The Phoblographer

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Most of us have been there! Tons of situations arise that just need a good, weather-sealed, compact camera. Lots of our predecessors used them! 20 years after digital became the mainstay, most cameras are still not fully weather sealed. What’s more, compact cameras have mostly disappeared. But if you really want great weather-sealed compact cameras, look no further. We dove into our reviews index, and we found some of the best just for you.

Table of Contents

Pro Tips on Using a Weather Sealed Compact Camera

Fujifilm X100V: A Weather Sealed Compact Camera with Gusto

Leica Q2: Full Frame, Compact

Sony a7c: The Best Weather Sealed Compact Camera with Interchangeable Lenses

Leica Q2 Monochrom: Black and White Cult, Unite!

Pro Tips on Using a Weather Sealed Compact Camera

Here are some pro tips for someone considering a weather-sealed compact camera:

For this list we’re specifically choosing weather sealed compact cameras that have large sensors.

The Fujifilm X100v is one of our absolute favorites. But you have to put a lens filter on the front of the lens to complete the weather sealing.

The Leica options are pricey, but worth single penny. It’s hard to go wrong with them.

Traditionally not a compact camera, the Sony a7c is smaller than some of these cameras in different ways. We recommend pairing it with Sony’s great 35mm f1.8 FE lens.

Always make sure all the ports and doors on a camera are closed when you take them out into inclement weather.

Fujifilm X100V: A Weather Sealed Compact Camera with Gusto

In our review, we state:

“The Fujifilm X100V takes a major step forward in build quality by including weather sealing in the camera body. The only place where it isn’t sealed is at the lens. So to complete that you need to get the little filter adapter ring, and attach a lens filter. As you can see in these product photos though, it’s more than durable enough to survive this shoot, let alone a rainstorm.”

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Leica Q2: Full Frame, Compact

In our review, we state:

The Leica Q2 is rated to IP52 when it comes to weather sealing. This isn’t as robust as the Olympus OMD EM1X, but it is still very durable. Photographers who take it to shoot in the rain shouldn’t fear as they’ll be able to combine the great quality of the lens with the camera’s durability. Throughout our tests in the rain here in NYC, the Leica Q2 performed very admirably, arguably in a way that I’d say all cameras should perform these days.

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Sony a7c: The Best Weather Sealed Compact Camera with Interchangeable Lenses

In our review, we state:

The Sony a7c has weather sealing throughout the camera. So you can take it out into the rain with little issue. But according to Sony, it’s not as good as the a7r IV and the a9 II. The problems I found are at the mount. Like the older cameras, the sensor is prone to getting dirty.

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Leica Q2 Monochrom: Black and White Cult, Unite!

In our review, we state:

And most importantly, the Leica Q2 Monochrom is a small camera that begs to be taken with you everywhere. You’ve got one lens. One camera. One image choice. And it’s compact. Plus it’s weather sealed and reliable. In the past few years, not many cameras have really gone to this degree of weather sealing and compactness. Fujifilm has it with the X Pro 3, but it’s not as weather sealed. It’s got a Titanium body, and that’s great. One could say the X100V is a close choice, but some folks want full frame. It also doesn’t have near this level of weather sealing. No lens and body combination that Sony currently has on the market can match.

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On this week’s episode of Inside The Photographer’s Mind, we’re joined by The Photographer’s Reviews Writer, Brittany Smith.

In this in-depth conversation, Brittany shares which cameras and lenses have inspired her in 2021. She also sheds light on what she hopes to see from manufacturers in the future. The final section of the show covers inclusivity in the photo industry and how women are still fighting to be accepted. It’s a fantastic episode and one you won’t want to miss! Don’t forget to hit a like, leave a comment, and subscribe to the channel.

Links to the gear discussed in this episode.

