Portrait photography; Challenging Stories by Josh Campbell

Though fully immersed in the world of digital photography, Josh shoots B&W film and makes silver gelatin darkroom prints for his self-assigned projects.

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Our printed editions, circulating throughout various galleries, festivals and agencies are dipped in creativity.

The spirit of DODHO’s printed edition is first and foremost an opportunity to connect with a photographic audience that values the beauty of print and those photographers exhibited within the pages of this magazine.

We invite professional and amateur photographers from all around the world to share their work in our printed edition.

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Josh Campbell is a professional photographer from the Queen City of the Ozarks, Springfield, MO.  After graduating from Missouri State University’s photography program and working for the award winning newspaper, The Standard, Josh ventured into the exciting realm of freelance photography.

Though fully immersed in the world of digital photography, Josh shoots B&W film and makes silver gelatin darkroom prints for his self-assigned projects.

 Josh Campbell

I graduated from Missouri State University in the Spring of 2013. During my time there, I spent two years photographing for the school newspaper, The Standard. The first lesson (after writing appropriate captions!) was to photograph faces—faces capture the attention of potential readers, faces tell the story, and faces sell newspapers. At the time, the prospect of confronting people with the camera was intimidating. However, I had a job to do and a deadline to meet and I learned how to be inconspicuous during events in order to photograph people without their knowing. The requirement to photograph people for the newspaper began to inform my personal work.

My new series of photographs, Challenging Stories, was a reaction to the photographs I was making for the newspaper. Having spent much of my time photographing in a deceptive and so-called “candid” way, I wanted to change directions and photograph people in a direct, confrontational and honest manner. The idea is simple—Using a small flash unit and a handheld camera, I put each subject in the middle of the frame and light them the same way every time, which provides uniformity that directs the viewer’s attention to the person rather than the setting or style.

 Josh Campbell

Photography allows me to stare at strangers and contemplate who they might be. I approach people and begin our conversation by declaring, “I’m on a mission to photograph everyone in the world.” I quickly introduce myself, make one or two photographs, and move on. I suggest how they should present themselves, i.e. to not smile, lower their chin, and look directly into the lens. By and large, I photograph people in my hometown, Springfield, Missouri and surrounding communities. While Springfield is a small town, I have discovered a wide variety of individuals and events in the small area of the world in which I live.

Since I am an introvert by nature, it is intimidating for me to photograph strangers without having a reason to talk to them. I prefer to find situations where it is easy to approach people. I find my subjects at idiosyncratic social gatherings such as a masquerade ball, dance competition, beard contest, or Halloween party. Sometimes the situation might be as ordinary as a craft show or vendor fair where entrepreneurs display their wares. In these situations, people are open to being photographed. I am fascinated by people who are on display for some unique characteristic or talent.

My photographs show an array of subtle emotions; the smallest raising of an eyebrow or twitch of the mouth can radically affect one’s perception of a person. Additionally, exposures made only a fraction of a second sooner or later can result in entirely different expressions. Ultimately, my subjects are actors in a collaborative performance, projecting emotions and expressions provoked by the camera.

As I consider my portraits, I wonder about the true nature, the life stories, of my subjects. The best portraits for me are those where the personal stories are mysterious and inexplicable, whose beauty is totally unexpected. [Official Website]
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Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
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- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
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To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
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Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
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How can we help? Do you have an idea or something you'd like to share? Please use the form provided, or contact us at contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.