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Martin Schoeller got his break as a photographer assisting Annie Leibovitz from 1993 to 1996. He then went on to hone his craft by photographing people he met on the streets. These portraits attracted worldwide recognition.

Scholler’s work has been exhibited around the world and featured in publications like GQ, Esquire, National Geographic and The New Yorker.

The thing I love about Schoeller’s style is that it’s so up close and personal. Oh and he’s shooting totally old school on medium format film with continuous lights.

Schoeller uses 2 kino flo strip banks in front of his model and directs the lights towards their nose.

This is how he creates the district catchlights in the eyes. He places the camera  between the two lights and there is only a very thin gap.

The other factor that gives his work its unique look is the use of film rather than digital.

In this behind the scenes video Scholler photographs Porsche’s LMP1 drivers on the Nürburgring immediately after they finished racing. Their faces look exhausted and their minds are elsewhere.

Above: Image, Gina Milicia

For many inexperienced photographers the thought of having to photograph a large group of people is intimidating. It’s nerve wracking enough approaching a stranger, let alone 10 or more.

I can remember my first group portrait shoot. I was so nervous I could hear my voice shaking as I spoke. I felt hot and beads of perspiration were running down my back. I wanted to get it over and done quickly because I felt like everyone was judging my skill level based on speed. I dared not look at my camera settings because I thought this would make me look incompetent.

I basically mumbled something from behind the camera that I thought sounded like “Okay everyone look this way and smile” but in reality it sounded like “OKmmmmmmunayllllmmmmhhhmmm” I then took two frames, smiled, said thanks or “thuuuuuuaaaaaa.” Oh my God my mouth was so dry, I just wanted to get away from that group and be at home in my pyjamas eating Nutella. Group shots are brutal!

That was over 25 years and a thousand group shots ago. I’ve managed to overcome my fear of working with groups and have developed a checklist . . .

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…. I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” —Elliott Erwitt

Irving Penn (16 June 1917 – 7 October 2009) was an American photographer best known for his portrait and fashion photography.

Penn shot fashion photography for Vogue magazine and was one of the first photographers to shoot portraits against a plain grey or white background.

This 8mm film footage, shot by Lisa Fonssagrives shows behind the scenes of Penn on location in a portable studio in Morocco.

Above: Image, Gina Milicia, Chennai, India

“They say the camera never lies. It lies every day.” —Cesar Romero

My camera is a compulsive liar. It bends the truth every time it takes a photo. It does this because the truth makes my camera feel uncomfortable. My camera does not act alone; we work as a team. I give the directions. I too am a compulsive liar.

“You can’t handle the truth.”

The reason my camera and I conspire to tell lies is that the truth can be painful. I’ve experienced this painful truth first hand on many occasions. My driver’s license photo was taken by an honest photographer, my passport photo and all my high school photos speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

My photos are shot by a liar, liar pants on fire. I know how to bend the truth, embellish the facts, or tell white lies. I am a professional compulsive liar.

This wasn’t always the case. My first attempts at photography were pure, honest photos, the truth. This was before I learned how to bend the truth. The . . .

“Photography occurs more readily when the photographer relinquishes self-consciousness for a state of humility and childlike wonderment. Then, there is a greater freshness and purity in what you capture on film.” —Dennis Stock

Above: Image, Dennis Stock, James Dean

Check out more of Dennis’ incredible work here. 

Above: Image, Henri Cartier Bresson FRANCE. Paris, Avenue du Maine, 1932

“Portraits are the only thing in which photography surpasses painting” —Henri Cartier Bresson

Henri Cartier Bresson was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. I love his environmental portraits of artists. One of his favourite techniques to capture an unguarded moment was to ask his sitter a question and shoot just before they answered.

Here are a few of my favourite images:

Above: Paris, 1961. The French poet, André BRETON, at his favourite café, The Promenade of Venus. Breton meets with his young followers. The newspaper salesman passes by and Breton buys the “Paris Soir”.

Above: US writer Arthur MILLER, 1961

Above: Paris, St Germain des Pres, 1947. Simone de BEAUVOIR, French writer

In this interview Cartier Bresson shares some great insights.

Above: Image, Gina Milicia, Kochi, India

After 30+ years of driving I finally taught myself to back my car into a tight car park using the side mirrors. This is a skill I’m very proud of but I could have saved myself the time and trouble by using a reversing camera. It takes all the guesswork and danger out of reversing. The car does all the thinking for me. I can relax knowing that every time I need to reverse into a car spot my car will know exactly what to do.

The problem with this kind of thinking is that letting a machine do your thinking takes the spontaneity out of life. I enjoy challenging myself and trying to improve each time I do something.

Taking photos in auto mode also takes the spontaneity out of photography. When you shoot in auto you are handing your power of decision making to a machine.

Each day I’m seeing new advances in technology that make it easier to take photos. Face detection autofocus takes the guesswork out of focusing and gives you pin sharp images every single time.

TTL flash works out exactly how much flash is needed in . . .

Above: Image, Gina Milicia

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently – they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ―Steve Jobs

“If ever it’s necessary to ride the bandwagon, it’s done with one leg swinging out and eyes scoping the fields.” ―Criss Jami, Killosophy

“The strongest force in the universe is a human being living consistently with his identity.” ―Tony Robbins

“The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever seen before.” ―Albert Einstein

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” ―Coco Chanel

The . . .

Above: Image, Gina Milicia

If you place a diamond in a sea of caca, it will stand out, right? But what happens if you take that same diamond and put it in a sea of diamonds?  Our little diamond has now lost its sparkle.

Standing out in a saturated photography market is difficult if you are a diamond in a sea of diamonds. Your work is excellent, you may be technically proficient and know how to shoot in a style that all the cool kids are using.

You study the lighting, posing and editing techniques of your peers and your work is just as good and sometimes your work looks better.

The problem with this approach is that your work may be great, but you become a diamond in a sea of diamonds. Your work looks just like everybody else’s.

Don’t get me wrong here, looking like a diamond is nothing to be sniffed at but if you want to stand out, you need to be different.

“The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks . . .