THE BEST

PHOTOGRAPHERS
AROUND
THE WORLD Founder & Director
Máxim Panés
Marketing Director
Maria Oliva

Dodho Magazine has become one

of the most influential online maga-
zines for contemporany photo-
graphy present day.

We are committed to discovering

and promoting the best photo-
graphers around the world.

Dodho Magazine is a free inde-

pendent magazine. We live, brea-
the and move by the passion that
awakes photography in all their
ambits.

ll photographers published in the

dodho and online magazine, have
been permitted by the author to
be published and are protected
under international copyright
law.
Photographers/Artists are respon-
sible for claims that could be
formulated any moment on the
authorship and originality of the
photograph and on the owner-
ship of the rights to it, or by the
absence of the licenses or permits
referred to in the preceding para-
graph.

Direction Department
contact@dodho.com
Desing Department

www.dodho.com submission@dodho.com
Advertising Department
advertising@dodho.com
 01

ISSUE
FRANCESCO
26
60
RIDOLFI BOB
AVAKIAN

YURI BENITEZ FRANCESCO RIDOLFI GILI YAARI

BOB AVAKIAN THOM PIERCE STEFANIE MINZENMAY

YURI
BENITEZ 10 GILI
YAARI 44 THOM
PIERCE 74
01
Photography by Frank Szafinski
ISSUE
STEFANIE
MINZENMAY
COVER
www.stefanie-minzenmay.de
GERMANY
Stefanie Minzenmay was born in
1970 and lives in Neuss and Olden-
burg, Germany; she studied and
graduated in law at the University
of Münster.
From 2011 to 2014 she was a par-
ticipant in the year classes of the
Schule für künstlerische Fotografie
in Düsseldorf under Prof. Katha-
rina Mayer and Birgitta Thaysen.
Since 2004 she has attended a va-
riety of workshops (inter alia gra-
phic reproduction, photography)
at the School for Arts and Theatre,
Kulturforum Alte Post in Neuss
and Lichtblick Photoschool, Co-
logne.
In 2014 Stefanie Minzenmay com-
menced her portrait series “Protec-
ted Privacy – Protect Yourself!”.
The series addresses how young
people deal with today’s media. As
“digital natives” their use of the in-
formation possibilities offered by
the Internet and social networks
comes easily and natural to them.
At the same time, through the use
of social media, information is also
being fed to this media.
The people document their life,
show where they currently are,
usually live, how they celebrate and
what they eat and wear.
In her portrait series the person and
the portrait as the viewer’s source
of information and reflection are
the aspects that interest her.
The work primarily concerns in-
formation that is unnaturally su-
ppressed, obscured and hidden,
which is not received by the viewer
and leads to some irritation. Ad-
ditionally Stefanie Minzenmay is
interested very much in reduction
and simplicity, sometimes redu-
cing the portrait of a person to a
sculpture. Her photographic image
compositions are mostly very pre-
cise, almost austere, and yet always
have narrative depth.
All digitally recorded portraits
in the series “Protected Privacy
– Protect Yourself!” are captured
in a daylight studio without artifi-
cial lighting. Since 2013 her work
has been shown in several group
exhibitions in Germany. In 2015
Stefanie Minzenmay was one of
the winners of the Kuala Lumpur
International Photoawards for
Portrait Photography with a Group
Exhibition at the Publika White-
box Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.
YURI
BENITEZ
www.yuribenitez.com
 Taking care of exposing the naked
body of my models in a way that
emphasize their natural beauty and
at the same time not revealing their
identity, always keeping the mys-
tery, by previously planned poses,
objects or lighting to hide their fa-
ces.

I like to portrait my models in di-

fferent environments, particular-
ly two, the “classic” in which just
some elements give the sensation
of a well-spaced room and a wo-
YURI man can feel secure and intimate
and, the owner of her space.