Fujifilm GFX 100S: https://amzn.to/3ksY2bl

Fujifilm GFX 50 S II: https://amzn.to/3qw84MR

Sony a7 Iv: https://amzn.to/3c8oyCk

Leica SL2-S: https://amzn.to/3Cb92jJ

Leica M6: https://amzn.to/3olhDvy

Links:

https://www.thephoblographer.com/

NFT photography is something I’ve grown more interested in as the scene has developed. Initially, I was skeptical about the movement. I saw it as a short-term fad that would allow photographers to make some (or lots) of cash and move on. But it seems like it’s here to stay. Actually, it looks like the whole industry of NFT photography is going to grow. But some photographers are pigeonholing themselves as NFT photographers, and I’m going to explain why they shouldn’t.

The Rise of NFT Photography

So, why do I think NFT photography is on the rise? Firstly, the crypto and blockchain industry is becoming more mainstream. And society is becomingmore digital. Look at Meta, and what it’s doing with augmented reality. For some reason, society wants to get further away from physical reality, and NFTs coincide with that.

Also, the likes of Gary Vee are talking about the huge potential of NFT photography. If you know anything about Vee, you’ll know he’s often at the forefront of the latest online trends, specifically regarding rising markets. In a recent Instagram post, Vee wrote:

Gary Vee

“So thrilled for my photographer friends, 2022 is going to be a massive year for all of you, please be curious and “yes oriented” and do your 20 hours of homework on #nft .. in fact google “twin flames nft” and go down rabbit holes, join discord’s and be active on Twitter . you’ll find yourself emailing me in 4 years saying “thank you”. please .Please do it now.”

When I spoke to Cath Simard on Inside The Photographer’s Mind, she told me how she had made more money from selling photography NFTs than she had previously in her whole career. That in itself shows how much demand there is to own digital art.

When I look at Twitter and Instagram, I see many photographers with “NFT photographer” in their bio. Here’s the problem with that.

NFT Photography Should Be a Section of Your Business

The reality is most NFT photographs are just photographs. Few photographers are doing something in the form of creation that is exclusive to an image being an NFT. With that, NFT photography isn’t a genre of photography. It’s a form of consumption.

So you may be a landscape photographer or a contemporary photographer who sells their work as an NFT, but you shouldn’t close the door on other avenues. For example, you can still sell print photographs and still shoot gigs and work with brands.

If I were to find you on a social platform and only saw “NFT Photographer,” I’d be unable to see what else you had to offer in terms of services. I may want to book you, but your socials suggest all you do is make photographs and sell them as NFTs, meaning I’ll move on to the next person and seek out their services instead.

And here’s the thing, while some photographers are doing incredibly well on the photographs NFT market, right now most aren’t. So if you think you should plunge all your energy into being an NFT photographer, the reality is it’s not economically worth it.

Photographers as a whole could benefit from being a little more business savvy. The lack of acumen is why most fail to turn their passion into a career. And what many photographers do is latch onto the latest trends and market movements in the hope they’ll get lucky. It’s the wrong strategy. Photographers shouldn’t make one pie. They should make lots of little pies and aim to make them as financially beneficial as possible. It’s how those with long careers have sustained themselves.

Final Thought

After my initial doubts, I’m now on team NFT photography. I genuinely think it’s a cool market, and I can’t wait to see it grow. I’m also team “photographers make as much money as possible,” and NFTs alone won’t allow you to do that. So, don’t put yourself in a box; branch out and offer a range of products and services that can help you grow and maintain a successful photography business. While NFTs look set to grow, they could also disappear in a flash, like a lot of crypto and blockchain-related trends. Then you’re just ...

Canon’s mirrorless lineup finally has an option to compete with the likes of the 1DX-series DSLRs, and it impresses immediately out of the box. The Canon EOS R3 has the grip and weather-sealing of the 1DX series and the speed of a mirrorless camera on steroids. What’s more, it’s even got the eye control autofocus from film cameras like the EOS 7. It sits in competition with the Nikon Z9 and Sony A1 for speed, yet curiously keeps the lower resolution of Canon’s sports-focused 1DX series.

