At the New Year, I wrote down a few promises to the photographer in me, then tacked them to the wall in my office. They take me back to when I was a 4-year-old kid who followed her dad around the yard with her first Kodak Brownie. After all, I’m still growing in this skill. […]
One of my favorite times of the year to photograph is winter. I love how a fresh dusting of snow can transform a landscape overnight, and I also love the quality of light during the colder months. Even though the winter season brings so many unique opportunities for photography, cold temperatures can make it tempting […]
As a photographer, you have the ability to document the world around you. But you can also do so much more… You have the power to transform something ugly or mundane into truly beautiful art. Whether you’re looking at a pile of rusty metal, a rundown shed with peeling paint, or a crack in the […]
I love traveling to beautiful locations and photographing vast landscapes, exotic animals, and stunningly picturesque environments. But as a humanitarian photographer and filmmaker, I am often sent on assignment to cover natural disasters or to document gross injustices or times of great need. On the surface, it can be very difficult to find beauty in […]
There’s a famous photography quote that goes: “If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” But this statement is misleading—and certainly not helpful to anyone aspiring to become a better photographer. Photography is more than just capturing an exact representation of an interesting subject. It’s also about the […]
Every time you’re planning a photo shoot, one of the very first questions to answer is “Where?” Unless you have a highly-functional studio at your disposal, you likely have some favorite locations where you like to shoot. But sometimes I like to explore new places. I love the synchronicity of finding unique locations and working […]
Last week I read about a simple “two-minute rule” to beat procrastination and get more done. I’ve been using it. And it works. Here it is: Make a list of your goals and give each of them two minutes of your time. Want to take better pictures? Spend two minutes looking for a good class. […]
Every so often, we talk about a different kind of stock photo agency, called Alamy. Alamy is intriguing, as each sale tends to be way bigger than at other agencies… and you keep 50%. But it’s also kind of weird… Some folks report NO sales there. Others, like BSC member Marianne Campolongo, consistently make downloads […]
One recent morning, as I was driving out of my neighborhood, I noticed a spider web that caught the sun as its rays were starting to rise above the treetops. It caught my attention because of the beautiful pattern and how subtly it blended into the surroundings. I made a mental note of the time […]
Like many things in life, photography has a set of rules that, if followed, will yield better results than not following the rules. This sounds very strict. However, and fortunately for us, photography’s compositional rules are more like suggestions. What constitutes complying with the rules is subjective… and breaking them once in a while is […]
