Conferences are a common subject matter for many professional photographers and videographers, and I recently worked on one for a client and wanted to share how I prepared to cover it. Whether you're planning to cover a conference professionally or for fun, I hope my experience helps you prepare and execute coverage of one.
The Photography Show returns to New York City this week, presenting thousands of photographs available for purchase or viewing. The show is the oldest running event of its kind and presents a remarkable variety of photographic styles. It is worth a visit if you're in the New York City area this week.
New iterations of our favorite tech appear regularly, and though the new version is often indistinguishable from the previous one, the manufacturer tells us we can't live without it. The previous version of the product is quickly forgotten, as it is now considered obsolete, with nothing to offer over the new model. Nikon, Canon, Sony, and Fuji have taught us not to look to the past when we select a camera or lens. Leica is the only company that understands the value of choosing tech that isn't state-of-the-art.
The narrative around third-party lenses has flipped completely in the last five years. What used to be a compromise, trading optical quality and autofocus reliability for a lower price, has become something closer to the default recommendation for most photographers. Sigma's Art line routinely matches or exceeds first-party optical performance. Tamron is planning ten new lenses this year across four mounts. Viltrox just joined the L-Mount Alliance as a full partner. A wave of manufacturers are shipping surprisingly competent autofocus glass at prices that would have seemed like a typo a few years ago.
Applying your custom editing style to all of your raw files so every scene looks consistent can be exhausting. Lightroom presets can help, but with changing lighting conditions and variable exposure settings, you often still have to make tons of micro adjustments image by image. With the release of Aftershoot's Instant AI Profiles, you can now automate all of your presets quickly and easily.
If you have never looked into Gregory Crewdson’s approach to photography, this one is for you. Crewdson generally ditches the usual “capture the moment” process that many photographers might follow.
Kevin Jairaj has been the Official Photographer for the College Football Playoff National Championship since its inception in 2015 and has become sought after for sports, weddings, and events in London; Trinidad and Tobago; the Bahamas; the USA; and, especially, his home state of Texas. Kevin has covered multiple Super Bowls and the Olympics. He shares why double exposures aren't artful, why panning skill is essential, and which standard piece of gear is "obsolete."
New York City recently hosted an excellent, two‑day photo expo aimed at photographers, content creators, and filmmakers. Presented by BH Photo, the oddly named BILD Expo hosted presentations and panels featuring photographers from a variety of genres and eras as well as a packed showroom floor with vendors of every level.
I love attending any free photography-centered event that offers refreshments and shooting opportunities. Most of these events go all out to provide a unique shooting experience, complete with everything from balloons to dancing bears. Leica loves to be different, and it's no surprise that they took a different approach—one more focused on community—for their recent celebration in New York City.
Some photographers view the craft of photography as a creative pursuit that enriches their lives on a deeply personal level, while others are motivated by income or social media attention. Some are driven to use their cameras to effect change. Self-proclaimed “dogtographer” Kaylee Greer is one such person who uses photography to tell the story of shelter dogs in search of a loving home.
Since the inception of digital photography, every camera marketed to consumers has had a large LCD screen. Without this screen, it is not possible to set preferences for basic camera operation, nor can you verify that you are capturing images at the correct exposure. Without a rear screen, you can’t confirm that the camera has captured an image when you press the shutter button.
The arrival of a new flagship from a top camera maker inevitably sparks a debate regarding how much sense it makes to upgrade to the latest model. Camera makers boast of the many improvements their new models offer, but each photographer must determine if those improvements are worth the cost of upgrading. How the manufacturers name their latest offering can sometimes offer clues about the extent of the improvements. In 2021, when Sony introduced their newest flagship under the name a1 rather than some variation of the a7 or a9 moniker, there was an expectation that the a1 would stand apart from the brand’s other mirrorless cameras.
Adobe has announced an integration of camera hardware and software that will be a game changer for news and event photographers. Beginning today as a beta implementation, photographers using a camera with C2C (camera-to-cloud) technology built in will be able to upload images from their camera into Frame.io, where images can be instantly edited using Adobe Lightroom. This workflow will allow a photographer to shoot an all-day event without stopping to download images onto a computer. Culling, editing, and delivery can be handled by an off-site editor anywhere.