BENITEZ The other environment I like to

Nude Photography photograph my nudes is the “geo-
metrical” sets, because there is a
17
www.yuribenitez.com
MEXICO contrast between the sharp lines of
the area and the natural flexibility
Women have always captivated me by of the female body.
not one, but for many circumstances. 14 23
From the very beginning, women have I design the sets long before the
appeared to me beautifully myste- session, and study the lighting to
rious, as if they know something that I
do not know, and not revealing “that”
create the atmosphere. Among the
technical issues, the light is the
20
but just to whom they want to share. most important element for my
They have that power. At least that’s
images. I have always like the idea
my Perception.
of one main light and, if possible,
I consider, the big mystery is their nothing more than some reflec-
beauty, emotional, intellectual and tions, cut outs, or distance from the
physical. To discover their emotional main light and my model.
beauty is always challenging and, that
maybe could be possible in a close re- The attitude in my photographs is
lationship. a woman in a “Statuesque” pose,
somehow like the perception an
Their intellectual attraction is evident, ancient Greek Goddess sculpture
by the very first words and ideas they portrays and, a figure that is not to
pronounce. But the physical beauty is
touch, just to admire visually.
somehow more intriguing and, that is
because of the clothing, the make up,
the accessories, etc. I live and work in Mexico City and,
I will continue to explore all the
To reveal their physical beauty, it’s a beauty women have to reveal.
challenge and a pleasure, especially if
it is carefully done. “Women have always
And that is what my work is all about. captivated me by not one,
but my circumstances”
14 | Yuri Benitez 16 18 21 25
Photo © Yuri Benitez, www.yuribenitez.com
Photo © Yuri Benitez, www.yuribenitez.com
YURI BE
“The attitude in my photographs
is a woman in a “Statuesque” pose,
somehow like the perception
an ancient Greek Goddess sculpture
portrays and, a figure that is not to touch,
just to admire visually.”

YURI BE Yuri Benitez | 21

Photo © Yuri Benitez, www.yuribenitez.com
Photo © Yuri Benitez, www.yuribenitez.com
BENITEZ
“I consider, the big mystery is their beauty,
emotional, intellectual and physical.
To discover their emotional beauty is
always challenging and, that maybe
could be possible in a close
relationship”

TEZ
26 | Yuri Benitez
FRANCESCO
RIDOLFI
www.francescoridolfi.com
 perfect framing for each photo. So I
managed to obtain a classic atmos-
phere, refined but distancing: anti-
septic in some ways – to evoke the
‘depersonalising’ effect so typical of
hotels, but also to create a strong
contrast with the all too corporeal
humanity of the people under view.

Francesco Ridolfi is a portrait pho-

tographer active in both the com-
FRANCESCO mercial and artistic fields. His work
has been acknowledged and publi-

RIDOLFI shed in Italy and internationally.

Room 322 Francesco is drawn deeply by ima-

ges that, in finalising a project of
34
www.francescoridolfi.com
ITALY research, find the right form for a
well-conceived idea. The shooting
Nowadays, in our busy and fast-pa-
ced society, taking a bath is one of the
phase becomes the final part of a
longer process, where the casting 30 40
rare situations completely for your- of the actors, the styling, the set
self. A space and time where you can building and the whole produc-
relax thinking, reflecting and maybe
let emerge emotions deepen buried
tion in general are fundamental to
achieve the final result.
37
in our hearts.. As water evokes, it’s an
opportunity to ‘immerse ourselves’ in
Francesco’s working life is divided
our thoughts and let feelings and deep
memories ‘rise to the surface’. A mo-
between Bologna, Milan and Brus-
ment where we can drop the masks sels.
that we usually wear, briefly revealing
our inner nature.
I’ve always been fascinating by the
hotel rooms. The idea that different “The airy luminosity of an
people alternate themselves everyday ethereal space, aseptic
inside each room. Each guest with his and suspended, contrasts
own particular story and background.
So I thought it could be a perfect spot with the stolidity of these
to place my characters, so different bodies - less than perfect
one from another and yet so similar in their awkward and
inside the bathtub.
authentic humanness.”
To give shape to my idea, I needed
to build the entire set from scratch.
Otherwise I would not be able to con-
trol at best the architectural style of
it, the lighting of the set and have the
freedom to move around it to find the

30 | Francesco Ridolfi 32 36 39 42
Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com

32 | Francesco Ridolfi Francesco Ridolfi | 33

Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com

34 | Francesco Ridolfi Francesco Ridolfi | 35

Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com

36 | Francesco Ridolfi Francesco Ridolfi | 37

Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com

“Statically present, the hotel room preserves its “Thus, from the bottom of a bathtub, contrasting
non-connection to sundry turn-taking occupants: its perceptions emerge: appearance and reality, restlessness
stillness heightens the tension they feel inside, which rips holding itself still, past within present; authenticity within
itself free of these contentless surroundings.” fiction.”
Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com

