Sabrina Jung was born in 1978 in Neuss, Germany. She has studied at Folkwang Hochschule in Essen and the College of Art & Design in Zurich. She is the founder of the art salon, Weisser and currently lives in Berlin.

Found via Big City Press

Kate Kunath earned a BFA in photography from the University of Washington in Seattle. In her practice, she has sought to discover and illuminate the consequences of modern life, confront cultural mythologies, and challenge what we think we know. Provoked by themes of reproduction, modernization, and globalization. She has produced one series per year since arriving in New York in 2004. By focusing in depth on one topic at a time, Kate develops a personal and artistic investment in illuminating what naturally emerges from this investigation. With humor and tenderness, narratives develop organically, and the symmetry in nature and the human experience is explored.

Do you have a favorite rabbit in the series?
‘There are 45-50 breeds in total and it’s very hard to choose a favorite. Most of the breeders don’t have names for their champs because they don’t keep them as pets, so it’s hard to keep track of their names. I’m a sucker for the Angora rabbits, as in the angora sweater. One of my favorite moments was visiting the hall where they blow dry and comb out the angora hair. It was like a big tranny parlor. The biggest hair you have ever seen on any animal. It was fantastic. One of my favorite jobs at the show is the Breeding Chairman. He or she must be present when any of the breeders are planning to mate their rabbits. Sometimes the service is free, but other times they have to pay for the sex if the genetic material is valuable enough’.

How did you get into shooting bunnies with their owners and where and how were these photos captured?
‘Well, it’s always been a dream of mine to photograph rabbit breeders. I got my big break in 2004 at the American Rabbit Breeders Convention. I’m kidding, but there really is a Best in Show for bunnies every year, similar to the Westminster for dogs, without the high brow. The first time I went to a show, I was really impressed by the rabbit breeders, so I returned the following year with a photo studio. The rabbit Standard of Perfection is attained through a regimen of breeding and selecting, much more rapidly than a dog breeder, for example. Which means that they are culling, a process of removing the undesirable genes from the pool, by way of killing the rabbits for food or fur, or giving them to pet stores to sell. It doesn’t sound very pleasant coming from me but the rabbit breeders have a very eloquent way of stating things when it comes to the cycle of life. They are also very professional, as one can see from their expressions. Even proud. Their rabbits as subjects took away some of the anxiety of having their own portraits done. The portrait studio I set up at the show was well attended. I did over 100 portraits in a weeks time’.

The expressions of the owners holding the rabbits are almost as memorable as the rabbits themselves. Were their reactions spontaneous, or was it more the result of prompting on your behalf?
‘As a general rule in my photography, I am always letting my subjects know that they don’t have to smile. You’d be surprised, if people don’t have to smile, they generally don’t. And then there are others who just can’t help themselves. I found that if I asked them to relax and not smile they understood that I was attempting to take them seriously. Most of the time, no matter their expression, I was behind the camera thinking to myself, ‘Oh my god, can this be real?’ There was one instance where the rabbit breeder was in a very good mood, and we were both laughing, so I went to press the shutter and just as I did his angora rabbit let out a big yawn. It happened so quickly that I wasn’t sure I had it, but when I got the film back I could see that I had captured a full set of yawning teeth- the only visible feature of the rabbit other than the fur. So there is room for spontaneity within this model. However, because taking humorous or ironic pictures in this situation was like shooting fish in a barrel, I thought it was a more just representation of the rabbit breeders if I tried to convey them as they saw themselves: as dignified, specialized professionals’.

Can you tell us about the equipment that you used for this shoot?
‘I shot this project with film using a Fugi 680, a medium format camera that has swings and tilts like a 4×5. I liked it because it gave me a little extra length in the torso and allowed me to keep both the rabbits and the people in focus’.

Growing up in a military family and being the new kid in a classroom at least sixteen times has given Michelle Pedone a unique perspective on the world. Experiencing the subculture evident in each new place nourished the love of pop culture, so evident in her work today. Michelle enjoys shooting all ages and walks of life bringing her sparkle and zest. Her recent portraiture project, “All Eyes On U!” was awarded in American Photography 24. Michelle received her BFA from The Corcoran School of Art, in Washington, DC. She lives in New York City with her husband James, Affenpinscher Pepito, and kitty Baby Olive. In her spare time, Michelle likes to sing karaoke.

