Natan Dvir: Coming Soon, A Huge Fashion Ad Near You

Fashion and commercial photography has exploded over the last few decades, saturating the urban landscape with giant, colorful, dynamic and static ads. Nowhere is this scene played out more than in New York City. Here, buildings and billboards are covered with huge ads with sexy models and exotic products. Most New Yorkers have become desensitized to this phenomenon, but to outsiders, the blaring product placements are hard to miss. Natan Dvir documents this craze for huge fashion ads in his project, "Coming Soon".

Alfred Stieglitz: Moving Photography into the Modern Age

During the earliest decades of photography, the medium was in the hands of scientists and technicians who were well versed in its technical aspects. In order for photography to truly flourish, it needed the guidance of artists as well as businessmen who could bring the medium to the masses while keeping its artistic integrity intact. Alfred Stieglitz was such a man, and through his efforts moved photography into the modern age, relatively speaking.

William Eggleston: Father of Color Photography

Alex Prager's use of overly saturated color in her photographs might not seem like anything special nowadays, but barely 40 years ago, serious photographers only used black-and-white film. Color photographers were regarded as unworthy of attention in the art world. Things changed when the Father of Color Photography, William Eggleston pushed the boundaries of color film and print.

Helen Levitt: 95 Lives (A Kickstarter Film by Tanya Sleiman)

The Internet has been a wonderful tool for introducing thousands of photographers to the pioneers and artists of the industry. Unfortunately, there are still many worthy photographers whose works deserve more attention than they're currently getting. One Kickstarter film project, entitled 95 Lives by Tanya Sleiman, is hoping to show the world more about one such street photographer: Helen Levitt.

Jamel Shabazz: Old School Street Photography

Scott Schuman may be the most popular fashion street photographer today, but back in the day another more conspicuous artist was busy documenting the street fashion of Brooklyn. The old school street photography images that Jamel Shabazz took some 30 years ago resonate with the same kind of passion and energy found in today's digital images.

Scott Schuman: Light Catcher

Scot Schuman of The Sartorialist blog continues to inspire photographers and fashion enthusiasts all over the world with his simple yet powerful images of ordinary people with extraordinary fashion sense walking the streets of New York, Milan, London, and other metropolitan cities. Now the photographer cum "Light Catcher" will be releasing his new book, "Closer" on August 29 and is sure to entertain and inspire countless others for the very same reasons.

Phyllis Gordon Walking Her Cheetah

In the style of Salvador Dali walking his anteater, here's a quick post showing American actress Phyllis Gordon walking her pet cheetah around London in 1939.

Your argument is invalid.

Robert Frank: Imagining the Americans

After Dorothea Lange's depressing images of the Depression and World War II, one would think that most of the United States would move on to a more prosperous and joyful mindset of rebuilding and expansion. Photographer Robert Frank had the same thought, but slowly he realized that the opposite was true, and the harsh realities that he imagined were materialized in his seminal photobook "The Americans".

9-Eyes: The Silliness that is Google Street View

From the serious scenes of the World Press Photo, it's time to look through the other side of photojournalism. Google Street View has grown in bounds and leaps over the last few years, which also means its derivative uses have also multiplied exponentially. One of the more unusual uses is the selection of quirky day-to-day images that have found their way on countless Street View blogs online. For now, enjoy the silliness that is Google Street View as presented by 9-Eyes.

Joseph Holmes: West Forty Third Street

The above photograph is Joseph Holmes' West Forty Third Street. This image, taken in July 2009, shows a modern look at New York City but at a different angle The viewer's perspective, the yellow line of New York taxis snaking their way across the bottom, the towering apartments overlooking their progress, and the few friends enjoying their day on the roof deck garden all come together to create a picture that moves in your mind.

Salvador Dali Walking His Anteater

Not much going on today, so here's a picture of surreal painter Salvador Dalí walking his anteater in Paris, 1969. Your argument is now invalid. The photographer is unknown, but there's more information on the image over here. Check out the high flying stunts of Dalí over here.

Natsumi Hayashi: The Girl Who Leapt Through Tokyo

Fifty years since Philippe Halsman's Jumpology, one might ask "What is the present state of the photographic jump shot?" Across the Atlantic from where Halsman made his jump photograph, the Levitating Girl shows that the next stage isn't just jumping, but floating in mid-air. Natsumi Hayashi, the girl who leapt through Tokyo, shows the rest of the world how jump shots are supposed to be done.

Michael Wolf: A Series Of Unfortunate Events As Presented By Google Street View

What defines street photography from other forms of visual documentary? At its purest, street photography is just that: objectively photographing what happens on the streets. That definition might be stretched to include works that have been digitally manipulated, but what about images that have been photographed by someone, or more accurately, something else? Michael Wolf asks that question through his unique street photography as presented through the eyes of Google Street View cameras in a project entitled "A Series Of Unfortunate Events".

Peter Funch: A Series Of Coincidental Coincidences

Even with the advent of digital photography, good modern street photography is surprisingly hard to come by. There are a handful of photographers today that keep the scene fresh and exciting, with some of them bridging the gap between photography and art to create something new and affecting. Peter Funch belongs to that second group with his photographs of weird and curious coincidental coincidences.

Matt Stuart: Modern Street Photography

Last week's post centered heavily on street photography from the age of black-and-white film, so this week will see some more contemporary works in the same field, more or less. One of the reasons why good modern street photography is hard to come by is because most amateurs make the process more about themselves than about the photographs. Others just rehash the works of the old masters. Photographer Matt Stuart breathes fresh air into modern street photography through his whimsical and stimulating images.

Jacques Henri Lartigue: In The Blink Of An Eye

Real street photography can only be successful when there is something poignant or whimsical that is captured in the blink of an eye. Some modern attempts can be rather intrusive and insincere because the process is more about the photographer rather than the subject, but legends such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Helen Levitt instinctively knew what needed to be recorded in the frame. Almost a hundred years ago, a little boy had what Cartier-Bresson and Levitt had, and started photographing his family, his city and his life in general. Photographer JacquesHenri Lartigue fascinated the photography world when his boyhood photographs discovered, giving ordinary people a glimpse into high society French life.

Helen Levitt: New York's Unassuming Street Photographer

Henri Cartier-Bresson's reputation as the master of street photography is rightly earned. Decades after his pioneering work in the field, many have walked the same path with varying results. Other masters of street photography have come and gone, but some unassuming photographers have unfortunately been neglected for decades. Street photographer Helen Levitt, who documented New York's street life beginning in the 1930s, is one of those neglected artists.

Henri Cartier-Bresson: Looking Back

The first post on this blog was more of a rant that a real post, which is sad considering that it was about the legendary master of street photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson,. Looking back, what's even sadder is that it had only one image, a bit underwhelming for a photography blog.

Michael Hughes: This Is The World As Souvenirs

Tourists will be tourists. There's no denying them their instinct for being drawn to the most popular vacation spots, taking pictures of famous landmarks and buying small souvenirs for family and friends back home. These rituals have become such cliches that the solemnity and significance of these places and objects have  almost been lost. One person however has found a way to reinvigorate both by combining the two into one spectacular image. World traveler Michael Hughes has made it his mission and passion to collect tourist souvenirs and turn them into icons that are larger than life.

The Sartorialist: A Visual Life

Some of you may remember my post on Scott Schuman's The Sartorialist blog a few weeks back. Well, Annette from Social Radius has asked me to share this short documentary video on the subject.