Artist. Technician. Journalist. Comedian. Work horse. All words that have been used to describe Mike Yoshida. And all pretty good words if you ask me. And for his images; beautiful, haunting, informative, poignant, personal and at times hilarious.

Whatever words you use, it’s a treat to take a wander through his work to see the world and sport as he does. Swing by his site to check out his photography in snowboarding and lifestyle. 

Austrian-born photographer Mario Marino has spent the last few months in the South Ethiopia’s Omo River Valley taking what he calls “photographic psychograms” of its inhabitants. Each photograph represents a different micro-culture of the region.

Faces of Africa shows a race against time. Marino searched out the smallest, furthest villages for people whose heritage is under assault by tourism, technological advancement and social globalization. These people preserve their culture through marks on their bodies; white chalk used as face paint, intricate patterns shaved into their hair and ornaments such as shells and leaves taken from the terrain. By wearing their homeland they show that the body is one more medium for communication.

World renowned photographer, GMB Akash was born in Bangladesh and picked up a camera many years ago to explore the world of photography. Today he focuses on social issues faced by people with highly unfortunate circumstances in areas isolated from our lives. In particular, Bangladesh. 

He has received more than 40 international awards and has been featured in as many major international publications and has now also published a book. Akash is a great example of breaking down the confining walls of life. Be sure to check out our next post covering his presentation at the TEDxOporto in Portugal.

Below is a selection of his work but please check out his site for the stories behind each photograph.

Perfect balance, complete concentration and totally lost in the moment.

Down on the corner. Danny Kwock, Balboa Beach, 1975.

Photography by Hugh Holland.

Is it ever not beautiful?

Photography by Sherry Page

If you know the name, then you know why he is included in our collection. If you don’t know the name, you should.

We had the pleasure of meeting Sterling a number of years ago as a finalist in our Pro Photographer Showdown in Whistler Canada. His work was outstanding many years ago and continues to become more and more brilliant. 

It’s been said it’s because he captures the art in the sport and that with his photography, biking has become a better sport. His eye truly is unique and he stops at nothing until he gets the shot he’s looking for. He works tirelessly; chasing down the image until he knows he’s fulfilled his vision.

Here’s a few of our favorites but do yourself a favor and swing by his website.

“We should embrace the current greats like … Juan Carlos Hernandez while we still can. They need encouragement to use their art to propel this generation of musicians into the spotlight. They’re all young and coming up on the scene but their eyes, whether solo or as a collection, tell a vastly different story of how music is being lived out in today’s moments.”

- The Huffington Post

Street photographer Markus Hartel is the perfect example of what can happen when a camera is given to a child. Starting at a young age, Marcus was given his grandmas rangefinder to shoot family pictures and his passion grew from there.

Today you will find him staying true to his main drive of prowling the streets in search of the most candid shot he can find. Below is some of his portrait work. Swing by his site and blog for more.

Barry Steven Greff is, among other things, a master at close-up, intimate portraits of wildlife. These beautiful, majestic animals live in a zoo in which Barry takes the opportunity to frame his images by abstracting the face from the body forcing us to have an exchange of energy and focus. Perusing these photographs, you’ll find yourself getting lost in the depths of their eyes.

His body of work also includes incredible cityscapes, landscapes and more. Please drop by his site and blog to check it out.

Great photography can’t get enough recognition.

Mulberry Street, 1900. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company.

Brooklyn Bridge View, 1950. Paul Himmel. Courtesy of Keith De Lellis Gallery, New York

Grand Central Station, 1929. Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum.

For those of you that follow us, you know we promised a second post on Vivian Maier. Cruising through her body of work, we couldn’t help but notice the fact that despite much of her imagery showing a harder life, she still managed to show a great sense of humor. You can almost hear the chuckle …