Magical Ship, Santander, Spain, 2010

I’ve seen this ship several times in my city Santander, and it always looks like something magical. Like a ship seen in an old movie, you almost expect to see pirates inside yelling, “stand by for boarding!” I dream that someday I’ll sail in it, and people like me will think, “lucky her, she’s in a magical ship!”

Photo © Monica Poncelas

A Little Something, Lewes, England, 2010

Lewes is a small town in East Sussex with a population of approximately 16,000. There aren’t many things to do. There is a castle and a few more sites to check out. Very nice to spend a day out of the big city and relax near the countryside.

Photo © Pepi Torremocha Claramunt

Hurghada Camel Rider, Hurghada, Egypt, 2009

During my visit to Egypt I took a ride through the dessert for one hour and then stopped in an area to enjoy traditional Egyptian food as well as a camel ride through the dessert & mountains.

Photo © Stephanie Mackenzie

Michigan Avenue Tulips, Chicago, Illinois, 2010

Tulips are such fleeting beauties. Their petals are so delicate, yet their stalks so strong. Michigan Avenue is lined on each side and in the medians as well, the entire ‘Magnificent Mile.’ Literally hundreds of thousands of tulips can be found all over the city and it’s such a joy to admire and photograph them. Chicago is known for its lush landscaping, and I find the spring tulips to be the most delightful.

Photo © Jacia Humiston

Something Special, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2010

Edinburgh has something speacial, like London. They share the same shops, same coin, same weather.  There are always people everywhere from every country, and the locals are so kind, ready to help you if you are lost and need directions. I was there just for a weekend but I love it and I would like to go back, maybe to live.  Who knows?

Photo © Pepi Torremocha Claramunt

In The House of a Stranger #1, #2, #3, #4, Toronto, Canada, 2010

You were a stranger but yet indefinably close. I cannot swear never having meeting you before, but in fact I didn’t. You were a complete stranger just the night before and the next I was heading home. Thank you for letting me in and sharing your humanity.

Photo © Katia Gosselin

Gloves, San Francisco, California, 2010

This is one of the images I am using for a series on the American Dream. This street corner in San Francisco is one of the many areas where migrant workers wait for work.  This image spoke to me the minute I saw it.  The implications run deep, and the disparity between what is black and white and what is ‘red, white and blue’ is vast.

Photo © Catherine Conlin

Beautiful, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA, 2010

I was taking in my environment of nature, city, and people, photographing all that is wonderful in my eyes. The sky spoke with the glare of the sun, surrounded by clouds and a shadow of a tree in bloom. Nature’s gifts such as this one are open for interpretation.  In that moment I felt serenity at it’s finest and I felt this sign from nature whisper to me that all is well.

Photo © Holly Williams

Alejandro Gutiérrez is an emerging photographer based out of Valencia Spain.  In his series Fallas, he documents the yearly ritual that takes place in his seaside city.  Participants prepare all year round, raising funds and throwing parties while artists, sculptors, and architects construct the huge monuments that will be judged during the festival of Saint Joseph.  The fallas can be as large as buildings, towering over onlookers as the monuments are paraded down the city streets.  The artists who create the massive structures are not only skilled, but they also have a sense of humor, building fallas that often depict controversial current events, celebrities, and politicians in a satirical manner.  La cremà takes place on the final night of the festival, when the fallas are burned in front of thousands of celebrants.

Alejandro Gutiérrez considers himself to be self-taught and inspired by everything around him, even the normal happenings in the city of Valencia such as children playing in the street, and grandfathers smoking and talking with friends.  He admires many photographers, learning something from each one and then adding his personal touch to his work.

“The history of photography fascinates me, and now I am starting to discover, learning more and more, that this never finishes and you never know more than anyone else because it always changes.  Photography shows everything your eyes see that with time your memory forgets.”

For the most part he documents images ‘of the moment’ that tell a story of the people and setting he captures.  The Fallas series juxtaposes the creation of these massive structures with their destruction and ultimate burning to ash, the finality of a year’s hard work and dedication.

When visitors come to Valencia they are no doubt impressed by the monuments of the Fallas, but even more impressive is the fact that the monuments that took a year to create will all be burned.  Locals respond the same way to visitor questions, “the Fallas are meant for this purpose” but the visitors continue without fully understanding.  The Fallas started a long time ago as a ceremony to celebrate the beginning of spring.  People would throw their old junk, things they no longer used, into the flames.  With time the junk turned into dolls dressed in cloth or old clothes stuffed with straw planted in the middle of the street.  Eventually the dolls and old clothes turned into art, no longer piles of broken chairs or other useless items, but rather towering monuments.  Today there are more than 300 monuments and every March 19th they transform into flames, surrounded by fireworks, another characteristic of these days when Valencia smells like smoke.

Photo © Alejandro Gutiérrez

Lucas and His Grandmother, Canada, 2009

Let kids lead you in their universe, watch them create, and explore new frontiers. They will teach you how to stop and appreciate every second of these moments.

Photo © Martin Charbonneau

Palace of Versailles Garden, Versailles, France 2009

It was in year 1661 that Louis XIV called upon André Le Nôtre to design the layout of the gardens of Versailles.  In the mind of the king, the garden had an equal importance to the Château itself.  The full completion of the garden took 40 years.

