documentary photography

The future is bright, the future is Foto

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Around about this time last year, I spoke briefly about the rise in popularity of Foto and how the future might look for us photographers.

Whilst other photography platforms have faded or even disappeared, Foto is still here and gathering pace. The promises on the R&D time scale front that Michael and his business partner put together have been faultless and the updates just keep coming and coming. The platform continues to expand and the browser version, for those of us such as myself, will be along soon and I’m told by Michael, there’s even more for us to come.

I put a series of questions to Michael recently and here’s what he had to say:

What is the end goal Michael? - Our big dream is to build the global home for photography with a mix of software and in-person experiences. Even though AI is here, we still believe humans will want to record their existence by making photographs and sharing them with others. Photography is a flexible medium that connects all of us around the world. Almost everyone takes photos and shares them with someone else. We want everyone to feel welcome on Foto, from seasoned professionals to casual users who want to share photos with their family. Photography is often a portal to different locations and times. We believe that creating a platform that exclusively serves photos rather than videos will create a unique experience compared to current social media apps.

How have you managed to stay afloat when others being self-funded have crashed and burned? - We are supported by our amazing Ambassadors who continue to subscribe monthly and annually to Foto. We also have a Pro Membership that continues to grow through our in-app subscription option. We will release more Pro Features this year, which we hope will show more people the value of becoming a Pro member. These Pro subscriptions keep us funded and allow us to continue to build Foto for the long term.

Will you continue to self-fund? Yes, our goal is to build Foto for our users and not investors or advertisers. We are committed to offering a quality product that people are willing to pay for. We believe that our transparency and willingness to listen to our users will continue to encourage more people to support us financially, given the value they receive from Foto.

When you've done what you've done, will you sit back and allow the platform to build itself? I think we'll always be involved with Foto. There are many things we are excited about that will embrace the rich history of photography and how photos are enjoyed. Sharing digitally is wonderful, but we believe in printing, photo books, and in-person events. Our goal isn't to build Foto and sell it or let it slowly die off after we reach a certain growth level. Photography is good for people, and we want to keep photography human.

Let’s not forget the journey here, from its conception back in 2021/22, Michael and his partner have been working endlessly and self funded Foto throughout the whole phrase of its development and just look where they find themselves today. Outstanding work guys.

I’d like to thank you on behalf of us all. Keep the faith. The future is more than bright, the future really is Foto. RD

"Faces of Kabul" Cover shot for the book.....

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After much deliberation, Olivia (the book designer) and I, have short listed the following images for the books cover shot. Its always tough when it comes to selecting the right images for print as you only get one chance to do it. We believe that these are the strongest four images that best represent, the “faces of Kabul” for us. What do you think?

Tea with Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost

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My meeting with Muslim Dost was set some time ago and at that time, I was under the impression that I was meeting him at his home. That changed swiftly when Hamza, my fixer, got a phone call and said, “we’re going to meet my uncle now”. I completely understood that could be the case as he is a senior Taliban member and a high level target. There are factions/cells still out there that want to cause conflict inside Afghanistan as well as the likes of Pakistani who have made him a wanted man.

We arrived in what I can only best describe as a compound area with large steel gates and a small restaurant/cafe inside. He was already there with several bodyguards and his main bodyguard, Khan wali. Always by his side and always armed. Hamza introduced me to him and he welcomed me as a friend. I was touched. We then sat down in a small glazed area and the green tea came out. Something I was offered by everyone I met in Kabul. My purpose of the meeting with him was to chat about his experiences and of course to shoot some portrait shots of him which he had already agreed to. He brought his grandson with him who just sat there and listened to us and looked up at him from time to time. Sweet little kid….

I’d like to put a few things into context here if I may. This is a man that was imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay and systematically tortured both physically and mentally by the Americans with the sole purpose of extracting information from him. His faith as a muslim kept him sane and his love of writing poetry. He wrote many books whilst he was there only for the Americans to take them away from him and burn them all.
After his release, he wrote a book called The Broken Shackles of Guantanamo. (Da Guantanamo Matay Zawlanay) detailing his experiences in that infamous detention camp. 

