Street photographer Dijon Bowden may have started as a filmmaker, but when he began the photography project titled Souls of San Francisco, he quickly knew he had found his true calling. Although pictures are his medium, Dijon primarily sees himself forging connections with people that his camera simply makes possible.
Photographer Katie Eleanor began cultivating imaginary friends and dream worlds at a young age, and rather than discarding these dreamscapes in her teen years, she took up photography as a way of bringing them to life. When Katie found herself facing mental illness in her early 20s, she drew from the well of inspiration in her work to find healing.
Amanda Chapman was born on Christmas Day, but her favorite holiday has always been Halloween. When her husband, Greg, was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, she was devastated. She decided that for every day in October, she would take and share a portrait of herself made up as a different character from a movie or story she loved.
James Popsys had never given photography much thought until he purchased a point-and-shoot camera to document a once-in-a-lifetime trip around the world. But it was the discovery of Photoshop compositing that really helped him craft his unique and amusing style.
When astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti received her first assignment — to spend a record 200 days aboard the International Space Station — she knew she wanted to document the opportunity of a lifetime through photography. The resulting images are breathtaking.
Devin Allen grew up in west Baltimore surrounded by crime, drugs, and murder. Photography offered him not only a means of rediscovering his community’s beauty, but also literally saved his life. Still, he never dreamed that one of his photos would land him on the cover of Time magazine.
The Black Heroines Project began as a way to help Marc Bushelle’s 5-year-old daughter Lily learn about African-American women whose strength and courage have made a difference in the world. His photos featuring Lily beside photos of iconic women have gone viral and have led to a number of fascinating surprises.
