Say Cheese! The One Photographer You Need to Follow Right Now

Hey there, photography fans! Are you ready to take your photos to the next level? Look no further than Derujinsky Photography - the brainchild of yours truly, Madeline Derujinsky!

If you haven't heard of Derujinsky Photography yet, let me fill you in. I'm a talented photographer with a knack for capturing stunning images that are anything but basic.

So what makes my photography different? First of all, I'm all about making you feel comfortable in front of the camera. I know it can be nerve-wracking to get your picture taken, but I'll work with you to make sure you feel confident and at ease. Plus, I'll help you bring out your best self, so you can be sure you're getting photos that truly reflect who you are.

But that's not all. I'm super creative when it comes to photography. I love experimenting with different angles, lighting, and settings to create unique shots that will make you stand out from the crowd. With my background in fashion and editorial photography, you know you're getting photos that are carefully crafted to tell a story and make a statement.

And let's talk about editing! I take my time to ensure that every photo is perfectly edited, with just the right balance of contrast, saturation, and other elements to make your images pop. I'm all about the details, so you can be sure that every photo you receive will be flawless.

So if you're ready to elevate your photography game, contact me. Let's capture some amazing shots together!

Photo History 101: Imogen Cunningham

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Hey you!

Welcome back to Photo History 101! Last time we talked about a photographer who was really near and dear to my heart, I truly hope that you feel like you know me a bit better after reading a bit about Gleb, the photographer who inspires me the most. This time we are smack dab in the middle of Women’s History Month, so who better to talk about than female photographer Imogen Cunningham.

I had the pleasure of attending the opening for Cunningham’s latest exhibition “Imogen Cunningham: A Retrospective” at the Getty Center, here in Los Angeles on March 7th. The exhibit had a private opening and opened to the public on March 8th, aka International Women’s day! It was one of the first large events hosted at the Getty since the pandemic began, and everyone brought such incredible energy. Along with some biographical information, I will also be discussing some of Cunningham’s work that really spoke to me as an artist.

Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) was an American photographer known for her botanical photography, nudes, and industrial landscapes. She walked along side some of the greatest western photographers as a member of the California based group f/64. f/64 was a group founded by 7 photographers who shared a common photographic style and included members such as iconic landscape photographer Ansel Adams and surrealist Edward Weston.

Cunningham began her 70 year long career as a Seattle high school student, she dual enrolled in photography classes through the American School of Art and Photography. In college she later studied chemistry because a professor told her it would be a good basis for photography. She graduated in 1907 from the University of Washington, her final thesis was titled "The Scientific Development of Photography," which examined the work of a local photographer, Edward Curtis. She worked for his studio from 1907-1909 and learned platinum printing during her time there.

Imogen opened a studio in Seattle in 1910 and created portraits in that space for 5 years before meeting her husband Roi Partridge. He was also an artist, an etcher, photographer and printmaker in fact. They had 3 children and adjoining studios (HOW ROMANTIC!!!) In 1917, Imogen, Roi, and the children moved to San Francisco and with the shift in location, and Roi’s etching expeditions, she turned towards dedicating time to raising her children. While dedicating her time to raising and caring for her children she turned to her garden for solace, and thus her botanicals were born.

Imogen was known for her extraordinary portraits. She photographed actors, painters, other photographers, and friends. Some of her subjects include Cary Grant, Frida Kahlo, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Man Ray, Dorthea Lang and many more. When asked to describe the requirements for a successful portrait photographer, Cunningham replied, “You must be able to gain an understanding at short notice and at close range of the beauties of character, intellect, and spirit, so you can draw out the best qualities and make them show in the face of the sitter.”

One thing I love about Cunningham as a photographer is the value she found in photographing her mentors and peers. She clearly deeply valued community. You can see the complex relationships she had to these people she photographed, especially when they were people she looked up to or that held value in her life.

My favorite of her portraits combines two of the features I love about her work. The first feature being that it is a photo of someone she looked up to. The second is her darkroom printing ability. She was a beast in the darkroom, and this piece is a clear example of what I mean by that. The portrait is of Man Ray, and it is titled “A Man Ray Version of Man Ray.” She created it by “moving the image around in the enlarger as many as eight times to create that cinematic effect” according to her granddaughter, Meg Partridge.

A Man Ray Version of Man Ray - Portrait by Imogen Cunningham

A Man Ray Version of Man Ray, 1961

In 1934, she explored documentary street photography in New York. She called these photos “stolen pictures” as they were all taken while she attempted to hide herself and her camera from her subjects view. Her interest in street photography renewed in 1946 when she was teaching at the California School of Fine Art (now the San Francisco Art Institute) in San Francisco. Her “stolen pictures” were meant to capture people as they are versus how they look when they know they are being photographed.

Alone, circa 1950

Double Image, Sutter St. and Fillmore, about 1947

The final images from her retrospective that I want to highlight are her incredible nudes. Her most famous being “Triangles” 1928.

Triangles, 1928.

Her nudes really do examine women through the female gaze. They are soft, they are natural, they are unfiltered. There is an ethereal element to all her nude work that really sets the tone for so much of the work I see from artists’s of today. Cunningham captured timeless images that have influenced the masses when it came to form study in photography.

When I saw Imogen’s nude photographs it reminded me of photos that I took for a series I will soon be releasing called Birthday Suit. The series is also a form study of women in their most natural state (more details to come soon). I had never seen Cunningham’s work prior to conceptualizing and photographing my series in 2019. I was really inspired and reinvigorated to visit those images again after seeing her images at the Getty.