I’ve spent several hours playing with the Canon EOS R3. I’m already impressed by its autofocus capabilities, speed, vertical grip, and high ISO performance. I was blown away by how the camera performed shooting wildlife, capturing shots that I would have missed without animal detection autofocus. Of course, a $6,000 camera should be able to do more than just photograph birds. I’m still putting the camera through its paces, but so far there are several things about the R3 that get my heart racing.

Table of Contents

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Canon EOS R3 Tech Specs

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Autofocus

Ease of Use

Image Samples

Edited

Unedited

First Impressions

Too Long, Didn’t Read

The Canon EOS R3 has impressed with fast, intelligent autofocus, speedy burst modes, and a beefy vertical grip. I’m still testing the R3 for sports and low light, but so far the R3 holds a lot of promise.

Canon EOS R3 Tech Specs

Adorama lists the following specifications for the Canon EOS R3, shortened for clarity:

Lens Mount: Canon RF

Sensor Type: 36 x 24mm (Full-Frame) CMOS

Sensor Resolution: Actual: 26.7 Megapixel; Effective: 24.1 Megapixels

Crop Factor: None

Aspect Ratio: 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9

Image File Format: JPEG, Raw, HEIF

Bit Depth: 14-Bit

Image Stabilization: Sensor-Shift, 5-Axis

ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 102400 (Extended: 50 to 204800)

Shutter Speed:

Mechanical Shutter: 1/8000 to 30 Second, Bulb Mode

Electronic Shutter: 1/64000 to 30 Second in Manual Mode; 1/64000 to 30 Second in Shutter Priority Mode; 1/8000 to 30 Second in Aperture Priority Mode; 1/8000 to 30 Second; in Program Mode; Bulb Mode

Metering Method: Center-Weighted Average, Evaluative, Partial, Spot

Exposure Modes: Aperture Priority, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority

Exposure Compensation: -3 to +3 EV (1/3, 1/2 EV Steps)

Metering Range: -3 to 20 EV

White Balance: Auto, Cloudy, Color Temperature, Custom, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent (White), Shade, Tungsten

Continuous Shooting

Electronic Shutter: Up to 30 fps at 24.1 MP for up to 150 Frames (Raw) / 540 Frames (JPEG)

Mechanical Shutter: Up to 12 fps at 24.1 MP for up to 1000 Frames (Raw) / 1000 Frames (JPEG)

Interval Recording: Yes

Self-Timer: 2/10-Second Delay

Video Recording Modes

Raw 12-Bit up to 6K 3:2

Vidoe Recording Limit: Unlimited

Focus Mode: Continuous-Servo AF (C), Manual Focus (M), Single-Servo AF (S)

Autofocus Points: Phase Detection: 1053

Autofocus Sensitivity: -7.5 to +20 EV

Viewfinder Type: Electronic (OLED)

Viewfinder Resolution: 5,760,000 Dot

Viewfinder Eye Point: 23mm

Viewfinder Magnification: Approx. 0.76x

LCD: 3.2″ (8.1cm), 4,150,000 Dot, Articulating Touchscreen LCD

Built-In Flash: No

Maximum Sync Speed: 1/250 Second

Media/Memory Card Slot

Slot 1: CFexpress Type B

Slot 2: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II)

Connectivity: USB Type-C (USB 3.1), HDMI D (Micro), 3.5mm Headphone, 3.5mm Microphone, RJ45, PC Sync Socket, Wireless, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS

Operating Temperature: 32 to 104 Degree F (0 to 40 Degree C)

Operating Humidity: 0 to 85%

Battery: 1x LP-E19 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 10.8 VDC, 2700 mAh or 1x LP-E4N Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 11.1 VDC, 2450 mAh

Dimensions (W x H x D): 5.9 x 5.6 x 3.4″ (150 x 142.6 x 87.2mm)

Weight: Body Only: 1.8 lbs. (822g); Body with Battery and Memory: 2.2 lbs (1015g)

Ergonomics

With a built-in battery grip, the Canon EOS R3 isn’t the type of mirrorless that sways photographers because of its small size. It is, however, about 35 percent lighter than the Canon EOS 1DX Mark III, weighing 28.8 ounces (1.8 pounds). ...

