From her bio: Shannon Dagher is a Photographer, Traveler, and Cultural Anthropologist with a passion for the Middle East.  Dagher is currently based on the eastern seaboard of the U.S.–and wherever her travels take her.

Why do you take pictures?
I shoot photography because I need to.  Shooting photography is almost a reflex for me; like breathing.  I never leave home without my camera…because then I’ll miss something.  Shooting lets me see things.  Photography is my comfort, my passion and the way I live my life.

What has impacted your visual style?
Simple…my life.  All the life experiences I have seen, done, and lived through…those shape what I see, how I see it and (most importantly) how I share my vision with the world.

How did you learn to see?
I always had “The Eye.”  I only needed to realize that I had it and learn how to focus it.  I’m still learning and readjusting every day, with every new experience that changes me.  But, I must also credit my Father.  From the time I can remember, photography permeated our home…and I was hooked.

In your world is photography mechanical or philosophical?
Oh, definitely philosophical.  The word philosophy is of Ancient Greek origin, meaning “love of wisdom.”  My photography is a quest to decipher wisdom from my life experiences, places I’ve been, people I’ve met…I love that.

What do you hope people walk away from your work with?
For better or worse, an awakening.

What is your favorite 15×100 image?
Anahita Avalos’ (#11) has always had me; so rich—I wish I’d shot it.  The simple & powerful impact of Michael Ast’s (#14) struck me.

Who is your favorite 15×100 photographer? Why?
Anahita Avalos & Gijs Bekenkamp; their portfolios are what I aspire to achieve.  Michael Ast’s skillfully selected 15 B&W prints leave me reeling.  Filippo Zambon’s compositions are excellent; all of them.

How did you select your 15 images?
I walked the thin line between a conducive theme & a variety of content.  I will update my gallery frequently…so check back for new images.

What guides you?
My emotion and intuition.

Posted by blue under Member Profiles [5] Comments

Two of our 15×100 photographers are to be featured in Light Leaks Magazine, Issue 12.  Congrats Paul and Gabe on representing low-fidelity photography!

Howard Street, NYC by Gabe Maxson

Not Forgotten by Paul Lavallee

Posted by blue under published! [10] Comments

The sudden pulling of the rug on JPG magazine is going to evaporate a community that took a monumental effort to build. 15×100 was born of friendships made there and they were only part of a web that spanned continents and included people from all over the planet.

We think it doesn’t need to go - please come over to savejpg.com and leave a comment about keeping JPG alive

But do it quick - JPG is setting to close doors after the weekend

Posted by Struan under News [33] Comments

by Aaron Schwartz

When I was 3 years old, living in a small Saskatchewan town called Theodore, I met Santa. The man himself . It was Christmas eve, I was in my pyjamas, and my Mom said “Santa will be here soon, look out the window for him.” Of course I did. All I could see out the window was the “bush” next to our house, lit in light blue by the moon. I stood there on my tiptoes for what seemed like forever, imagining Santa flying through the cold winter sky. But, I knew that we were in the north of Canada and I knew he’d be here soon.

Footfalls. Sounds on the roof. I hear them. Someone was on the roof! I reported to my mother, like a good boy, and she said “That’s probably him!” I didn’t know what to do with myself. So I stayed there at the window, and listened very carefully while imagining the reindeer setting down and Santa getting his bag and stepping out of the sleigh into the deep snow on the roof. I heard sleigh bells. But how would he get down? We didn’t have a fireplace!

Knock on the back door. A firm, knowledgeable knock. One two three. Pause. In that pause, I believed in everything. I went to the kitchen door, careful in case I had to run and hide, but with the best view of who would come through that back door. My father answered. In came —- Santa Claus. (more…)

Posted by aaron under When I Met Santa [9] Comments

On December 27th, 2008 Jolanda Althuis (25) and our own Gijs Bekenkamp (29) started a special project called “A Frisian Gallivant”

On that date they step into the footsteps of Jolanda’s uncle, Jan Althuis (June 1949 – November 1972). Uncle Jan left in 1971 for an extensive journey, visiting countries like Pakistan, India and Malaysia. After having travelled for over a year he returned to the Dutch province Friesland where he grew up. Swift after his return he had a terrible car-accident in which he lost his life.

With the help of uncle Jan’s diary and the letters he had send to his mother, a reconstruction has been made of a part of his journey. Jolanda and Gijs have the intension to redo this part of his trip, adding their timeframe and their images to the letters and diarytexts of uncle Jan.

