Sebastian Farmborough is a photographer with a mission: To clear up misconceptions surrounding the Middle East. Armed with his camera and the belief that the Muslim world is severely misunderstood, Sebastian sets out on a photographic project to capture a subject that has been the topic of debates for as long as we can remember: the veil.

He was born and educated in England, but having lived in different countries around the world, Sebastian has bred a love for languages and diverse cultures. Here, he talks about one of his works, ‘An Emerging Mystery’. The photograph has gone viral with almost 20,000 hits from 133 different countries.

Toonari Post (TP): What inspired you to capture this portrait?

Sebastian Farmborough (SF): The image itself was inspired by one of my very first experiences in Saudi Arabia. I headed down to the Arabian Gulf for a dip and there, I became mesmerized by something black and obscure out at sea. It looked like a huge jellyfish. Then, as it approached, I realized that it was in fact a woman.

It was such an overwhelming experience that I just had to capture it for myself. It is entitled ‘An Emerging Mystery’ and I feel as though it is extremely symbolic of the Muslim women’s increasing prominence in the world.

TP: What was your main aim in producing the picture?

SF: Having lived in Saudi Arabia for 3 years and having had some wonderful experiences, I became really fed up of seeing the Saudi veil portrayed in such a degrading way in the Western media. I wanted to produce an image that would convey the beauty and dignity of their women, whilst at the same time respecting their cultural and religious beliefs.

TP: What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the veil?

SF: The largest Western misconception is that women are forced to wear it when in fact, most women choose to. With particular reference to Saudi Arabia, it is important to note that the young men are not used to seeing women exposing parts of their body, so should women do so, they run the risk of attracting an awful lot of unwanted attention. I think it is important for Westerners to realize that this is indeed a different world, one which cannot be easily compared to theirs.

Apparently, in the past, it was different. Women typically covered less as they lived in small communities, largely composed of their families. I can imagine that the rapid development and necessity to incorporate themselves into city life must have come as quite a shock. With this considered, it seems quite understandable that a conservative society would encourage greater precaution amongst their women.

TP: How do you intend for the photo to clear up these misconceptions?

SF: I hope that my image can intrigue and encourage Westerners to be more open-minded, while at the same time please those for whom it is both a natural and common occurrence. This is not the face of terrorism, this is a representation of Muslim women as a whole, strong and confident, emerging and progressing into this developed world.

TP: How has the reaction to ‘An Emerging Mystery’ been?

SF: I have received e-mails from women expressing how much the image means to them, and even a lovely e-mail from a Saudi princess. Some Saudi women have even used it as a background to their phones. This image was for them, so I find it enormously fulfilling that they identify with the lady in the water.

Having said this, not every reaction has been a positive one. Some people have become rather enraged, claiming that it is sexual in nature. Though that was never my intention, it is of course enormously difficult to please everyone, particularly where differing cultural perceptions are concerned.

TP: What is in store in the future for your photographic project?

SF: I would love to return to Saudi Arabia and produce a collection of photographs to illustrate the positive aspects of the kingdom. Only negative stories seem to get through in the Western media and I hope that in my lifetime I will be able to do something to redress the balance somewhat. In actual fact, there are many things that we Westerners could learn from Saudis and it would be a real pleasure to convey these to a Western public.

More of Sebastian Farmborough’s work can be found here.

Image Courtesy of Sebastian Farmborough

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Cristina Otero is a 16-year-old artist from Spain that works to balance her school life along with the beautiful, emotional photographs she takes. She may just be in high school, but Cristina sure knows how to weld a camera.

Her collections all include the human body in some manner, and she has a few galleries centered around fruit, a particularly poignant feeling, or death. Already a skilled photographer, Cristina is one to look out for in the art world, as she continues to master her medium and find inspiration in her own feelings.

ToonariPost (TP): How and when did you first start practicing your art? Are you traditionally trained or self-taught?