Finding the creativity and inspiration to succeed as a premier fashion and editorial photographer is hard enough, keeping it up for more than three decades is a completely different story altogether. Rankin's new show at 180 Studios is a retrospective of Rankin's first decade of work at Dazed and Confused, one of photography's most influential magazines.
There are very few professions where you get to shoot zombies for a living, but production photography is one of them. If you’ve ever wondered what production photographers do and whether you might like to try it for yourself, then read on because this article was written just for you.
What do you get when you pair an industry titan in creative beauty images with a campaign promoting psoriasis awareness? You get images you're anxiously curious to see, and an interview you want to watch. For the lucky New Yorkers, you also get the perfect outing for this weekend. I sat down with Adler to talk about the “Clearly Me” campaign she shot, which will be on display this weekend at Nine Line Galleries, NYC. If you follow my writing, you know we took rabbit trails into all kinds of tangents that will keep you learning, laughing, and hopefully leave you inspired with takeaways that will apply to your own photographic journey.
There’s an often misleading rule quoted that amateurs use auto and professional photographers use manual mode. Balderdash! It should be replaced with professional photographers can use manual mode, but many use the mode that is most likely to get them the shot.
As photographers, we choose where we take photographs. While it is undoubtedly a joy to take pictures in a climate-controlled photo studio, tethered to a laptop while your favorite tunes play through speakers, many romanticize taking photographs under challenging conditions. We dream of being assigned to document a war or cover the aftermath of an earthquake.
I consider fashion to be one of the most difficult industries to break into. There is no clear pathway, and you are not really taught how to do it. Moreover, every photographer has to almost invent their own pathway. In this article, I will talk about my path as a fresh fashion photographer and give tips on how to succeed in the industry.
I have a love/hate relationship with family vacations. I enjoy going away for a few days with my wife and daughter, but it is not something I am super excited about and looking forward to each day in the months before the trip, the way most people do. Truth be told, I’m happier putting my money into buying a new lens rather than using it to book a plane ticket.
Being able to use off-camera lighting is considered a skill only for the pro photographers. When I started out, still in high school, I saw the flash photographers use their cool lights and always thought about how cool they are. Soon after, I bought my first flash. Mistakes followed.
A classic combination: legendary photographer, Michel Haddi and a plethora of top-of-their-game models and celebrities. Some of Haddi's black and white portraits will be on display as part of Photo London 2023 through 29 ARTS IN PROGRESS gallery. Also, as part of Photo London, Haddi will be signing copies of the latest addition to his Legends anthology, this time focusing on Kate Moss.
A new year brings thoughts of new beginnings and new opportunities. Resolutions are common this time of year. You undoubtedly have plans to join a gym this year, but why not also make a goal of working on a new photo project? There are several projects you might consider undertaking in 2023, ranging from those that require you to create something original each day to those that will be successful with a less frequent contribution on your part.
There are several timeless photography debates that are fun to engage in but will probably never be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. There’s film versus digital, zoom lenses versus primes, small compact minimalistic camera versus fully featured monster-sized pro camera, and of course, continuous lighting versus strobe lighting. This article will not seek to determine whether strobes or constant lights are better for portraiture, but we will take a deep dive into how one photographer used continuous lighting on a recent celebrity shoot.
An editorial shoot, like any type of photography, requires a perfect blend of planning and play. Timing is critical, especially when working with a celebrity. In this video, London-based photographer Ejatu Shaw shares a behind-the-scenes look of her shoot with radio host Roman Kemp.
As the adage goes, “you have to run before you can walk.” This also applies to photography. Once you’ve learned how to consistently make a good image within your camera, what is the next step?
Let me rewind the clock by a decade: it’s the tail end of 2012, and the NYPD was in the process of clearing out Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan. Over the last year, Occupy Wall Street had been picking up steam, with an encampment filling the better part of the park and protests regularly spilling out into the streets.
The issue of whether or not photographers should work for free is a polarizing one. Some of us feel we should not haul thousands of dollars worth of lighting and camera gear to a location and spend a full day shooting just to gain a reward that comes in the form of intangible exposure. Others feel doing regular collaborations with like-minded peers to produce new work is valuable in nurturing a photographer’s creative process.
"Collabs" are the new currency between aspirant photographers and content-pressured models. Both parties are looking for scroll-stopping images to gain attention as they rise up in their respective industries. What happens when the images don't measure up to the expectations? Are models expecting too much from growing photographers who are shooting for free, or are photographers hyping up their skills and not delivering?