Photo © Stephanie Mackenzie

4 Wheels, Westwood, Los Angeles 2009

Transportation in LA is one of the main issues. We all need to travel the city. Some people choose skateboarding over driving because of endless traffic jams, thereby saving time for some skateboarding tricks! Other people would rather walk and maybe take the bus… which will end up stuck in traffic! What are we waiting for? Let’s tackle this critical situation!

Photo © Jeremy Nahmiash

Erica, Montreal, Canada, 2009

This is one of many portraits I have taken of my daughter over the past few years. There have been other pictures in the past and there may well be others in the future, but this one is a defining moment for me. I’ll let the picture speak for itself.

Photo © Sheldon Levy

Punks Not Dead, Great Yarmouth, England 2009

I like to blur the lines between staged and documentary photography creating work that lies somewhere in the middle resulting in a heightened sense of reality.

Photo © James Price

As Time Goes By, Florence, Italy 2009

One can only attempt to guess the age of these delicate murals. Hidden gems like this one are tucked away in narrow streets throughout Florence, Italy. Every new corner and street offers a new opportunity to glimpse into this city’s rich, artistic history.

Photo © Jacia Humiston

Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, New Jersey USA, 2009

Asbury Park is a forgotten town.  Once a popular summer destination, the Jewel of The Jersey Shore became a virtual ghost town after people deserted it through the hard times.  Old favorites like the grease friendly Wonder Bar and Ocean Avenue’s Stone Pony remain, but the past couple of years Asbury Park went through a sort of Renaissance.  Just a few years ago you could walk along the beach in solitude.  Now the families, the day trippers, and the trendy cafes are creeping back to town.

Photo © Elena Vazquez

Hurghada Bedouin Children, Hughada, Egypt 2009

These children belong to the Bedouin community, Bedouin meaning ‘inhabitant of the dessert’.  They live from place to place along with there herds of sheep, camels & goats.

Photo © Stephanie Mackenzie

Fellini Dog, Provincetown, Massachusetts 2009

The Dog Show Promenade on the wharf of Cape Cod Bay is almost over. The air is grey and sodden, and the dogs are all anxious to shed their costumes. Resting in the watercolor mists, this ruff-wearing canine believes he has fallen into a Fellini movie.

Photo © Barbara J. Lloyd

Beautiful CCTV, London, England 2010

This image is from a more recent double exposure series using colour 120 film with a Mamiya C220. I wanted to show opposites by displaying something ugly (a CCTV camera) overlayed onto something beautiful (a bouquet of flowers), using traditional film camera techniques.

Photo © Elliot Walker

London Bridge, London, England 2009

My first time as a visitor was chaotic. I didn’t like the food, the people, the transport, the city in general. I was traveling all the time by tube, everywhere I went had a spicy smell, people trying to be polite within the rudeness… A few months later, I gave London a second chance. That time, I went all around walking, using the tube only to go to the airport or places that I couldn’t reach walking. And I liked it much more. Years later, tired of living in Spain I bought a one way flight to London, to live the London life instead of visiting. I was supossed to be here for 3 months and now is 3 years. I have my favorite places to get lost, to eat, to dance, to meet, to shop. I know London much better than my own city (Barcelona) and I feel safe, secure and happy. Best thing I’ve ever done.

Photo © Pepi Torremocha Claramunt

Transmission Field, Lake Tyrell, Australia, 2009

This is a photograph of my installation “Transmission Field” taken at night at Lake Tyrell in Victoria, Australia in early 2009. It was the first time I had installed the project, which was designed to create a visual bridge between the energy of the space and the viewer. It shows the relatively calm strength of the wind in the movement of the illuminated fiber optic cable, suspended from each pole.

Photo © James Tapscott

Big Foam Day, Santa Monica, California 2005

Surf on the city beaches of Santa Monica, California is usually small.  A big day is shoulder to head high.  But on Tuesday December 20, 2005 the conditions were just right.  A big swell rolled in, double overhead and bigger, breaking over the ends of the Venice and Santa Monica piers.  Wave faces were 12 to 15 feet, with some sets bigger.  The waves completely closed out.  The break slammed into the sand, making a wall of foam 10 to 12 feet high.  A magical big surf day on the beach.

Photo © Frank Rosazy

Carnicería, East Los Angeles, California 2009

I have a deep connection with Los Angeles city life, and had been wanting to document it through photography. However, this photograph was completely unintentional. I had been photographing murals around Los Angeles for another project, and came across this wall with the man leaning against the wall next to his bike. I took this photo first, then a few more shots of just the wall. When I went back to review the pictures I had, this ended up being one of my favorites, and has been one of the main reasons that I continue taking photos; for the excitement of ending up with something that I really enjoy.

Photo © Marisofia

Deauville, Deauville, France, 2008

These photos were taken in Normandy France.  Deauville was a popular vacation spot for Coco Chanel and the place where she made her move from hat making to clothing design.  Her second shop opened and became the birth place of Chanel the brand.

Photo © Stephanie Mackenzie

Musicians at the Market, Tepotzlan, Mexico, 2007,

Mexico had long been a distant part of myself, a connection I had only through blood.  Having met my Mexican grandfather briefly once or twice in my life, I had no idea about the culture of this side of my family.  I visited Mexico for the first time when I was 24 and I still remember the traffic and chaos we saw as we drove through the streets of Mexico City.  Despite having no real connection to the man who was born there, I started to feel a strong connection to this country.  For the first time in my life I considered myself Mexican.

Photo © Elena Vazquez