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Omani photographer makes history at France's premier photo festival
Omani photographer makes history at France's premier photo festival

Times of Oman

time2 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Times of Oman

Omani photographer makes history at France's premier photo festival

MUSCAT: In a groundbreaking moment for Omani contemporary art, photographer Abdulaziz Al Hosni has become the first artist from Oman to be featured in the prestigious La Nuit de l'Année ('Night of the Year') at Les Rencontres d'Arles, one of the world's foremost photography festivals. Held annually in the historic city of Arles in southern France since 1970, the festival is a global stage for visual storytelling, drawing artists, critics, and curators from around the world. Al Hosni's photographic series, 'Qalb Mahmood,' was projected on July 12 as part of the open-air showcase that defines La Nuit de l'Année, captivating audiences with its rich cinematic palette and deeply emotive narrative. Originally commissioned by WePresent, the creative arm of WeTransfer, 'Qalb Mahmood' explores themes of inner reflection and emotional authenticity. With staged compositions, poetic symbolism, and vibrant colors, the series guides viewers through a personal yet universally resonant journey of emotional truth. The work first gained international acclaim during Al Hosni's solo exhibition at Melkweg Expo in Amsterdam in November 2024. Its inclusion in Arles not only cements its impact but elevates its reach: the project has also been selected for the festival's 'Best Of' programme, now on view at the Ancien Collège Mistral from July 14 through the close of the festival. Al Hosni's participation represents a significant cultural milestone, introducing Omani perspectives to a wider global audience and contributing to the evolving narrative of photography from the Arabian Peninsula.

The cowboy as a symbol of America: Jim Krantz's best photograph
The cowboy as a symbol of America: Jim Krantz's best photograph

The Guardian

time2 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • The Guardian

The cowboy as a symbol of America: Jim Krantz's best photograph

I'm not a cowboy and I don't ride horses, but I've been around them my whole life. My dad had a furniture store near the stockyards in south Omaha, and I would watch the cattle being moved between pens ready to go to auction. I sensed a freedom in the cowboys that I related to. I've always been an explorer, it's my nature. I'm more comfortable and I feel most alive in situations I'm not familiar with. I am always drawn to this same type – I've photographed test pilots and astronauts – the strong, quiet, self-directed types who seem to be in control of their destiny. This shot of Mark, a friend of mine, was taken in 2014. All my images are productions, I don't just happen to be there. I build a narrative and visit locations – it's more like making a movie, it's very intentional. I scout locations that connect to what I want to represent. This was a rugged area of northern Colorado. The shoot was really about speed and energy, and I wanted open spaces that could allow the cowboys to do what they wanted. I wanted harder surfaces and dramatic skies – although you never really know what you're going to get. I take references from historical paintings and drawings of the American west, and ideas I carry on pieces of paper, so I go with a visual feel of what I want to do. I wanted to separate the colours of the landscape: the colour of the hat, the horse, its saddle blanket, were all selected deliberately. The image is all about power and grace – the gesture of the animal is so forceful, and the cowboy is so in control. When I look at this photograph I want to be that guy. He's super alive and in the moment, there's the feeling of an adrenaline rush – everything about it is energising, masculine, powerful – and it underlines the theme of freedom. It gives you a feeling of life. When I look back, a lot of my work is about the same thing. It's not so much about cowboys, it's about the freedom to express yourself. I hope it makes people feel good – it makes me feel empowered. The cowboy, like the Statue of Liberty or the Hollywood sign, is a symbol of America, it conveys some kind of hope, something aspirational. When Richard Prince appropriated my work in 2007, it was a real catalyst to redefine myself. In the last 10 years, that's given me the freedom to express what I think about the American west in new ways, such as in my paintings. I don't have an agenda, I am always on the move physically and conceptually with my work. It was violating to have my work taken – but it did bring my work to light. It was after the New York Times article that James Danzinger began to represent me. I used to watch my maternal grandfather paint every Saturday. He was an abstract expressionist and his use of colour was very unusual. After he had a stroke, Saturdays with him ended but he gave me my first camera and instructed me to use it. One day he told me he had been reading about someone he thought I should study with – Ansel Adams. I looked him up in the phone book and called – and that was the start of me studying and working with Adams in California. Nowadays, people don't look that much at what's around them. It's a very angst-ridden environment, it's hard to separate ourselves from the emotional rollercoaster. I don't bury my head in the sand but my work is a way for me to escape. It's the only way I can get away from all this shit that's going on on a daily basis, and make something beautiful that inspires me. If you keep your eyes open, there's just so much out there. Born: Omaha, Nebraska, 1955Trained: 'I am still in training, and plan to continue.'Influences: 'The natural world and my maternal grandfather.'High point: 'Mt Wilson, near Telluride at 13,800ft – photographing for the US army. The high points in a career often get the most attention, but it's the low points that have taught me the most. Those are the moments when feelings run deepest, when you're most aware, and when growth truly begins. It's from those uncertain places that you rebuild – and that's where the real expansion and improvement happen. But I don't tend to emphasise either high or low too heavily, because a creative life is made of constant ebb and flow. That movement, that rhythm, is what keeps the work alive and evolving.'Low point: 'Cancún, Mexico 34ft below sea level – diving. The title Frontier holds deep meaning for me. It speaks to the space between the known and the unknown – the edge where the familiar falls away and something new begins. That's the place I'm drawn to most. When I'm a bit lost, a bit unsure … that's where the real work begins. Some might call it a low point. For me, it's where I feel most alive.'Top tip: 'Free yourself from self judgment – just work.' Frontier by Jim Krantz is published by GOST Books