40 | Francesco Ridolfi Francesco Ridolfi | 41

Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com

42 | Francesco Ridolfi Francesco Ridolfi | 43

Photo © Francesco Ridolfi, www.francescoridolfi.com

44 | Francesco Ridolfi Francesco Ridolfi | 45

GILI
YAARI
www.giliyaari.com
 Gili Yaari is an
Israel-based
photojournalist
specializing in
documentary and
news photography.
In his work, Gili
focuses on social
GILI and humanitarian
issues as well as on
YAARI contemporary
Purim in Jerusalem Israeli issues. 52
www.giliyaara.com
ISRAEL

48 54
Ultra-Orthodox Jews celebrate the Pu-
rim holiday in Mea Shearim neighbor-
hood in Jerusalem. According to the
Jewish religion, Purim is a time for ha-
ppiness. Most Israelis just have parties
and wear costumes, but the Ultra-Or- 54
thodox community take celebrations
to the extreme. All the men drink wine,
and they dance and celebrate, dancing
and singing loudly. This is the only day
of the year when the children smoke.
They’re allowed to, it’s part of the tradi-
tion. The woman are not participating
the big celebrations with the men and
the kids. They are behind the scenes,
helping things happen.

The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighbor-

hood Mea Shearim is located just a few
minutes walk from the busy center of
Jerusalem where cafes, restaurants and
pubs are populated by young locals and
tourists. Though the small distance, a
visit to the neighborhood might feel
like a travel in time and during Purim
celebrations everything becomes so
much more different and distant..

48 | Gili Yaari 50 53 56 58
Photo © Gili Yaari, www.giliyaari.com Photo © Gili Yaari, www.giliyaari.com

Gili’s works were

published in New York
Times, Time, Wall Street Since 2007 Yaari
Journal, Le Monde, is a contributing
Corierra Della Serra, photographer for
The Guardian and the Jerusalem based
Financial Times among press photo agency
other international and Flash90. Since 2013
Israeli magazines and he is a contributing
daily papers. photographer to
NurPhoto.

54 | Gili Yaari Gili Yaari | 55

 GILI
Photo © Gili Yaari, www.giliyaari.com YAA
Yaari has participated in several group exhibitions in
Israel and worldwide. His work was awarded in various
international photography competitions like ‘Sony
World Photography Awards’, ‘Prix de la Photography
Paris’ (PX3), ‘International Photography Awards’ (IPA)
and Moscow International Photography Awards (MIFA)
among others.

Gili Yaari | 59
60 | Julia Fullerton Batten
BOB
AVAKIAN
www.bobavakianphotography.com
www.francescoridolfi.com
 my main focus,” he explains. “I love
low light situations. You get an alte-
red reality, something that goes be-
yond what you remember in a sce-
ne. It takes on a painterly quality.”
A common thread in Bob’s work
is the element of mystery.  He dri-
ves around the Island, he explains,
searching for isolated scenes that
contain an unusual light source or
another mysterious quality.

“I photograph the landscape at ni-

BOB
ght and at dawn. The camera cap-
tures the frames as stills, freezing

AVAKIAN
time, regardless of the length of the
exposure, and creating an image
different from what the eye percei-
Night Photography ves. I like to believe that these re-
sulting images are from a moment
67
www.bobavakianphotography.com
USA suspended between night and day.

Bob Avakian and his wife Gail visited

Martha’s Vineyard for the summer in
The camera allows me to see my
surroundings with new eyes. Out
64 72
1973 and it has been home ever since. at night, alone, the day’s cares re-
Trained in architecture, engineering cede and the sense of time fades.
and building, for years he has worked
in the construction field as a custom
Allowing a heightened awareness
to take over, I direct my attention
69
homebuilder. After finding himself in
to conveying the quiet and soli-
management, removed from the sa-
tisfaction of hands-on involvement, tude of the night. It is this shift in
he turned to photography as a means attention, I believe, that allows me
of self-expression. “In the early 70’s to experience the moment with a
I took a photography class as an art different vision.
elective while in college. Soon after,
I moved to Martha’s Vineyard. I still My exposure and printing deci-
had my camera but going from NYC sions enable me to take the su-
to a quiet Island was a big change andrroundings I know so well and
street photography was too intimate present them, as they have not
on a small island, so the camera got
been seen before. What fascinates
put away except for taking photos of
me about this process is that ma-
family and friends. A few years ago I
took a workshop in architectural pho- gical element of surprise. I venture
tography and it was at that moment out in search of scenes that contain
that my passion for photography was an unknown light source of have
rekindled” . some other mysterious quality. Of
course there are times when I don’t
As his photographic vision has evol- find anything. Since the night sets
ved he has been drawn to the natural the stage, I never know where I will
landscape and an exploration of night wind up. It reminds me so much of
photography. “Night photography is life.”

