Have you ever looked at a really well done professional portrait and thought to yourself, “Wow, that photographer must be really good to take photos like that!” Well, you’re right. A certain level of skill is required to take a great picture. However, what you may not realize is a photo rarely comes straight out […]
We live in a colorful world, and the warmth of a sunset or the intense blue of summer skies can automatically evoke strong feelings. But sometimes color can be dull or distracting. Black and white photos allow the photographer to simplify a scene, and can make the viewer look beyond the obvious, focusing on shapes, […]
Last Sunday evening, I shot some blue hour photos at the Connecticut shore. I had to get back to help my husband pack up before facing the drive back to New York, so I was rushing. And then I uploaded the images straight into Lightroom without adding my usual presets. Later I was able to […]
I’ve been a professional photographer for… well… let’s forget about the number of years and just say I’ve shot on film. Back then, when you had just 36 exposures available before you needed to reload, you had to make sure you had the perfect lighting and composition before taking a shot. Editing in the lab […]
During many years of travel and teaching English as a foreign language in Thailand and Guatemala, I’d often dreamed of earning from my combined passions of travel, photography, and writing. However, I believed it required years of training and was an unattainable goal. Then, at a time when I needed some direction in life, I attended […]
“Where was that taken? It’s gorgeous!” is something I love to hear, strive to hear. When your photo gets a response like that you know you’ve hit the mark as a photographer. My photos are a constant joy for me and have sold with articles, been the main subject in photo journal articles, been published […]
As a travel writer, I’m often asked to provide photos with my stories. While I’ve got a decent eye for framing and a pretty good phone camera, I still find the idea of submitting photos fairly intimidating. Reason being? I started my career in a magazine environment where there was a clear delineation between writers […]
Photographers often have a love-hate relationship with their tripods. On the one hand, a tripod will give you the sharpest images possible and let you play with creative techniques such as long exposure photography. On the other hand, they can be a bit cumbersome and time-consuming to deal with. While tripods are great for getting […]
From time to time I take a picture that I think is pretty amazing and that others will possibly love as well. So it will get me thinking about photography contests. It is also one thing I love about stock photography—seeing my pictures out there in use associated with great brands. Several years ago I […]
Mouthwatering food photos entice readers into your food or travel story. But capturing the best quality while using only a smartphone camera in the notoriously low-light conditions of most restaurants can challenge even the most skilled photographers. Follow these simple tips to instantly elevate the quality of your photos: Consider composition Focus on your subject—usually […]
