Articles written by David Parish

Creative genius rarely erupts onto the scene full force and in your face. Its entrance into the world is often quiet, gentle, allowing only a few to see it and recognize its brilliance. Such is the case with Portland, Oregon-based Kate Woodman, whose use of color in her work produces an instant halt to the ever scrolling feed of images - causing even the average user to stop and appreciate the story unfolding before them.

When starting out in photography, the number one obstacle I encountered was finding opportunities to learn from mentors. Research is pretty clear that the fastest way to shortcut the 10,000-hour rule, that is, the rule made famous in Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers," which says it takes approximately 10,000 hours to become a master of your craft, is to use a mentor in your field, shortcutting by learning from their mistakes. My problem, which is likely yours as well, is that educators didn't come to my town. El Paso, Texas, with its 700,000 population, didn't seem very attractive to the teacher circuit. So, how do you change that?

If you follow world class retoucher and owner of Solstice Retouching, Pratik Naik, you already know he is something of a jokester. Routinely posting quirky comments, mostly photography or retouching related, Pratik could very well be the Ellen DeGeneres of our industry, although I can't say for sure until I see him dance. Pratik's blog often carries over many of his antics.

For the majority of my life, I was a soldier in the United States Army. As a part of military life, I learned how valuable it was to be prepared for all the things that could go wrong. Many soldiers will build a bug-out bag, also known as a go-bag. A bug-out bag is essentially a bag full of items one might need when in a pinch. Now as a photographer, my bug-out bag is full of all the little items I often am asked if I have or things that can make any shoot go easier. These things have often meant the difference between success and failure on a shoot. Here is the list of stuff I put in my bag.

The time of year in which many of us pause, reflect, and consider the changes we wish to make for the year ahead has arrived. Resolution inquiries may excite you or fill you with dread as friends or family members begin asking you what you have planned for 2017. Myself, I am not a fan of resolutions set at New Year and forgotten a few weeks later. Some of us have likely abandoned several already. Research continues to show us that one thing is very clear, to be successful, you must have clear goals, but you must also become very intentional in your process toward that target. So here is a list of things you can change in your live today, that will benefit you greatly if you make them a part of your routine.