I was told that over the years, both CNN and the BBC have requested interviews with him, which he granted. Their promise to Muslim Dost was to print the positive aspects of those interviews. That just didn’t happen. And why? simple, these news corporations are only interested in what they can sell, negative aspects of Afghanistan rather than promoting his Islamic beliefs and all of the positive aspects of his great country.

Muslim Dost had many opinions on what I asked him, via Hamza of course. One thing was for certain though, and this was a question I asked many Afghani’s whilst I was there, Trump? Strange isn’t it, they all had similar opinon’s, as did Abdul. He’s a fool, an idiot, with far too much power and very little sense.

My meeting with him was a humbling one, a positive one and an interesting one. He greeted me as a friend, I shared tea and soup with him and I found him to be a softly spoken man and a true Afghani. Deera Manana Abdul….

Khan wali & Muslim Dost, side by side. Inshallah…

heading to Kabul...

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Finally Im all sorted! After a little research both on line and care of my Afgan fixer/guide Hamza, I’ll be heading to Afghanistan real soon.The purpose of the visit is to document and photograph the people of Kabul on 35mm film and this will form the “faces of Kabul” project Im putting together. A three day short trip with a detailed shooting schedule in place and with Hamza by my side guiding me along the way. Manana Hamza…thats thank you in Pashto.

Once Im back, I’ll be sharing this content with you guys on line via the www.facesofkabal.com web site Ive set up and hopefully on an informative Facebook page to guide you guys through a trip there if you fancy it. Its safe by the way, trust me….RD


Shooting colour? then shoot Ektar..

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If you’re a lover of colour stock to shoot with, then look no further than Kodaks Ektar. Its an epic film and handles colour so, so well. The more vivid colours you can find, the better. It mops it up. On a recent 48 hour trip to Faro my film choice for me was simple. Marry that up with one of Nikons most solid rigs, ie the F2, then what a partnership. Portugal is full of those solid mediterranean colours alongside great light and those beautiful blue skies.

The skies whilst I was there were just as you’d expect, bright and blue. Again, Ektar just loves this. Ive yet to find a colour stock that delivers for me in so many ways. I have in the past been a lover of Portra but that stock has a very netural and clinical look to it. I still love shooting it though.

Throughout Faro there are pockets of really decent street art along side some not so nice amateur juvenile tagging which spoils the towns good looks. It wasn’t long though before I came some sweet examples of quality street art. I was surprised though by their location, in the old town.

Film photography is all about what suits you best. There no such thing as the best film, just the best film that suits your needs. Enclosed below are a few more shots I took during that 48 hour trip.

As always, no PS, LR, presets or filters were used in any of my work. Something I stand by and will never change.

I thank you. RD

and so the harvest came

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I always look forward to our summer harvests when the Combines work the fields and lift their crops. The crop this season in the fields that surround us was spring barley. I know, its summer time but the barley is planted in the spring, hence the connection. I always have the best view and on this occasion I shot what I saw on medium format with a roll of expired Velvia. It was a windy and dusty day with low cloud.
I so wished for our Cornish blue skies that day but it was not meant to be.

The Combine worked the fields in a similar pattern with the tractors and trailers not too far away ready to catch the ears of Barley. The driver radio’s the tractor drivers and they pull alongside the Combine and the grain is off loaded. The farmer told me that this was one of the driest harvests that he could remember

Within a few hours, all of the 21 acres of barley that surround us had been harvested, leaving behind fields full of straw for them to return at a later date and bale for the winter months. They make the whole process look so easy.

I shot this on a roll of well expired Velvia, one of my fav E6 stocks. Always at box speed as I dont believe in that one stop per 10 years rule. Colours and grain, excuse the pan, were good although there was an element of redish/pinkish tones to the skies. That the beauty of expired. Love it….

Out in the Bay, fishing away....

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There are a number of things that Cornwall is renowned for, the surf, the cream tea, the pasty, our glorious beaches and Sardines, yes, Sardines. Historically, the Cornish Sardines industry was once regarded as the global leaders during 18th and 19th centuries. Cornish sardines today are still considered among the best in the world.

Today, the Cornish Sardine industry still thrives and comes out of the port of Newlyn but clearly not in the same volumes that use to be landed. There are a handful of commercial fisherman such as Danny, the skipper of the Golden Harvest, which continue to fish for sardines as his family has done over the generations.