Cristina Otero (CO): I started with photography when I was 13 years old. I discovered photography after one of my classmates talked about America’s Next Top Model, an American TV program where amateur models compete. I loved the process, from the modelling to the shooting. I wanted to do the same, and one day, I tried. Since then, I haven’t stopped taking pictures.

TP: What mediums do you use for your art work? 

CO: The camera is Pentax K5. Lenses are: Pentax 55mm f1.4, Pentax 70mm f2.4, and Pentax 100mm f2.8 macro. For retouching, I use Photoshop cs3 and Photoscape.

TP: What piece of your work is your favorite and why?

CO: I don’t really have a favorite. It depends on the mood I have. If I’m happy, one from my Tutti Frutti series. If I’m sad, then one from my Haunted series, but probably “trauma.” is the one I can relate to the most.

TP: When you first started, did you ever hit any bumps in your art process?  What were they, and how did you overcome them?

CO: Not really, except the fact I’m in school and don’t have a lot of time to photograph anymore. Apart from that, everything has gone pretty well actually.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

CO: I finally realized what truly inspires me, and that’s my own self. My thoughts, worries, and memories are my inspiration. A lot of people had already told me this, that my art is honest, sincere, and it resembles the life of a teenager, continuously changing and evolving, telling her story. I didn’t really believe until the other day, as I created a photograph that spoke the truth about my, let’s say, internal battle.

TP: Have you ever had to deal with a situation where someone else took credit for your work?  If so, what did you do to resolve it?  How did this art theft make you feel?

CO: Yes, I have and, unfortunately, quite a few times. What I always do in this case is to post in all my pages the link to my stolen art, asking my followers to report them to get banned. It always works, and it’s amazing how people react; they’re really kind and loving, and I truly appreciate them for that. It makes me feel miserable and helpless. It infuriates me, but I try to stay calm and resolve it.

TP: What is your favorite subject to photograph and why?

CO: The human body. To be more specific, a human face. I find it fascinating, and it’s amazing what you can do with one. It helps me cope with my own problems, turning them into art for people to see.

TP: If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

CO: Apart from photography, I’d love to be able to paint digitally like a professional. I’m actually saving to buy a nice tablet to start drawing.

TP: Outside of art, what is your life like?  Tell me anything about yourself that you would like.

CO: Just like any other normal 16-year-old teenager’s life: study, hang out with friends, act goofy and do stupid things, get mad at my parents, feel the world is against me, and cope with my obligations.

TP: What are your goals in life?  Do you plan to continue art as a hobby, or make it a career?

CO: My goal is to work on anything that is about art, more precisely in photography.

TP: Do you feel that your culture has influenced you in some way that makes you different than other artists?

CO: Not exactly. What I think makes me different is that I’ve learned not from one, but many cultures, mixing them to help me see the world the way I see it. My whole life I’ve moved from place to place; I have friends from almost every part of the world, and I’ve learned so much from them. It’s a privilege to be able to visit and live in different places, and I really appreciate that opportunity. It has made me become the person I am now.

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Johnny McGeorge is a portrait photographer from the UK currently based in Malaysia. His sexually empowered Westernized photographic style has caused quite a stir in the more conservative Islamic country. You can find more of his work on his website, portfolio and Tumblr blog.

Toonari Post (TP): How and when did you get started in photography?

Johnny McGeorge (JM): Hmm…I bought my first SLR camera in 2001 and took travel snaps in South America. When I got back, people wanted to buy my prints. I was quite shocked but as I continued to travel and shoot, and more people wanted to buy prints. I was only ever really interested in travel or abstract photography until I came to Asia where I turned my hand at commercial, lifestyle and portraiture. Sometimes photography becomes ‘work’ and I lose interest, so I prefer to keep it either as a hobby or just as a creative outlet.

TP: Where do your inspirations come from?

JM: Inspiration comes from everywhere and anywhere. I’ve always been inspired by nature, by the unknown, or by concepts too huge to fully grasp. My design influences come from geometry and minimalist aesthetics, and my photography inspiration comes from everywhere. I just like beautiful images and good timing. The image or production quality doesn’t matter – as long as there’s ‘feeling’.

