“Photography is about capturing things other people might miss. It is a way to communicate, a way to bring images that I hold in my mind to the surface.”
Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?
Murad Osmann was born on the 15th of May 1985, Republic of Dagestan, Russia however in 1990, when he was five years old, he and his family moved to Moscow. He attended the Imperial College in London studying a degree in civil engineering however, it is unknown if he finished this degree before turning his attention to photography. He is now part of Forbes top 3 Travel Influencers and has a following of 4 million on Instagram.
In 2011, whilst traveling in Barcelona Osmann started taking what is now commonly and famously known as “follow me” photos. His idea was simple; whenever he saw something that stuck out or drew his attention, he would take a photo of his girlfriend (now wife) holding his hand in front of him. Whilst he had no idea what would finally eventuate, it was the start of a global trend that has swept over Instagram following its beginnings and has inspired many similar photos being created.
What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)
As with most of his ‘Follow me’ photos, this photograph is titled first by the hashtag and then by the destination, ‘#followmeto Daniel Korkor church in Ethiopia with @natalyosmann’.
With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?
This photograph, as stated on the post was produced on the 18th of March 2019. However, like many posts on Instagram, this might not have been the date of the photograph being taken. The couple were in Ethiopia from the 13th of March on a trip with the company Charity Water. They aimed to bring awareness to the necessity for safe and clean drinking water hence this image could have been taken on any day of the trip.
How was the photo or video authored? For instance, with a photo, this would involve understanding the device used to record it and the technology used to prepare the image for publication. Included in this observation may be how the image was recorded (like for example in a mise-en-scene analysis).
At the start of Osmann’s career, he used an iPhone to capture most of his photographs. However, like many photographers, when he started to become more well-known and gained a loyal fan base, he transitioned to a more professional DSLR camera. However, Osmann makes the statement that no matter the camera, “the most important thing is your vision of the reality!”. Interestingly, during the time of this photograph being published, he was tagging the type of camera he was using, and he was back to a smartphone. As seen on the post he tagged the company @honorglobal, followed by the hashtag #HonorView20.
Through researching these tags, the camera he was using was a Huawei Honor View 20 which is comprised of a 6.4-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 2310 pixels hence making it a very good phone to take photos on as it has a high-quality camera built-in. When considering the effectiveness and accessibility that a smaller smartphone gives Osmann, it is easy to understand why he would opt for this type of equipment whilst traveling. It is easy to get out and snap a shot without causing much fuss.
Looking at the photo itself, it looks like a simple image. However as explained in the captain, a lot of thought and planning went into its execution.
Osmann said, “when I saw an image of the priest standing on the edge of the cliff right by the entrance to his church I immediately added this place to our bucket list, so you must understand how excited I was when realised that we are going to this location in Ethiopia. There is a small Orthodox community up here, led by an 82-year-old monk, who has been here since he was a teenager.”
Hence, through his comment, it is assumed that Osmann had an idea in his head of the shot he wanted and waited for the perfect and right time to snap the shot.
How was the photo or video published? For instance, with a photo, this would involve understanding the medium the photo was published in, like for instance – was it print media or the World Wide Web? Was the photo printed? If so, how does this printing process affect the photographer’s practice?
The photograph was published on social media through Osman’s Instagram page. Accompanied by the location-tagged and the comment, as shown above, this photograph shows the progression the industry has made from analogue to digital. Whilst the image posted from his phone most likely undertook editing on a software online, it is a much smoother and efficient way of publishing compared to the early days in photography.
When analysing his collection of photographs from this trip in comparison to the others on his Instagram, it is clear to see that he had used a similar filter on the images to create an earthy/grainy and muted effect. This helps to section these images as a collection of sorts on his page and makes them easily identifiable.
How was the photo or video distributed? For instance, with a photo, this would involve understanding how the photo is distributed to multiple viewers. Like for example, if the photo was printed in a periodical magazine – how is that magazine marketed and distributed to viewers?
This photo, like how it was published, was distributed through the social media platform Instagram. However, due to the hashtags used and the nature of social media, the photograph can be seen through google images and also Pinterest with a simple search. It is also found, along with his other photography collections on Osmanns website, #followmeto.
Whilst Osmann published some of his #followme images in a book during 2015, he has not created a more recent edition however, it may be assumed and guessed that there is a possibility for a potential second edition sometime in the near future. At least I hope so.
References:
- Followmeto, n.d., My favourite cameras, viewed 1 May 2020, <https://followmeto.travel/diary/murad/my-favourite-cameras>
- Biographics World 2018, Murad Osmann net worth, Wife, personal life, career and biography, viewed 24 April 2020, <https://biographicsworld.com/murad-osmann-net-worth-girlfriend/>
- Celeb Vogue 2018, Russian Photographer Murad Osmann Bio, Net Worth & Online Presence, viewed 24 April 2020, <https://celebvogue.com/russian-photographer-murad-osmann-bio-net-worth-online-presence/>