Their route will take them from Delhi, India, via various towns and villages to Kathmandu, Nepal

From day one they will publish their experiences on 15×100’s brand new bilingual (English/Dutch) microsite: http://gallivant.15×100.com

Posted by blue under A Friasian Gallivant [4] Comments

Introducing the Gringo Snapper (click to enlarge)

by Llorenç Rosanes

Recent uploads to our 15×100 member galleries…

Untitled by Rory Cobbe

Untitled by Llorenç Rosanes

Posted by blue under The Gringo Snapper, general [10] Comments

by Eric J Henderson

I’ve worked with kids in a few countries and have learned a dimension beyond “cute” and well beyond the strict documentary photography that we unwittingly (but most often) ask of them, e.g. asking a Brasilian kid to shoot ‘life in the favela’ versus sending them explicitly to find something beautiful or interesting (que voce acha legal!). I challenge them to see if we can achieve art, and the process gives new eyes to my own work.  Besides, if art has all the power we ascribe to it, then why not seek that?

First things first, though:  I’m not curmudgeoning. I love documentary photography, too. Further, kids are cute.  I’ll never lose enjoying the sight of people who have the luxury of learning without some of the jaded filters we adults have.  Little hands on big cameras, lot of questions, the pure stoke of “I did it myself!”

After this point, we should put ourselves in the minds of kids and start there to learn.  They’re not aiming to be cute – perhaps not counting the over-managed stage star or the über-fussed-over neighborhood young ‘un.  So don’t treat them with cute gloves.  They will be happier in the end, seeing their work – way happier than after any compliment you give them. (I think they know when they’re being humoured.)  So, I asked my little cousins Amorie and Jordan to figure a way to take a photo above the small plot of okra taller than their heads …and then watched them wrestle until they got it.

There’s also a peculiarity of the instrument itself.  I’m not a luddite.  I dig images that come from anything.  But I found my 1950 Kodak Brownie Hawkeye and have used it exclusively for the last 5 years and have seen it offer some funky new avenues for exploration.  As is often the case with any other technology of ours, we never really exhaust it:  We simply move on, as we should, but also for the lesser reason that we simply want something new.  There is infinity within the “outdated” parameters of any instrument, the same as between points on a number line.

Nuff preaching.  Let’s see what Amorie and Jordan came up with:

Photo I:  Amorie and Jordan Take AimAmorie and Jordan see how the viewfinder extends their vision.  Note:  They’re in Cheek, Texas of course. In case you don’t know where that is, it’s right next to China, Texas.  Okra in the background.  The family picked a whole lot of it that day. (more…)

Posted by blue under How to Learn from Children [7] Comments

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere today is Winter Solstice.  In honor of this astronomical and cultural event some of our photographer’s have provided some solstice images to celebrate the longest night.

Posted by blue under Videos & Slideshows, general [21] Comments

A video tutorial series by 15×100 photographer Blue Mitchell (turn on your volume)

Part Three - Image Capture

Stay tuned for the next step in the Burnt Transparencies Tutorial series coming next week.  See parts 1 and 2

Resources mentioned in the video: iprintfromhome ; Fuji Velvia

Posted by blue under Videos & Slideshows, burnt transparencies [3] Comments

by Michael Van der Tol

“As we mature as artists we develop the ability to put aside the latest trends; you begin to see clearer and it is that clarity that creates an inner calmness” - Nikitas Kavoukles

I spoke with Nikitas (Nick) Kavoukles last week and after I got off the phone I couldn’t help but think how he has evolved as an artist and how much of what I learned about Nick is so apparent in his photographic art. Clarity in art has a calmness which he describes as an inner stream versus a raging river. “A stream meanders calmly making its way; you can sail along it”, “A river is more powerful, but can be destructive”. It’s not surprising that Nick describes his clarity of vision with the calmness of a stream as much of his photographic art focuses on natural elements such as the reflective & refractive properties of water. Nick finds the subject of natural elements relaxing on many levels - both inward & meditative and outward as a visual peace. This is further illustrated in his comments regarding his approach to photographing. “When I’m out (photographing), I let the wind guide me not my ego and I get out of my own way”.

Nick left photography for a time. As he put it, “Life happens when you’re making plans” and he had to put his Art aside. What he learned from this pause is that giving oneself permission to stop, allows us to grow stronger and more courageous in our Art. You can see this in his work and hear this is his voice - I did.

1. Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you born, where do you live?

I was born on the Greek island of Kalymnos, which is part of the Dodecanese Islands in the eastern Mediterranean–it is also known as the “Sponge Diver’s Island”. I grew up in New York City, and I currently reside in Sarasota, Florida. (more…)

Posted by mike under Videos & Slideshows, six degrees of photo... [2] Comments