TP: I heard that your Facebook account was reported recently and you had to get a new one? What happened?

JM: Exactly what you heard. I guess I’m a social agitator, so my images have been continually reported until I get blocked from posting. Since I’m a compulsive Facebooker, I started a new account. Simple. It was more to start afresh – out with the old and in with the new to reflect my immediate future plans.

TP: What sort of difficulties have you had to face in photographing such risque portraits, especially in a rather conservative Muslim country like Malaysia?

JM: Not so many ‘difficulties’ to be honest. A big issue however is having to deal with sexually repressed perverts and self-righteous religious folk. Some dubious characters have even approached girls using my name by claiming to either work with or for me. That’s quite serious. Otherwise I’ve been very careful about how I’ve crafted my public image.

I remain a mystery to most. I make sure very few people know who I actually am, despite the fact that most people have heard of me. I’m nothing more than a reclusive misanthropist; I’m a stay-at-home-type of guy and did most of my wild partying years ago. Rumors in Malaysia are that I shoot porn and screw every model I meet. I’ve gained a sense of notoriety purely out of being so publically inaccessible.

TP: Why such risque portraits though?

JM: Risque? Really? I’ve had to work with the restrictions Malaysia has dealt so that my images remain fairly decent. It’s all a matter of opinion. Malaysians think my work is outright erotica and borderline porn. In Europe and US, it’s considered relatively tame. In the UK, it’s just portraiture. There are no ‘bits’ on display, and all my images are about suggestion – what you don’t see, rather than what you do.

TP: What is Girls. And Money.? What’s the idea, purpose and story behind it?

JM: The name Girls. And Money. is the title of a song by my ex-girlfriend’s electropop band Riviera F. It’s a cool song, and the name seemed to fit the theme. Originally I wanted to showcase the work as a cultural art project that gave identities back to Malaysian women who had been labelled no more than “Malay, Chinese, Indian or Others” despite being a beautiful mix of races and creeds.

Most “Malays” are Javanese, Minangkabau, Bugis or some other mixed ethnicity by descent, yet in Malaysia, they are simply “Malay.” These identites are being lost through generic labelling. Anyhow, that was the original statement I pitched to the publisher in New York [where I subsequently launched my book in June 2011].

As the project went on, I changed my statement to “documenting a shifting trend of socially acceptable slutty behaviour in a conservative Muslim state.”  My work has inspired a lot of people and I believe I brought a new edge to photography in Malaysia, as well as empowering girls to embrace their sexuality in a positive way that wasn’t simply considered ‘dirty or perverted’.

TP: How was the public response towards your photography showcase?

JM: As I say, a lot of people loved the photos. Primarily because the concepts and content were quite edgy and very current. Plus the images were slightly ‘naughty’ by Malaysian standards. It was well received overseas because I was shooting Asian faces in a very NYC/London style.

So most people responded positively, but like anything – haters gonna hate – and as such there have been people who take offence. From what I can gather, the only people who don’t like the work are those who feel that feminine sexuality belongs behind closed doors and should not be for public consumption. Their motivation for these thoughts is not my problem. I’ll leave it at that.

TP: What other work have you got in store for the near future?

JM:  Actually, I’m about to relocate to Central America in July. Time for a whole new adventure. I guess there’ll be more portraiture and hopefully more travel stories. Who knows? I’m looking for something to rekindle my passions and inspire me to create new and interesting things.

I’ve become too familiar and too comfortable in Asia; it’s almost too easy and that unsettles me. I need to throw myself into a different culture, language, and people to explore. Can’t. Fuckin’. Wait.

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Dani, the animal lover behind TVD-Photography’s astonishing photos, is a 26-year-old Australian photographer. She may not work at a zoo, but she certainly knows her way around both a camera and the animals she works with. To find out how such close-up and touching animal photos can be captured, Dani agreed to do an interview.