“if you’re not passionate with what you’re shooting, it’ll always show in your work,” says portrait and film photography aficionado Robert Luxun. What’s most interesting about his recent work is his choice of lens for portraits. While most portrait photographers these days would choose an 85mm or 105mm, Luxun prefers to go at least twice as wide and picks a 40mm Rokkor f2 as his primary choice. He’s also a big fan of Sony and the strides they’ve made in the mirrorless community.

Want to get your work featured? Here’s how to do it!

If you look at Luxun’s work, you’ll see that although he’s back to Sony for most of his non-film work, he’s not particularly brand loyal. He’s made his way through multiple brands and models, choosing the ones that worked best for him at various times in his life. And he does indirectly raise a valid point about the pains of loyalty – how long does one wait for your favorite brand to innovate? Buying into a brand’s ecosystem is a long-term investment, and swapping out to another brand can be significantly expensive. Do you wait around for your favorite brand to keep playing catch up? At what point do you choose to switch because you feel that being loyal is hurting your career progress in photography. Two of the three major camera brands were late to the mirrorless game, which in hindsight clearly hurt their market shares. And even when they took their baby steps in it, Sony had already leaped ahead.

Robert didn’t wait to move; he preferred to focus more on what helped him produce better pictures than anything else.

The Essential Photo Gear Used by Robert Luxun

Robert told us:

Sony A7riii

Canon 5D Mark II

Nikon D850

Hasselblad 500cm

Minolta CLE

Voigtlander 40mm 1.2

Rokkor 40mm

It took me a while to find the camera combinations that made my style. Both in digital and film photography has been quite the journey, and I have developed two completely different styles depending on what equipment I’m shooting with

The Phoblographer: Please tell us about yourself and how you got into photography.

Robert Luxun: I’ve always had a passion for something in creative arts, and it was a long road to find myself as a photographer. I originally was a music major but couldn’t even make it through my first year of that. While I love music, I found the technical side I was not well suited for and didn’t have the ear as well as I thought I would. While the passion was there, I realized it was something I could not pursue as a career. After some searching, I switched my focus to earning a Digital Arts degree. While it directly did not focus on photography, I was required to take a few film photography classes as well as drawing to better learn about realistic lighting, shadows, etc. I fell in love with the camera since then. Because of my background with software and editing from schooling, I was able to stand out a little more on the technical side. So I actually was more of an editor than I was a photographer at the time.

I kind of went backward in many ways that most photographers learn today. The creative ventures did not start until years later, after I learned a lot of the technical stuff which I was fascinated with. Because one thing school can’t teach you is style and experience.

The Phoblographer: Without starting a brand war, tell us briefly what led to your Reddit username?

Robert Luxun: I made u/SonyKilledMyNikon account when I switched over to Sony mirrorless cameras. I had at the time a Nikon d850 and had been waiting forever for Nikon to come into the mirrorless game. Of course, when I finally made the switch that same year, both Canon and Nikon decided to introduce their first mirrorless cameras, but by then, I couldn’t have cared less. Sony had already established itself as a leader in mirrorless technology and had quite the options finally for native lenses. Whereas Canon and Nikon were just starting out, mainly due to their own decisions to delay creating their own mirrorless bodies

The Phoblographer...

Have you entered yet? We’re proud to announce that The Phoblographer is a media partner for the current Sony World Photography Awards. Lots of folks scoff at the idea of entering modern photography contests. But for years, the Sony World Photography Awards has fascinated editors, art buyers, curators, and more. We’ve featured various winners over the years, and we’ve spoken to a few folks who’ve enjoyed a jumpstart to their career because of it. And today, we’re letting photographers know about a special deal that The Phoblographer’s readers can snag. All the details you care about are below in an easy to digest format.

Who: Photographers looking to get more recognition for the important work that they’re doing should enter the Sony World Photography awards. Previous winners include Julien Mauve, Emil Rashkovski, Rory Doyle, Nick Saglimbeni, Sophie Gamand, and Karl Grenet.