When planning a shoot do you usually start out with an idea or a strict visual of what you want to accomplish?
‘I like to sketch out ideas, taking into consideration the theme and setting of the shoot, which then inspires the color palette and helps to shape the over all mood of the images I want to create. Casting is also a huge factor in bringing my vision to life. It doesn’t matter to me if I am working with a professional model or an average joe, I am inspired by interesting looking people that can bring a genuine spontaneity to my set’.

How did the idea of the frames come about?
‘My All Eyes On U! series was inspired by the “Big Eyed” painting movement of the late sixties. I wanted to pay homage to these paintings by reinterpreting them through the medium of photography. Some of my favorite “Big Eyed” painters are Eden, Keane, Eve, and Lee. I have been collecting their work for a while, and actually photographed a few of the vintage frames to use in my interpretation’.

Your work is very fashionable in a cool zany kind of way. Do you work with a stylist?
‘The look of the image is very important to me. I pay great attention to the color and texture of clothing, accessories, and props to make sure it’s all working. Often times with my personal work I do my own styling. I always work with a stylist on my commercial jobs. I enjoy the collaborative process of discussing my color palette ideas and brainstorming for inspirations’.

What is the one rule of photography that you break most often?
‘I’m not sure if I would call this a rule but there always seems to be certain “guidelines” as to what’s marketable at any given time. I try to follow my own vision without being corrupted with what style of imagery is hot at the moment. Staying away from trends and sticking with my own style and aesthetic has allowed me to focus and grow as a photographer’.

How do you go about finding props?
‘I am always on the look out for unusual props. I’ll buy things just because I like the way they look. They can end up as a prop in one of my shoots, or once in a while inspire the whole theme of an image. I love anything with Twinkie the kid the best, his boots rock! I’m still trying to figure out a way to incorporate him into a shoot. I seek out items on Ebay, thrift stores, and sometimes rent from prop houses. Working with a prop stylist is the best because they can often find hidden gems faster than I can’.

Corey Arnold is a photographer and Alaskan crab fisherman. During October, January and February he can (or cannot) be found aboard the F/V Rollo in the Bering Sea. The rest of the year is packed with travel, gallery exhibitions, magazine and ad photography assignments with a bit of backyard gardening, cat maintenance, and skateboarding in Portland, Oregon. Corey is currently working on his life long photography project, Fish-work, which is a portrait of the modern commercial fisherman. He has spent six years photographing his life as a crab fisherman in the Bering Sea. In 2005, he received an American-Scandinavian Foundation grant to photograph the men at sea in Northern Norway. Upcoming projects include working with the Salmon fishermen of Bristol Bay, Alaska and the Trawl industry of Northern Russia.

As a professional fisherman you must have a unique perspective on human/animal relationships. How does this influence your photographs?
‘When I was a kid I used to stalk birds and other animals with my bb gun in the backyard. My hunter instinct was strong and I’d spend hours searching for victims. Then, after killing something, I was torn by my adrenaline fueled sense of accomplishment and deep sadness for what I had done. The same applied to sportfishing as a child. The goal was, of course, to seek out and kill the largest, most beautiful fish! At home, I’ve fathered many pets… cats, snakes, dogs, rabbits. For some instinctual reason, I’m endlessly curious about animals. I like to be in close quarters with them, whether it be gutting a fish for dinner letting my cat sleep on my head. The human animal series came along naturally… it’s a series of curious animal situations that I’ve encountered throughout my recent life. This is an ongoing series, an exploration of how we relate to animals and it covers a broad perspective of events both real and designed. My time at sea as a commercial fisherman has given me a more animal perspective on animals then a human one in some ways. The goal is to make pictures that are curious, sometimes brutal and often ridiculous… which is how I experience our shared world with animals’.

How did the shot of the raccoon and the cookie come about?
‘My girlfriend and I were staying at a little bed and breakfast in Astoria, Oregon. We were in the kitchen when a raccoon appeared at the window and the lady running the place opens the window while talking in a baby voice to the raccoon… ” ohhhh, why helllooooo little friend! Are you hungry for a treat!” Apparently there is a whole den of raccoons living in the backyard and she spends the days feeding them cookies… cookies for years! It’s amazing that raccoons can survive off cookies. This pic was taken outside later that day during another cookie feeding’.

What camera are you using?
‘I’ve mixed it up a bit over the last 5 years but most of my pictures were taken with a Mamiya 645 or Mamiya 7. Although recently I’ve been able to mix some digital pictures in and was surprised at how seemlessly they could be incorporated into the same exhibition. With digital, I’m using the Canon 1ds Mark III with fixed lenses. Mostly film though. Film, whenever possible!’