I got the opportunity again recently to join Danny and the crew fishing out the Mounts Bay area one evening. I guess you’d expect that you can fish any time but there’s a reason behind why you’d fish that time. “Its the light” Im told. The evening light is that time of the day when the sardines tend to sit closer to the surface making it easier to catch. When I say easier to catch, Danny still has to hunt for them via his radar/fish finder for help.

If not not aware, commercial fishing is widely recognised as one of the most dangerous professions due to the high risk of injury. Having said that, Its very obvious to see that Danny’s and his crew are very experienced and professional throughout the whole trip. Each and every time they fish, they have to be. The slighest mistake and god only knows what might happen.

So how does this work then? Bear with me here Danny, I think I remember what you told me. If not then I should of paid more attention.
How does one set out to catch these little beauties then? Well, its called ring netting. Danny searches for the fish, once he spots a shoal of size, he shouts to the crew and they sling the net. Then its all about Andy’s skill as a skipper to position his boat and en circle the area as such forming a ring like structure, hence the term, “ring netting. I think I got that right. The crew then start to haul in the net alongside the boats winching gear.

Once the full net is alongside the boat, it’s time to get the tons, yes tons of Sardines on board. That done with a huge vacunm type set up which is dropped into the net and the suction begins and then fills the tanks below. Now when I say tons, that varies on the size of the catch. Danny will casts his nets several times an evening with the aim to catch as many fish as he can. The evening ins’t over then. They”ll return to port and then the off loading of the catch begins. Long hours indeed. The skipper and crew are paid on the basis of what they land. The guys do this six days a week for approximately eight months of the year. Cornish sardines still remain the best in the world. Thanks again Danny and the guys for your time and allowing me once again to come aboard. RD

Foto app review - Finally some great news

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Over the past few years, we’ve seen quite a few of new photo related apps spring up such as the likes of Grainery/Newgrain which is great to see but after a short while they generally seem to either run out of money to support their R&D plans or just sit there and never gather pace. Consequently, us real photographers out there have really struggled to share our work the way we’d like to socially.

Forget about Instagram, its an utter waste of space unless you enjoy the elements of endless pushed advertising content, reels and other valueless content. Its go longer a place for photographers.

So, whats the choice then? Well, I think Ive finally found one in the shape of Foto app. This platform is ace. Ive only been on it a few weeks now but its has all the qualities of a real game changer on the photography front.

Image below: design layout

Easy to use? Yes. It current runs on Android and iOS, great for smart phone and Ipad users. Desktop users will have to wait a little while for that experience but the guys at Foto app are looking at that this summer. I cant wait!

Uploading is easy, the design is great and the sharing of content is immediate. What I love about this app in relation to the others out there is that you cant see others followers or who they are following, you can only see your own. Who give a toss about that numbers anyway.


So what are your options then?

Well, you can go down the “free” option front. That will of course limit your uploads but its still a good choice. Or you can become what they call a Foto Ambassador · $5/month · $50/year · $500 For Life. If Im honest here, its not a lot on the $50 a year choice, my choice. Im not sure about the $500 tag though. I think i’d like to know a little more on the future of the app and their final goal before I opted for that kind of payment.

To conclude then

Great start, great design and great interaction with other real photographers. Foto app already has a premium look and feel to it which leads me to believe that this might very well be what we all been looking for. Chronological, ad-free, and uncropped. RD

Update: They just keep coming! bug fixs, new features. This is such a great app

The faces of Mumbai

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There’s one thing certain about shooting portrait content in Mumbai, you’ll never be short of it. Wherever you look, wherever you turn, there’s another face you’ll notice and yet another one you’ll spot out of the corner of your eye, or perhaps they might even be one staring at you. After all, as a white European, we’re somewhat of a novelty.

Remember this though, don’t assume that everyone likes the idea of have a camera raised and pointed at them. You need to connect with your subject first. I was fortunate enough to have some language skills to help me along the way as well as a local fixer gifted in the art of explaining in detail to the subjects who I was and what I’m was doing in Mumbai.
A freelance documentary film photographer working alongside UK & European media outlets. On this occasion, searching for print based media content to share with us all.