What: Entering up to three images is free, but with our special promotion code, you can enter up to 23 photos into the Youth and Open categories.

When: December 31 2021 is when the Youth competition ends and January 07 2022 for Open.

Where: Head over to their website and use our promo code.

How: A 20 image bundle can be bought for £21.95 however, with promo code PHOBLOG, any member of The Phoblographer’s community who wishes to submit images to the Open or Youth competition of the Sony World Photography Awards 2022 can submit up to 23 images (3 images when creating an account + 20 images with the promo code) for free until the end of the competition (31 December 2021 for Youth and 07 January 2022 for Open).

Why: It’s free with our bundle. Why the heck not?

To inspire you a bit more, here are some of the 2020 shortlist award winners. We encourage you to enter. Maybe you’ll win! There’s nothing to lose when you enter 23 images for free on us! And if you’re a winner, we’re bound to want to reach out to you for an interview.

Lead image © Tales Yuan, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open competition, Portraiture, 2020 Sony World Photography Awards

Street photography is a funny old game. I love it and may even have an addiction to it. For all that’s good about it, some bad things come with practicing the craft. Confrontation tops the list of the negative elements of street photography. Sometimes it can be a minor altercation, while other times it can become extremely nasty. But confrontation in street photography can also be hilarious, and sometimes plain bizarre. Follow me.

Confrontation in Street Photography

Before we get into the light-hearted tone of the article, allow me to preface this and talk about confrontation quickly. We’ve written before on the topic, and shared ways to deal with it. If you do find yourself in a situation where things become heated, don’t be a hero. The main objective is to defuse the situation as quickly as possible, which often means walking away. While it’s your legal right to shoot in public (depending on where you live), there are still certain street photography ethics you should follow.

Shooting Street Photography in Mexico City

Despite the negative press Mexico often receives, the country is one of the best places to shoot street photography. From Oaxaca City to Roma and Condesa, colorful streets and beautiful nature make it perfect for candid work. But it was while I was in Mexico City, I had one of the most bizarre confrontations I’ve had on the streets.

I had been walking for hours creating street photographs and was heading back to my apartment in Roma Norte. By this point, I was tired, and my camera wasn’t in my hand but rather, just hanging from my neck. Approaching me were two men, one of them around 6 foot 2-inches and 200 pounds. As our path crossed, without any aggression in his voice, he said, “fck you and your pictures,” and carried on walking. I had no response. I stood in shock for a moment and then returned home.

Street Photography and the Dodgy Kebab

Many kebabs shops are questionable, just for the cuisine alone. However, my encounter with a kebab shop in Albania had nothing to do with the food, but the shop owner instead. I made a photo of a huge donor kebab. It was a quick snap, and then off I went.

While walking away, I felt a tug on my camera bag. I turned around and saw a bald, middle-aged man with an angry look on his face.

“You don’t take a picture,” he says. “Erm, I did.” I replied. He continues, “I don’t want you to take pictures of my shop. It’s private. No pictures.” I keep calm and politely offer to delete it. “No. you don’t delete. You keep. The damage is done. Now you come to eat kebab.” He grabs me by my arm. “You come and eat kebab.” I pull myself away and firmly tell him he is not to put his hands on me again and request he takes some perspective and calm down. I tell him, “I would never purchase a kebab from a man who is so rude and hostile.”

At this moment, his whole demeanor changes. He starts smiling. It’s like we’re friends now. He apologizes and says, “We make a deal. You email me the photo I give you kebab on the house.” Back then, I loved a good kebab, and to be fair, it did look tasty. We sat down, I explained what I do, and he was more understanding. And the kebab was good too. Winner.

My Angry New Girlfriend

If you have ever lived in London, you know that the streets are full of fashion. Men and women just dress differently in this city, at least compared to some of England’s smaller cities and rural areas. On one photo walk, I came across a woman who was dressed in a super cool outfit. Her pose was perfect, almost as if she knew I was making her photo. I created a quick candid portrait, and she caught me in the act. “Hey, weirdo, what are you doing?” she yelled at me. I took a deep breath and thought, “Here we go.”