Thank you all so much for coming by to read about Imogen and if you just scrolled down to the end TLDR: Imogen is an incredible photographer who never let herself “niche down” as they say. She had a 70 year long career where she got to explore every and all aspects of photography she was interested in. If youve been struggling to find your niche… maybe don’t? Maybe you should just do what calls you, because the greatest art is the art you create when you really love what you’re creating. If you would like to know more about Imogen or have an interest in purchasing her book Imogen Cunningham: A Retrospective, be sure to check out the Getty website!

I am so grateful for all the support when it comes to reading and sharing this blog. My main goal is to create a resource for new and old photographers to learn, discuss, and build community. Until next time friends!

How to: Become a Photographer

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Have you been thinking about picking up photography as a hobby, or turning it into a career?  You might be asking yourself, “how does one become a photographer?” Take pictures. That’s it. If you take pictures, you are a photographer. 

No, but really, if you want to be a photographer, get yourself a camera and start shooting. Some photographers might tell you you need the best equipment, you need a client list, you need the hottest models, or the best locations. That isn’t always true, I have seen lots of people who call themselves photographers because they own the latest camera, whose photos are just so so. Many of the best photographers I know were gifted a camera and started fiddling around with it and found a passion. 

So, where do you get a camera? And what’s the best for beginners? I guess this depends on what medium you want to use first, digital or film. There are perks and downsides to both, let’s discuss. 

Digital: 

  • Instant gratification. You get to look at a photo on your camera and adjust your settings or adjust your subject as needed. 

  • You have the ability to manipulate photos in software like Lightroom or Photoshop with less rigidity than film. 

  • You have virtually unlimited space (depending on your SD or CF card) to take photos during a shoot. They are small, and take up very little space so you can easily carry more than one.

  • Weight, digital cameras are often lightweight and easy to travel with. 

  • Cost, these bad boys can be pricey! My most recent camera purchase was a used in good condition Canon Mark IV, and I spent about $2000. Digital cameras can range from between $150-$6000. (But again you don’t need a $6000 camera to start.) Lenses are a whole other story, also insanely expensive, but absolutely worth the investment when you can make it 

  • You need multiple batteries, there’s nothing worse than arriving to a shoot and an hour in, your camera battery dies.

Film:

I will admit, I am a little biased as a film shooter myself. So forgive me while I rant about why you should also become a film photographer. 

  • A roll of film is usually limited to 24-36 frames if you are shooting 35mm or up to 15 frames if you are shooting 120 Film. I personally believe that shooting film encourages you to be more thoughtful when creating images. Depending on your viewpoint, this could be viewed as an advantage or a disadvantage.

  • Shooting manual on a film camera is so much easier to learn, again a personal opinion. You really have to learn your aperture, and shutter speed, in conjunction with the ISO speed of your film. Something about learning how those things work on a film camera was so much more simplistic than trying to decipher it on my digital.

  • Film has a higher dynamic range (look this up) than most digital cameras which means your black and whites are going to be crispy AF. 

  • Cost, the average 35mm film camera (body + lens) is going to be less than a digital camera. Cameras get more expensive when you are looking into shooting 120. What you don’t pay for in a camera, you will be paying in film. Film has become so expensive, the cost is split between buying the film and having it processed and scanned. 

  • The waiting!!! Ugh the waiting! Unless I am on assignment, I will fully wait around to have my film developed (who knows maybe I will start processing at home) and I will go months, most times I wait so long that I forget what’s on the roll and have a happy little surprise at my own photos. 

  • Lastly, film storage. Film takes up space, it’s not as compact as your SD and CF cards. And, you have to keep it at a certain temperature. Film is best when you treat it beer, keep it cold and crack it open when needed. 

So you picked a medium, now what? Find a camera. 

Many photographers, including myself, agree that Canon is amazing! You can pick yourself up a refurbished Canon Rebel T7i via their website, and it works and looks like new. This is a great option for new photographers looking to save some coin. You can also find refurbished cameras via Adorama if you want a Nikon or Sony option. If you want a film camera, EBay baby! Don’t get conned, if you are spending over $200 for a 35mm film camera body and lens you are spending too much. Make sure the listing confirms that the camera has been film tested so you know it works and doesn’t have light leaks. 

Now you have a camera, what do you shoot? ANYTHING, AND EVERYTHING. Shoot things that make you happy, shoot things that make you sad, shoot on the street, in your house, with your friends! Take pictures from far away and really close up. Find inspiration through Pinterest and go try to recreate them, experiment with angles, and exposures, and depth of field.

In all seriousness, have fun! Photography is a creative outlet, and not to be cliché or anything but a picture is worth a thousand words. The thing you should remember while creating images, whether you are recreating and pulling inspiration from someone else or creating something completely new, no one has your perspective. Your perspective is worth sharing! 

Last lil bit of advice: find your community. It. Isn’t easy, nothing about photography really is. Find community through classes, meet up groups, friends with common interests, tinder, social media! You need support, we all do. We are all more successful when we uplift one another, so share your work and start building community. You can start with me, tag me in your photos on Instagram and Twitter and I will happily, like, comment, and share with my community too! 

God speed my little photo babies! If you are a new photographer stay tuned for more tips and tricks coming soon. If you are a veteran and want to share some of your own tips and tricks please comment them below!