Doing a Double-Take: The Ad Photos of Jonathan May

Looking through Jonathan May's ad campaign photos without the logos that usually adorn them is a privileged experience. Without the aid of catchy slogans to tell you what connections to make, you're free to create your own story--and May, who's quite the visual storyteller, gives you plenty of cues. He also has the unique ability to imbue potentially depressing subjects (the slums of Eastern Europe, the poverty of certain African countries) with striking beauty and, most importantly, humor. May sums it up best (from his bio):

Jonathan loves to find interesting characters and unconventional locations, using colour and treatments to heighten the visual experience. Always looking for subtle humour, his work visually engages us by drawing us in to share the experience of the subject.

May was just named one of the top 200 International Advertising Photographers for 2012/13 by Lurzer's Archive Magazine, an honor he also received in 2010/11. And his non-ad work isn't shabby either. "Embrace" (above) is currently on exhibit in London's National Portrait Gallery as part of the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize.

Meanwhile, if you've got shutter-finger, enroll in one of 3rd Ward's photography classes, from the basics of Learning Your Digital Camera to mastering Photoshop.