64 | Bob Avakian 66 68 71 73
Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com

“Avakian allows the camera to use the “real”

world to present us something that doesn’t really
exist so that a new world becomes revealed”

66 | Bob Avakian - William Baczek - William Baczek Fine Arts Bob Avakian | 67
Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com

“Avakian, purposely exceeding the outer

limits of photography’s faithfulness to nature,
produces a vision of earth that is even lovelier
than the landscape that we know.”
68 | Bob Avakian - Vicki Goldberg - Photography Critic and Author Bob Avakian | 69
Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com

70 | Bob Avakian Bob Avakian | 71

Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com

Bob has recently been the recipient of numerous awards. Most

notably In the Neutral Density Photography Awards his night
photography was awarded first place. He is a Photolucida Criti-
cal Mass top 50 photographer and also won second place in the
International Photography Awards, Night Photography category.
72 | Bob Avakian Bob Avakian | 73
Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com Photo © Bob Avakian, www.bobavakianphotography.com

His has been featured in numerous blogs including Aline Smithson’s,

“Lenscratch”; in Wilson Cummer’s New Landscape Photography
and on the popular photo site Peta Pixel. Bob shows his work on
Martha’s Vineyard at The Granary Gallery and in Boston, The 555
Gallery. ClampArt in New York also features his work. His work is in
the collection of The Boston Athenaeum and the Martha’s Vineyard
Hospital’s permanent art collection.
74 | Bob Avakian Bob Avakian | 75
THOM
PIERCE
www.thompierce.com
 gold mines through inadequate
protection from silica dust. Miners
who contract silicosis get tired and
out of breath quickly and are prone
to lung infections, respiratory fai-
lure and TB. Most miners who be-
came sick were sent home with litt-
le or no compensation and no hope
of finding further employment.

Imagine finding out the job that

you had done for 35 years had
made you sick. And that the sick-
ness meant that you were not em-
THOM ployable anymore in that industry.
And that the skills you had learnt,

PIERCE after being denied a formal educa-

tion, were of no use in any other
The Price of Gold job. And so now you are in your
early 50’s and have no education
82
www.thompierce.com
SOUTH AFRICA and no way of making money. And
you are sick, so sick that you can-
In early 2016 the High Court in Jo-
hannesburg will decide if a class ac-
not walk to the end of your garden
without having to stop to catch 78 88
tion lawsuit can be laid against 32 gold your breath. Imagine that and then
mining companies in South Africa. look me in the eyes and tell me you
Three law firms are representing a
group of miners who are applying for
don’t deserve compensation.
85
this class action on behalf of all miners
suffering from Silicosis or Pulmonary
Tuberculosis as a result of working in
the gold mines.
Over a period of 20 days in September This project
and October 2015 I traveled around
South Africa’s Eastern Cape, into Le- was made in
partnership
sotho and up to Johannesburg to find
and photograph the 56 sick miners

with the
and widows named in the lawsuit.
The photographs were then displayed
in the building next door to the cour-
troom in Johannesburg at the time of
the case in October 2015. The exhibi-
Treatment
tion took place in the dark with only
the light from torches on the miners Action
helmets that the audience were wea-
ring, to light the way. This was a piece Campaign and
Sonke Gender
of advocacy, to put a human face to the
often stark and detached courtroom

Justice.
proceedings.
Silicosis is a preventable but incurable
lung disease that is contracted in the

78 | Thom Pierce 80 85 86 90
Photo © Thom Pierce, www.thompierce.com Photo © Thom Pierce, www.thompierce.com

Thom Pierce is a
documentary and
editorial photographer
based in Cape Town,
South Africa.

Thom Pierce | 87