We can all be a little shy: it’s not the easiest thing to go up to a stranger and start taking pictures or strike up a conversation. Adam Marelli had an interesting post on his blog called, Can I Take Your Picture, How to Talk to Strangers, in which he discusses how most people are okay with being photographed if you just take the time to talk with them. He even argues that you should always talk to a stranger you’re about to photograph first. But are there exceptions? [more]
Photographer David duChemin posted a pretty provocative rant on his blog yesterday. This rant needs a warning, though: COPYRIGHT LAWS MATTER, and SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO FIGHT FOR UNFAIR USAGE OF YOUR IMAGES.
That being said, this isn’t an opinion that is going to be agreed with by everyone. Some are going to support it, and some are going to hate it. [more]
While walking the floor at WPPI, there was one item we kept seeing over and over again: the MeFoto tripod. It seemed like everyone had one, and we had never heard of the brand. So we spoke with the guys at the MeFoto booth who agreed to let us test them out. Now after using all three sizes of MeFoto tripods, I can see why they were everywhere: they’re excellent. [more]
For those photographers who do most of their work on the move, finding light-weight equipment that can really adapt to different situations is a tall order. Sometimes, even the most compact tripod or light stand still won’t fit into spaces or stay out of the way. The gratuitously named Nasty Clamps aim to amend that situation with their attach-anywhere attitude. [more]
There’s a new Facebook app on the market called ‘Photos At My Door‘. This new app enables your Facebook friends to browse through your galleries and buy different photo products (prints, mugs, keychains, phone covers) using your own images. The question is, do I want my friends to have the ability to sift through my public and ‘friends only’ albums and make mugs and keychains out of my images or worse yet, buy prints? The answer, on a professional photographer standpoint… absolutely not! [more]
Sometimes, I find it difficult to motivate myself to go out and just shoot for the heck of it. Unless it is a project I’ve planned, or a client shoot, I often find myself making excuses for not going out to shoot.
I haven’t been able to decide if this is my inner lazy shining through, or if I am subconsciously convincing myself that “There is nothing good to shoot today, I’ll go tomorrow.” but it is a counter productive habit that I decided I needed to break.
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Through the years of excitement, down turns, and overall joy of our beautiful love for photography, we share a lot of experiences as we progress in the industry. No matter how divided we are in opinions, one thing we share is our love for photography. We may bicker over camera brands and techniques but you’re reading this because like me, you love this industry. [more]
It occurred to me today that the vast majority of modern photographers are completely dependent on the perks of technology to make their images. Of course even in the darkroom there is a certain level of “tweakability” but never before have we been able to do the things we can now. The phrase “fix it in post” is so commonplace today that everyone assumes that we can alter the very fabric of reality in Photoshop…and while that may be true, [more]
If you’re in any job long enough, you’re bound to come across quirky industry developments that just might help your work flow. Photography is no different. What’s this you might ask? At first glance it might seem like a video game controller with a cleverly placed sticker on it. [more]
I’ve been to a fair amount of conferences and seminars throughout my life. It seems as I was growing up, most offered an amazing getaway that pumped me up for whatever the topic of the weekend focused on. The more conferences I’ve gone to, though, the more I’ve felt jaded and unappreciative of the hype they create. That said, I wasn’t sure what to expect at this year’s annual wedding photography conference in Vegas, WPPI.
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Variable aperture lenses are generally scoffed at by anyone who has been shooting for a few years, myself included. That said, collectively variable aperture lenses probably make up a vast number of sales for lens manufacturers. They aren’t necessarily bad lenses, but it can be tricky to select the quality from the lousy. So how does Sigma’s second lens that carries its new design, the 17-70mm f/2.8-4 lens, fare? Actually, really well. [more]
The Canon/Nikon debate is a Ford vs. Chevy debate for trucks, and a Coke vs. Pepsi debate for sodas. Both systems have their advantages, and their flaws (Come on Canon…make a 14-24mm already!). However, Canon, in my opinion, separates itself with one tool, the Canon Professional Services program. [more]
Most cameras are not designed to be any more modular than switching a lens out. They are next to impossible to user-service or upgrade, and if you want to use a different lens system and there isn’t an adapter…too bad. That’s where Korean designers Dae jin Ahn and Chun hyun Park come in. Their modular camera concept envisions a future where the user can upgrade or completely change key aspects of their system with ease. [more]
The advertising agency Rethink has developed some awesome work for their client Science World over the years. Catching people’s attention in the midst of their busy lives is a difficult thing to do well. Combining weird facts with strong visuals is in my opinion what makes these work so effectively. Also the fact that they offer no explanation for the facts presented. Instead you have a call to action to go to the museum to learn. [more]
I love Nikon, but for its professional line of cameras (anyone can make the little guys). But I’ve never been a fan of the Coolpix name. Maybe it reminds me of an era during which plastic boxes that could barely make a file for a 4×6 print were actually cool. So when I first saw the Coolpix A, I didn’t think anything of it. But when I really read about it, I realized it’s time for me to drop the silly baggage I have with the Coolpix name. This isn’t just cool. It’s red hot — for a number of reasons. [more]