I explained to her that I thought she looked cool, and the way she stood was perfect for the photo. “You could have asked me,” she said. I replied, “I could, but that would have ruined the moment.” She said to me, “Well, can you at least send me the photo?” Of course, I oblige...

If you’re thinking about stepping up beyond full-frame cameras, this is the lens guide you’re going to care about. It’s our Fujifilm GF Lens guide, and you can check it out right here. For years, we’ve worked on reviewing the lenses for this camera system. And if you’re curious about any of them to pair with your camera, you’re in the right place. This year alone, we’ve stayed ahead of many other reviewers out there.

Our Fujifilm GF Lens Guide is coming out a bit before we’ve reviewed every single GF lens. Their new 35-70mm hasn’t yet made its way into our hands. But it will soon!

Our guide it targeted at anyone looking to get into the Fujifilm GF camera system, or anyone that wants a new lens for their camera already. We’ve reviewed each lens in our standard, non-technical format. They’re all done independently, ethically, and without sponsorship money. We also test the lenses in situations that we think customers would. That means that there are shoots done to target professional photographers and those who shoot just for fun! There’s nothing wrong with having more money and wanting to spend it. In fact, we found that happening a lot in the pandemic. Total newbies ended up buying GFX100 series cameras. Lots of other folks buy the medium format cameras and end up adapting their 35mm lenses to them.

One of the most exciting lenses we’ve tested is the new 80mm f1.7. This has been a long anticipated lens. It’s time that the GF system has something faster than f2. And that’s it. We’ve also reviewed the Mitakon 65mm f1.4. It’s been included in this list, even though Fuji and Mitakon don’t officially work together. However, it’s too important of a lens for us to not include in this roundup. There aren’t many Fujifilm GF lenses. and these are important for sure.

In the future, we hope to see more fast aperture lenses in our Fujifilm GF Lens Guide. One could say that f2 is fast for medium format. But at the same time, one would argue that GF format isn’t medium format. It’s smaller than the 645 format. So theoretically, they shouldn’t have many problems creating f1.4 lenses for the camera system. The depth of field will be super shallow, but it will do something that is really hard for full-frame cameras to do. And the Fujifilm GF system needs to lean into this a whole lot.

What’s also really cool is the skin smoothing features that come with some of their newer cameras. It makes having to retouch less likely. We found this in our GFX 50S II review. This will be super handy when you’re shooting and want to maintain the Fuji ideal of not needing to do any editing. Truthfully, it’s one of the reasons why you buy into the camera system to begin with.

We invite you to dive into our Fujifilm GF Lens Guide. Will it really replace full-frame? Maybe. We’ll have to see. But Fujifilm is banking on the GF system becoming their mainstay in the future. At the moment, they’re not moving at the same pace of innovation that full-frame is. Their autofocus has surely improved. The durability is there. And the lenses are high quality. If anything, they’re wiping the floor with every other medium format camera system out there. It’s pretty impossible for Hasselblad and others to catch up.

All images by Dina Goldstein. Used with permission.

“This is definitely not the end,” says Dina Goldstein. She adds, “in fact, it feels like a new start.” Goldstein has worked tirelessly to create an archive that includes 30 years of work. But as she says, this is not the end. Instead, it’s the start of a new beginning. A photojournalist at her core, Goldstein has committed herself to document the world as she saw it. She very kindly invited us to join her in reflecting on the first 30 years of her career. From her successes to her most significant challenges, in this interview, she was happy to share all.

Phoblographer: 30 years in the photo industry; how do you feel about that?

Dina Goldstein: It’s hard to believe that 30 years have passed. Time really flies and especially when you’re busy! I think its something to appreciate and celebrate! To mark this occasion, I have compiled an archive of images that I have captured within the first 30 years of my career as a photographer.

