Murad Osmann is a Russian photographer based in Moscow. He recently became popular from posting his series “Follow Me” on the social media site, Instagram. This series features photos that he took of his wife while they were traveling together. Each photo follows the same theme: he is reaching out holding his wife’s hand while her back is to him and there is detailed scenery in the background.
Each background highlights where they have traveled to and is edited to create an almost fantasy-like image. This series quickly got picked up by Buzzfeed, CNN, and other news sites. People were captivated with the detailed images and the sincerity of it, since each image featured his wife.
He currently has over four million followers on Instagram. He has also been covered in many other news sites, especially after photos of his marriage were released. His wedding photos used the same theme as his “Follow Me” series.
This series began on a vacation in Barcelona in 2011. His wife (at the time girlfriend) claims she would become annoyed with him stopping to take pictures every second and she would pull him away.
He continued to take photos of her leading him around the city and thus the series began.
Osmann originally worked with an iPhone and photo editing tools, but has since started using a DSLR explaining that it was better for wide shots. Wide shots are used throughout his series. While the main subject of the photo is his wife, the background of each photo is just as important. The wide shot allows for him to show the viewer where the couple is and where his wife is leading him.
Everything in the photo is in focus, which is rare to see in most photos. His use of photo-editing devices help him highlight where he is, and thus helps make the location extremely important. He makes every piece of the background stand out.
Every building, face, and color becomes important aspects of the image. While looking at the photo, it is hard for the eye to stay looking at one piece because there is so much going on. However, there’s not so much that you cannot focus on the image as a whole.
Each photo is shot from his perspective, thus most angles are shot at eye level. This allows the viewer of the photo to stand in the position of the photographer and see through his eyes. This was the main theme of his series.
He said that he wanted to capture what other people may have missed. This angle, plus the focus that is placed on the photos, help illustrate every detail and piece of beauty he sees in his travels. This once again, connects back to his main theme of showing people something that they may be missing. It also creates and intimate moment for the viewer as it makes the viewer feel as if they are being pulled towards something beautiful.
References:
Street, Francesca (June 27, 2017). “World’s top 10 travel influencers, according to Forbes”. CNN.
http://www.businessinsider.com/murad-osmann-follow-me-to-wedding-2015-6
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