Toonari Post (TP): How and when did you first start practicing your art?

Dani (D): I first tried out and borrowed a friends camera in 2005 and found that I quite enjoyed taking photos so in 2006 I bought my first small camera, I didn’t last long with it as people on DA recommended I get myself a proper DSLR. So I must thank the people of DA who gave me the advice and support to move forwards.

I am also a self-taught photographer. I’m very stubborn and refuse to pay hundreds of dollars for someone to tell me how to use my camera. There is just so much on the internet to use as resources for free.

TP: What piece of your work is your favorite and why? Which one are you most proud of?

D: This is always a really hard question for me as I have lots of favorites and am proud of a lot of my work, too. I know I can keep improving on it, but I have taken so many it is hard to choose just one of each but I’ll do my best.

Favorite: Mostly because I love cheetahs and I love the look on her face.

Proud of: I’m proud of the composition I got in this one and it just looks so natural and like it was not taken in a zoo, even though it is.

TP: When you first started did you ever hit any bumps in your art process. What were they and how did you overcome them?

D: Okay, here’s a story for you. When I first got my DSLR I obviously didn’t know how to use it to it’s full potential yet. I was using the auto setting a lot of the time and it was a 400D so if it was dim the flash would automatically come up. When taking photos through glass you do not want the flash going off.  Since I couldn’t figure out how to stop this I would put my hand in front of it so I wouldn’t get the flash. I had missed a great opportunity to get good photos of very small tiger cubs because of my inexperience.

So after that experience I went home and started looking up how to use manuals and what all the settings were. I had pretty much started to learn that just because you have a DSLR camera it doesn’t automatically make you a photographer. I started using and practicing with the manual and after that my photos started improving. I really enjoy using the manual and playing with all the settings now.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

D: Animals are my first inspiration. When I look at other photos or just go to the zoo and watch their behaviors I always feel the need to photograph them.

Other photographers on DeviantART have also been my inspiration. When I first started with zoo photography I would always look at *Sooper-Deviant‘s profile for inspiration and, in fact, I still do.

TP: Have you ever had to deal with a situation where someone else took credit for your work? If so, what did you do to resolve it? How did this art theft make you feel?

D: Well I don’t get art theft on my work as often as others, I always watermark and don’t make my images too big. I think this discourages people a little. I see my work in blogs, on Tumblr and other sites and I don’t mind as my name is kept on the images and sometimes links back to me.

I have seen my work used without permission, though, a few times. Usually I will ask people to give me credit and if that fails I do report it so it’s taken down. Admittedly, depending on the severity it does make me angry, thankfully no one has tried to sell my work though.

TP: What is your favorite subject to photograph and why?

D: Animals, of course. I love to capture their emotions through my photos and I love to share them with others, especially those who have no chance to see these animals in person in the wild or in a zoo. I’m always happy when I’m photographing animals.

TP: I notice a majority of your photos are of animals. Which is your favorite and why?

D: Cheetahs are my favorite. You won’t see many in my gallery since our zoo doesn’t have them. I love their cute little faces, I love their speed and I love that they’re different from other cats.

TP: What are some difficulties in taking photos of animals? Can you describe your process of getting the perfect shot?

D: Well I mainly do zoo photography so my challenge is to get the shot looking as natural as possible. No fences or man made objects. Most of the time I am able to do this. Another challenge is also to get emotion from the animals so patience is a must. Also I think about my composition and what would be visually appealing.

TP: I see you have hundreds of pictures! How do you find the time to take such breathtaking photos?

D: Well, I’ve been doing photography for a few years now and have traveled overseas visiting various zoos twice. In fact, I have plenty more photos to post, which will last me for the next few years! But originally, I was visiting the zoo almost every weekend taking lots of photos.

11. If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

Well if I could just draw anything from cartoons to real life drawings and be able to color and shade them I’d be pretty happy. I seem to have a hard time when I try and it takes me hours. So it would be nice.