When we think about photoshoot essentials, we often picture the big, exciting pieces of equipment:the camera, the lenses, the light, the modifiers. However, today, I’m sharing the unsung heroes in my kit. Here are five small, inexpensive, but essential bits of kit for styling product photography photos.
Looking back at my early portraits often makes me cringe. I’m not even afraid to admit it now. It was always a goal of mine to be a competent portrait photographer, but I was incredibly shy and didn’t know how to engage with the people in front of my lens. I was always somehow dissatisfied with my results, as I could never seem to connect with my subjects on a level deep enough for them to let their guard down.
Photography is blessed and cursed with both scientific and artistic rules. We always hear that we should keep or break them, but there is much more to it than that.
Corporate events are perhaps my favorite thing to photograph these days. There are so many different shots I can create at a conference that I am never bored. Networking opportunities are in abundance at any given corporate affair, and most of the people in the room are working for a company that has the budget to hire me to shoot for them.
Photographers are creators. As creatives, we have something to say. Photography, as a medium, can capture a mood or a message as powerfully as words, music, paintings, and sculptures. Embarking on a personal project is the perfect opportunity for a photographer to convey their message without the influence of any client concerns.
If you are a beginning photographer who has only worked with amateur models, it may be your dream to work with a professional model one day. Is there a noticeable difference between working with a professional model and an amateur model?
My recent shoot with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Mitchell S. Jackson turned out great but was not without problems. Join me for a detailed look at how it all went down.
Capturing hundreds of images on a shoot is easy. Culling a large number of images down to a handful of keepers is a time-consuming and often mentally difficult process for an artist. In this video, originally posted by Wired, photographer Steve Winter takes us through his thought process as he reduces 112 images down to one single select.
In the age of social media, we often only ever get to see the best version of things: the best-looking meal images, our best-looking selves in selfies, the best this, the best that. For photographers, this too can mean that we only ever get to see the best images from other photographers.
Film photography has been making a steady, slightly unexpected comeback for the past few years. In this article, I break down some of the reasons why that is happening, as well as say why it may be slightly dangerous for creatives.
Food is a fundamental part of survival. The very first thing we do after being born is eat. Human brains know food on a primal and instinctual level. Our brains automatically reject or call into question food imagery that doesn't look real. In advertising, our brains are a little more forgiving.
Whalebone Magazine (the self-proclaimed ninth-best magazine in the world) just wrapped up their Second Annual Whalebone Photo Contest, leading up to the release of their aptly named Photo Issue. Categories included Water, Adventure, Human, Motion, Joy, and Weather — whatever those things mean to you.
Almost everyone has a cell phone these days and by extension, a phone camera. This means that anyone with a phone can create a decent enough image. To clarify, I’m not trying to debate whether someone is a “real photographer” or not. Instead, my intention is to persuade you to approach photography in a more considered and intentional way.
RuPaul’s Drag Race is the Emmy-winning global phenomenon taking reality TV by storm. The show is in its 13th season but boasts several spin-offs including All Stars, as well as localized seasons in Canada, UK, Thailand, Holland, Spain, and Australia. Drag race, as it is called by fans, is a reality competition that challenges contestants to find the drag performer who possesses the perfect blend of charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.
Today we are asking our readers to vote which of these two photos is the better image. I'm not going to tell you anything about these two images, but I'm excited to reveal the twist in a few days after everyone votes on the more appealing image.
Completing an assignment from a publication like a magazine most often means that you need to provide proper context for the images you're taking because the objective is to tell a story. The advice in this video will help you to enhance a story with your photography.
As more and more photographers move to mirrorless camera systems, it is important to test and get some hands-on experience to see if a specific camera body will meet your average work flow. There are a lot of impressive new mirrorless cameras hitting the market but are they the right upgrade for you?
If you've ever wanted to create more dramatic portraits with minimal effort or even completely in-camera with no Photoshop, this video is for you. In this photoshoot, I set out to create a dramatic editorial image that looks like it was shot late at night. The catch: I'm actually going to be taking the photo at 4 pm.
With COVID-19, fans have been wondering for quite some time just when sports would come back and what they might look like. Now, we are starting to see several professional sports preparing to start their modified regular seasons, but how are sports photographers being affected by these new changes?