Phoblographer: You started as a portrait photographer, using your old roommate, David, as a muse. Looking back, what are your thoughts on that time when it all first started?

Dina Goldstein: I was young and surrounded by artists, musicians and actors. It was a creative and wild environment. I was the only photographer in the group, therefore, I was the go-to person for pictures. We were all open to experimentation and play, and I was eager to learn as much about photography as possible. David was an excellent subject and together we came up with exciting concepts. We would recruit our creative friends to help with makeup, costumes and props.

Phoblographer: Eventually, you felt your calling was photojournalism. Why is that?

Dina Goldstein: Actually, photojournalism was my first love and the reason that I wanted to become a photographer in the first place. My aunt worked at the Press office in Jerusalem and as a child I met many journalists. I was fascinated by their curiosity and bravery, they were sometimes risking their own lives to bring important stories to the public.

Since I was always a visual person, and art was crucial to me growing up as an immigrant child in Canada, photojournalism made sense as a career path. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of pioneering women photographers like Margaret Bourke White, Dorothea Lange, and Diane Arbus.

Phoblographer: You’ve often spoken about your mother’s diagnosis of breast cancer. Can you please tell us how you feel that time influenced your work?

Dina Goldstein: This was definitely a turning point for me as a photographer and artist. In the early 2000s, I was a busy editorial photographer. I was shooting assignments of noteworthy people for various international magazines. There was much travel, and the budgets were decent.

Digital photography was adapted by most press photographers by the mid-2000s. When digital cameras became more affordable and easy to operate, the industry began to change. Art directors and writers started to take their own pictures, and the quality of the editorial photograph was diminishing. At that time, I had my first daughter, Jordan, and I continued to photograph through those early days of new motherhood.

When Jordan was about two years old and obsessed with Disney Princesses, my mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The realities and brutal effects of Cancer contrasted greatly with the happily ever after endings and outdated messaging from Disney. The concept of disillusionment inspired me to explore more meaningful work. This changed my photographic practice from glossy editorials to complex staged photo tableaux.

Phoblographer: Aside from your professional work, what do you enjoy to photograph for fun?

Dina Goldstein: I enjoy documenting my city of Vancouver, B.C, a place of immense natural beauty. I live and work on the Eastside with areas of great socioeconomic disparity, homelessness and drug addiction – especially in the Downtown Eastside.

Recently I have been d...

All photos by Marta Syrko. Used with Creative Commons permission.

Looking to be inspired by creative approaches to portrait photography? We’re sure this featured series deserves a spot in your bookmarks and moodboards. Our spotlight is back on Ukranian photographer Marta Syrko, whose clever fashion portraits we’ve previously featured. In a new series, she explores the idea of narcissism as inspired by Greek Mythology and creative use of the fluid visual effects of water and glass.

Based on Syrko’s project description, the main idea for this series was inspired by the famous myth of Narcissus, and the river nymphs called Naides (or Naiads). Narcissus was a hunter known for his beauty and loved everything beautiful, but was also proud and rejected those who loved him. He fell in love with his own reflection over a pool of water and killed himself upon realizing that his love could not be reciprocated. From the different versions of this myth emerged the term narcissism.

Alternately, the Kyiv-based photographer also imagines her subjects as river nymphs gazing at the viewers through the fluid distortions of water. She achieves this through a combination of methods, either photographing her models posing in clear tanks or placing mirrors and glass (or similar material) panels over them and pouring water on the surface. It seems she also explored creating the effect by submerging prints over the tanks or placing the glass over the prints before pouring water on the surface. The results are beautiful, creative, and certainly fitting of the modern-day nymphs she was trying to portray.

This series is just one that demonstrates how water instantly adds an interesting effect to portraits. If this is a look you’d like to try for your next portrait projects, another great example is LES AQUARELLES by Elena Iv-skaya. Underwater portraits take it a notch further, as we can see in another painterly body of work by Arman Zhenikeyev.

Check out Marta Syrko’s Behance portfolio to see her other photography projects.