Please note: All of these shots were taken with the subjects consent

only shot once before by..........

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I got the opportunity some time back to shoot a quality example of a Ferrari Dino 246 GT. A local car to us here in Cornwall and a car that has a one owner history attacthed to it. A very rare example indeed

So, we agreed a location in advance which took sometime as did the request to shoot it. It was of course local location and on the day of the shoot, the weather couldn’t of been any better. Classic Cornish early evening lovely blue skies off setting the beautiful Ferrari rosso red colour which turned out to be a superb match. The choice of film on this occasion had to be Ektar. A stock that always brings the best out in colour. Matched with my Konica Hexar and my Pentax 6x7, they all worked so well together

As the shoot progressed, the owner said he had something to show me and produced this framed photo from his car. Who was it in the image I asked, only David Bailey. If you don’t know who he is and your a film photographer, shame on you. Anyhow, this framed photo, see below, is of David shooting the owners car back in the 80’s for a German motor related magazine. Ironically, the location was Cornwall. St Austell in fact. How nuts is that.

Yes I did get to go out in it, owner at the helm of course but what and experience that was as well as the opportunity to shoot it along with David Bailey. The only two times it ever been shot in its lifetime. Additional gallery shots below. RD

Lomography Orca 110 Black & White Review

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Here’s another new film stock to me which I haven’t shot before. I love finding those newish stocks there are out there.
I did order two rolls as Ive another shoot in mind for the second one regardless on how these came out. So, I shot this first roll with a very open mind as to how it might come out. I would like to point out that your not going to get fine grain and sharp images here. This stock is all about grain.

I married up this first roll a Orca with my Kodak Pocket Instamatic 100 that I picked up at a car boot for 50p, see previous article re this little fella (https://www.rickdavy.co.uk/journal/what-50p-of-my-very-british-money-got-me). Ive shot one other roll out this Instamatic unit before which was colour with very mixed results, tobe honest that’s what I expected.

Below are three images Ive taken from that first roll that work for me in different ways. Image 1: Moody, full of grain and deep contrast to it.

Image 2: Ive called this one ghostly. Shot into a reflection I saw in a window. Grainy and grey

Image 3: One of the remaining train wagons used to transport the jews to Auschwitz. How period does that look?

Photography isn’t about crystal clear pin sharp imaging that digital now stuff’s down our necks, Its about being experimental with film and getting what you want out of your images.

Ive one more roll of Orca to use and I’ve got the ideal subject matter to use it on, the streets of Mumbai. Lets see how that one works out. RD

what's new for 2025 then

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With the induction of a new year, Im sure I will continue to add more “lives” content to the “a day in the life of a” project as I’m not finished on that front. This is become one of those projects that never really has an end date in mind when I first conceived it.
As long as I keep finding lives to document, I’ll keep working on it.

Writing
Ive a few articles to write for those on line photographic platforms that I submitted content for and Im glad they’ve come back to me for more documentative related copy and imaging. Ive also a first for me on a podcast front. Neale James of Photowalk got in touch and asked If he could interview me regarding the “a day in the life” project. Im not sure how this will go but I thought why not give it a go. Ive never been a lover of hearing my own voice so Im not sure If I will play it back at all. Ive never listened to a podcast before, maybe this is the time to do so - im old school me…..

Travel
With 28% of the planet already covered, I certainly will be travelling more and combining that with work assignments too. Im current in Finland, then in a few weeks later I’ll be in India on a jolly but capturing content for an article for hugo at Grain. See my previous article here if your interested. Its a great on line publication as well as a hard copy read

Commissions
These days I only take on work that Im interested in and thats a great place to be. Im only interested in work that challenges me rather than the easier work routes that some other photographers prefer. Im lucky I guess to be in a position that I only need to can pick and choose what floats my boat. Once again on the commissions front, no pixels here, I only shoot film and I certainly won’t compromise on that front.

Any new kit/purchases?
Nope, Ive got my killer rigs and a fridge fully stocked with film. I love shooting expired E6 stocks the most. There is that phrase through isn’t there, “never say never” but I’ve spent too many years buying and selling kit to find the right set up for me. Now I have that perfect camera/s set up that covers all film formats. RD