TP: Outside of art what is your life like?

D: I live quite a boring life, photography is what gets me out there doing things. I do enjoy staying in and watching movies, going out to dinner with friends and traveling and meeting new people.

TP: What are your goals in life? Do you plan to continue art as a hobby or make it a career?

D: My main goal in life is to just be happy and do things that I love. I do photography as a hobby and it will probably stay that way however I do sell my prints online for anyone who is interested. When I sell something it’s just a bonus.

Image Courtesy of   http://tvd-photography.deviantart.com/

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Megan is a 21 year-old Dutch photographer who absolutely adores ladybugs; so much so that her Deviantart username is the Dutch word for ladybug (Lieveheersbeestje). The name is the first thing that caught my attention, but then I saw her darling photos and could not resist asking her for an interview to which she eagerly agreed to.

Toonari Post (TP): How and when did you first start practicing your art (are you traditionally trained or self-taught)?

Megan (M): My interest in photography started a few years ago when I saw all the amazing photographs here on Deviantart. I did some research on the different cameras, and decided I wanted a Canon EOS 500D. After saving up the money I bought the camera and started practicing! I am mainly self-taught, with some help of photography tutorials.

TP: What mediums do you use for your art work? Which is your favorite and why?

M: Macro (close-up photography) is my favorite medium. I just like the details of an insect or an object that you can’t see that well with your eye, but can be enormous with a lens. I think that’s an amazing thing that you can achieve with photography.

TP: What piece of your work is your favorite and why? Which one are you most proud of?

M: I think “Way Up” is my favorite and also the one I’m the most proud of because it was one of my first macro shots of ladybugs and I had just bought my first camera. It has a lot of meanings to me.

TP: When you first started did you ever hit any bumps in your art process. What were they and how did you overcome them?

M: A few actually. I am a bit of a perfectionist so it can be really difficult, especially when you just started making photographs, and you see all the great photos on Deviantart. It can be a bit discouraging, but it also made me want to practice even more.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

M: All the amazing photographs here on Deviantart are a big inspiration for me. I also get my ideas looking at magazines and other photography websites.

TP: Have you ever had to deal with a situation where someone else took credit for your work? If so, what did you do to resolve it? How did this art theft make you feel?

M: I saw my photographs on a few different websites without a credit to me. It only makes me angry when the person says she/he made it. But on a lot of websites there isn’t an option to report the deviation/deviant as there is on Deviantart. So there isn’t really anything that I can do besides leave a comment.

TP: What is your favorite subject to photograph and why?

M: In the beginning I loved to photograph ladybugs, that is why I have so many ladybug pictures in my gallery. But now because there aren’t so many ladybugs in the winter, I try to work with small, cute items (jars, clocks, necklaces, etc.). And now I really love using those in my photographs too.

TP: How do you get the perfect shot to work when working with such a small subject or when photographing a moving subject like the one in “Splash”?

M: I always take many shots of one subject, so then when I upload them to my computer there just has to be at least one perfect shot. And sometimes I’m just lucky I think…

TP:  If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

M: I want to learn how to take landscape photographs. I see so many beautiful landscape photos with a magical atmosphere around me, I really want to try this too.

TP: Outside of art what is your life like?

M: Photography is definitely my biggest hobby, but I also love to draw! Before photography I made a lot of drawings. And whenever I don’t feel like photographing, I draw. And I really love animals, I have had a lot of pets. My newest pet is my guinea pig, she is so sweet and I just love to cuddle her!

TP: What are your goals in life? Do you plan to continue art as a hobby or make it a career?

M: I am not sure yet if I want to make photography my profession. But if not I’m sure I’ll never stop taking photographs.

TP: Do you feel that your culture has influenced you in some way that makes you different than other artists?

M: Well I don’t really think I’m am very different than other artists, I just try to keep my work unique and try to do other things.

Image Courtesy of    http://lieveheersbeestje.deviantart.com/

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