes Alessa Grande in her artist bio. Hailing from Salzburg, Germany, she found inspiration to enter the world of photography from her father. After borrowing his camera, she became hooked on the craft.
“I’m inspired by the stories that our clients come in with,” Marina LaBaff, the owner of A Million Monarchs Boudoir, tells me. “Some of them will bring you to your knees with the weight of what a mother carries on her shoulders, and some will make you laugh or smile so hard.
Portrait photography is a highly versatile genre. You have the standard "for my Linkedin" headshot right through to the self-analytical self-portrait. Of course, there's a place for something basic, but they're never the type of portraits that remain in the viewer's mind.
At some point in life, everyone needs to go through a process of healing. It's part of being human. Photography can help a person heal, and it can also portray healing. Chinese-Vietnamese photographer Hao Nguyen has his own interpretation of what healing is and how it looks.