Team AA: Here are our favorite phone wallpapers
Team AA: Here are our favorite phone wallpapers

Android Authority

time7 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Android Authority

Team AA: Here are our favorite phone wallpapers

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority Whether it's our weekly Wallpaper Wednesday series or backgrounds from specific devices, we're all about sharing wallpapers with you folks. But what are our favorite wallpapers that we use on our own Android phones? Well, I asked the Android Authority team for their favorite backgrounds. Some team members used wallpapers showing their loved ones and were thus unable to share their backgrounds. Fortunately, we still had more than a few cool submissions from other members, as you can see below! Found a wallpaper you like? Then you can visit our Google Drive folder to grab full-resolution images. Hadlee Simons There are quite a few photos I like using as wallpapers on my Android phone, but here are three picks. The first photo was taken in Barcelona, looking down a road and into the city. Meanwhile, the second snap was taken in Maui, Hawaii, at sunset during the Snapdragon Summit 2023. You can never go wrong with sunsets. Finally, the third photo was taken with the Pixel 4's astrophotography mode in Sutherland, South Africa, back in 2019. This is generally considered the darkest place in the country, and I had to stand still for a few minutes while a friend took the photo. It's not the sharpest or most detailed snap, but how cool is that? The starry sky also gets a parallax effect if you enable the cinematic wallpaper option on Pixel phones, although it's quite wonky on my Pixel 7 Pro. Jonathan Feist Say what you will about AI-generated imagery, but image generators are a quick and easy way to create a wallpaper of your choosing. That's what Jonathan Feist did with these two wallpapers showing a blue dragon. These aren't the exact wallpapers he's currently using, but ones generated with a similar prompt via Gemini. Jonathan also kindly included the prompt if you like the look of these images: Please generate a realistic looking 8K image of a dragon at night. It should be a blue dragon standing on a small island that is surrounded by other small islands scattered around a really foggy lake. The lake is surrounded by Japanese bonsai type trees. There is a mountain range in the background and a full moon in the sky. The dragon should be breathing blue fire in a menacing stance. Give the dragon very realistic looking scales and skin from a lizard. Matt Horne 'These wallpapers are shots I've taken and a sample of things I like about living in Mexico,' said Deals Editor Matt Horne. 'I tend to keep each one and similar types as my wallpaper for a couple of months at a time or so.' The first photo is from a remote beach spot 'not too far from La Paz,' as Matt enjoys visiting the coast. 'Not unrelated to my beach obsession is a love of traveling to new places, and the shot of colorful houses at night was from a trip to Puebla earlier in the year,' he says of the second shot. 'I visited with my parents, and it's a nice memory.' Meanwhile, the beautiful third shot was taken from the rooftop of his apartment building in Guadalajara. Matt says the city can look 'spectacular' at sunset and that his camera roll is full of shots like this. Mishaal Rahman Is it any surprise that Mishaal shared three bugdroid-themed wallpapers as his favorite backgrounds? Either way, these are some lovely backgrounds if you want to show off your love for the Android platform. 'Two of the wallpapers (the photos of the Bot statues on pedestals) were photos that I took, edited using Xiaomi's AI photo editing features,' he explains. The third image was actually taken by Google at their MWC 2025 booth and shared with Mishaal. Very cosy! Rita El-Khoury Features Editor Rita says her three picks come from the Backdrops app, which she's been using for over a decade. In fact, she's also a paid member. 'I love the creator's sense of style, humor (as seen in the Weather Frog wallpaper), and all their unique designs. Most Backdrops wallpapers are simple but beautiful, which works really well for my default homescreen setup,' she says, adding that she usually avoids wallpapers with a busy design near the top or bottom. 'On average, I find a nice new wallpaper in Backdrops that works for me every week, and that's why I keep coming back to it. It helps that there's a lot of color (and dark if you like that), which works super well for phone photography, which I need to do a lot of.' Zac Kew-Denniss Android Authority contributor Zac Kew-Denniss comes in clutch with some real-world photos he's using as wallpapers. He says the tree photo is a favorite snap. It was taken in 2023 with a Sony Alpha 6300 camera and edited with a LUT in Pixelmator. 'The metalwork tower was taken on my S20 Ultra at the top of Blackpool Tower,' he says of the second image, while also proclaiming his love for geometric patterns in wallpapers. 'It was taken the first time I'd seen my fiance in months due to COVID restrictions.' The third image shows a leaf in the sun with a faint spiderweb, and Zac explained his decision: Took it on an iPhone 16 Pro last year on my first trip out with it, and I love the pop of colour and the way the sunlight filters through.

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