Shades of Grey - 01 March 2022

218 Pages·2022·53.6 MB·English

Fine Art Photography Magazine

Michael Késter

Alain Trouilly

Claude Chose

-Sara Goli

Michael Dressel - Los(t)
Angeles

Pascal Mirande

Photography & Contests News

Shades of Grey N°33
SHADES OF GREY

Welcome to Shades of Grey Fine Art photography magazine number 33.

2022 starts the saddest way with a brutal war in Europe. People are dying for nothing in Ukraine. In a situation like
this, photography and videography are the only way to testify the horror. Let's hope these great war photographers
help condemn the horror of this war. Paris now offers a fantastic exhibition about eight extraordinary women war
photographers. For now, enjoy the work from outstanding artists. The magazine cover is from Alain Trouilly. He has
worked for a long time on a series about migrants. It comes from personal history, and the images will for sure make
you think of what insane politics can generate. Michael Késter is our architecture photographer. He works the shapes
with wide-angle and long lenses to get perfect lines with minimal distortion. Claude Chose recently worked on a
stairways series. It is always a great composition challenge he seems to master with ease. Michael Dressel recently
published Los(t) Angeles. It displays a lot of strange and obnoxious characters you might find there. His street work
is captivating, and the book is a pleasure to read. Here are 14 of the best images and the book presentation. We
published Sara Goli a few months ago. Here is the second part of her minimalistic images. High contrast ad one
person only in the scene gives strength to her work. Pascal Mirande is a French artist. He is exhibiting his composite
work now. Enjoy his crazy world and an in-depth interview.

We hope you will enjoy this issue as much as the previous ones. From the comments we receive, you appreciate the
long portfolios and interviews. We will continue in the future to bring you new photography talents. And if you feel
you can be part of them, submit your work at [email protected].

Enjoy life a,d photography.

EDITORIAL-

Jean Michel Missri / Editor

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Fine Art Photography Magazine

06 MICHAEL KOSTER
34 ALAIN TROUILLY
60 CLAUDE CHOSE

78 SARA GOLI

94 MICHAEL DRESSEL . LOS(T) ANGELES

112 ~~ DAVID YARROW

128 PASCAL MIRANDE

148 NEWS

Shades of Grey Fine Art Photography Magazine is a 2021 Jean Michel Missri/E-presse.com publication
Editor in Chief: Jean Michel Missri

Contributors. / Columnists.

Eli Matityahu

Photography technique: Charles Lupica, Deborah Lupica

Production assistant: Melusine Tauzin

Cover image by Alain Trouilly

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KOSTER

MICHAEL

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INTERVIEW

How and when did you start Photography, and what was your learning path?

The beginnings of my Photography go back to the mid-1980s. At that time, | still had an analog camera.
As an autodidact, | learned a lot through the try and error method.

The switch to digital Photography took place in 2010. The possibility of digital post-processing of the
recordings was a special turning point

What led you to architecture and cityscape photography?

Architecture and architects are exciting topics for me. | find it impressive what ideas architects have
developed and implemented over time. My favorite architect is Imhotep. He is considered the first great
master-builder of the Old Kingdom in Egypt. As the chief master-builder of Pharaoh Djoser, he was
probably responsible for constructing the Djoser pyramid and the Sechemkhet pyramid in Saqqara.
Another great builder that | admire for her unique style is Zaha Hadid.

How do you select your location?
When | visit a foreign city, | look for interesting buildings on the Internet beforehand, but | only see many
buildings by chance on site. The result is usually a mix of planned and coincidental.

How do you prepare for a shoot?

In addition to the equipment, the weather naturally plays a major role. Unfortunately, it's not always what
the photographer imagines. The challenge here is to make the best of the circumstances. If in doubt, you
have to choose a new day. An unbeatable advantage for architectural Photography, the buildings are still
there the next day.

What kind of equipment do you use (camera, lenses, filters)

My equipment is small. | work with a Pentax K-r. An old digital SLR camera. As for lenses, | use the
standard lens with 50mm. Also a Samyang F2.8/10mm Ultra Wide Angle and a Tamron 75-300mm
1:4-5:6 Tele-Macro (1:3.9).I use a 1000ND filter for long exposures.

Architecture photography is mostly a game of lines and shapes. So how do you work with your
composition?

Lines and shapes play just as important a role in architectural Photography as light and shadow. A
natural shadow is better than a reworked one. However, the post-processing process allows directing the
light. The challenge with this possibility is to work out your idea of the motifs.

I like to understand the intent/vision of a photographer. So do you have a specific intent when you
are on location and have a particular final image vision, or do you work on getting a well-
composed/exposed image and finalize it with experimentation during post-processing?

The second option is true. | shoot the motif from many positions. These are also detailed shots. | always
have a selection of photos that | look at on the monitor. | make the final selection based on the following
criterion: | have to like the preview image and the possibility of editing it has to be available, then it comes
to the selection and processing.

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Processing Architecture images is often a real challenge. Masters like Joel Tjintjelaar and Julia
Anna Gospodarou made a style definition. Can you describe your processing workflow and
explain how you work the light on your images?

| think Joel Tjintjelaar and Julia Anna Gospodarou are well-known names in the scene, and everyone
who deals with Black and white architecture photography has seen their photos before. The two skillfully
stage the light as a design element. My approach is the same. First, | think about where the viewer
should look at the end. Second, | think of what makes the building interesting and more of a side issue.
Finally, | check what the sky looks like and how the whole thing fits together in the result. | always edit
the building first and only then adjust the sky. The processing takes place step by step. First, | darken
Individual elements of the building to create spatial depth. Then | edit the lighter areas. | work by eye.
When | am happy with the picture as a rough view, | edit smaller details. The aim is to make a building
appear timeless; you could say “frozen in time ."The viewer of the photos should have an approach to
deal with the image. Details and unusual perspectives are a good requirement.

How do you choose Black and White instead of color?

Most of my work is black & white. However, there are also motifs where color plays an important role.
Fireworks in the night sky would be an example. | usually find a b&w photo that draws attention to the
essentials in Photography, the relationship between light and darkness, by reducing the color to be more
interesting.

What kind of software and plugins are you using?
| use Photoshop CS6. That's it.

Social media are now a key element to promote and distribute your work. So which one is the best
for you and why?

It will wound you, but | am personally not on Facebook or Instagram. The exhibitors mostly do the
advertising. But | have issued photos on 1x and 500px. | have stored all other information on my website
"“www.KoesterArt.com ."| write directly to contacts that seem interesting to me. That's how we met
together.

Finally, do you have one great piece of advice for any aspiring cityscape/architecture
photographer?
As with everything in life, practice makes perfect. Of course, not everything succeeds right away, but
patience is usually rewarded. But there are also many online tutorials from which you can learn a lot.
For example, Joel Tjintjelaar has already mentioned. But | would also like to say, Yoshihiko Wada. We
know each other through the Internet, and | highly recommend his site.

Do you have any specific projects for 2022 (Photography, books, exhibitions)?

My last exhibition in the Berlin gallery "Képpe Contemporary" has just ended and we are working on
long-term cooperation. So the gallery will take care of advertising and sales, and | have more time to
concentrate on Photography. So 2022 has got off to a successful start so far. | would also like to take
this opportunity to thank you for the opportunity to be represented in your magazine.

Best regards to the readers and always good light

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