I was on assignment in the Arctic for Popular Photography Magazine, shooting and writing a how-to guide on photography in sub-zero temperatures. I had joined an eco-tour group polar-bear watching at a luxury lodge. On one hike we came across two young bears standing on their hindlegs, sparring. The light was gorgeous, the setting—with the […]
Whenever I teach photography courses, the topic that garners the most interest—and questions—is blue hour photography. What is it and how is it done? Blue hour photography is an advanced technique of photographing at dusk; photographers set their cameras on tripods and use a slow shutter speed to allow normally weak ambient light the chance […]
One of the most frequent questions I get from photographers breaking into the field—“What is the difference between rights-managed images and royalty-free images?” It’s an important question, and the answer can mean the difference between making $500 on one sale and making $5,000 with a hundred sales. Every image sold through a stock agency falls […]
One of the fastest and easiest ways to increase your value as a travel photographer—and boost your income—is to develop your visual storytelling skills. When I first started photographing stock for National Geographic Creative 15 years ago, my editor encouraged me to think in terms of developing stories, rather than focusing my efforts on making […]
Sometimes we get so caught up with making the perfect picture—tack-sharp focus, vibrant color, fantastic moment—that we forget the cardinal rule of selling photographs to magazines. Let me share a secret I’ve learned from more than 30 years of selling photographs to magazines from National Geographic Adventure to Modern Bride: Editors don’t buy photos they […]
The tougher and more expensive the shot is to make, the more money it earns. Right? One of the most complicated photographs I ever made was for an ISLANDS Magazine feature on the Out Islands in the Bahamas. We had to find a helicopter and a vintage airplane with floats (preferable a pretty yellow), two […]
One of the gifts of writing and photographing travel stories that I’m eternally grateful for is that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on an African safari or Antarctic cruise to impress an editor with your work and break into the market. You can start honing your travel writing and photography skills without […]
