12.24.2014

50 Photo Tips in Under 15 Minutes



A Beginner's Guide: 50 Photo Tips in Under 15 Minutes
  1. UV filters are a waste of time
  2. Lens hoods aren't a necessity
  3. If you're not using the hood, put it away
  4. Don't treat your DSLR like it's your baby
  5. Stop hating on others
  6. Get cheap lens caps
  7. Pack light
  8. Use a zoom for convenience
  9. Prime lenses will make you think more
  10. The 35mm is the most practical one lens setup (on the 1.5 crop)
  11. The 50mm looks better
  12. Better cameras don't make better photos
  13. Know how your camera works before you go out to shoot
  14. Always be ready for the shot
  15. P-mode isn't just for beginners
  16. Bump the ISO if needed
  17. Auto ISO is your best friend
  18. Rely on the Rule of Thirds
  19. Take lots of shots
  20. Don't take photos of any old sh*t
  21. "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough" -- Robert Capa
  22. Contemplate your shot
  23. The best equipment doesn't help if you're not standing in the right spot
  24. Sharpness is overrated
  25. Concept is king
  26. Don't look like a wrongun (i.e. a creep)
  27. Don't drink and shoot
  28. Shoot when you're full of energy
  29. Sometimes it feels great to wake up really early and shoot
  30. Think about what light you want
  31. Emulate the style of the greats to get started
  32. ...but don't keep doing it
  33. Photography is as much a reflection of the person taking the photo
  34. Shoot to please no one apart from yourself
  35. Discreet or direct -- it isn't all that important
  36. Setting themes keeps you focused
  37. Change things every once in a while to keep things fresh
  38. Remember, everyone has creative blocks
  39. Be critical of yourself
  40. "Seeing is not enough, you have to feel what you photograph" -- Andre Kertesz
  41. You need to be there with the camera
  42. The relationship is about you and the subject, not you and the camera
  43. Stop chimping (checking every photo after snapping)
  44. Be brutal when it comes to deleting awful photos
  45. Show only your best work
  46. Changing photos to B&W doesn't make an uninteresting shot interesting
  47. Look at other people's work
  48. Post your work online, let others critique your work
  49. There is no easy way
  50. ______

12.21.2014

Keep Ancestry Alive with Family Photos

Image/Save Family Photos via Mashable
















"Sharing Family Photos Helps Keep Your Ancestry Alive...." READ STORY

11.29.2014

Story Behind Jonny Nguyen's Ferguson Photo

Photo by Jonny Nguyen/www.chambersvisuals.com

















"...One such glimmer was captured by Oregon-based freelance photographer Jonny Nguyen at a Ferguson demonstration in Portland earlier this week.


The photo shows 12-year-old Devonte Hart, his eyes welling with tears as he hugs Portland Police Sgt. Bret Barnum, and the story behind it was reported first by The Oregonian in an article published earlier today..." READ MORE via PetaPixel

Walker Evans on What Makes a Good Photo

Elizabeth and Dora Mae Tengle (1936)/ by Walker Evans


















Walker Evans interviewed (excerpt) by Paul Cummings for Smithsonian, NYC, Oct-Dec, 1971 - READ ARTICLE via American Suburb X

11.28.2014

Last Stop: A photo book by George Georgiou



Last Stop: A photo book by George Georgiou (See More Photos)


Childhood Photos of Frida Kahlo by her Father






































"BABY AND CHILDHOOD PHOTOS OF FRIDA KAHLO, TAKEN BY HER PHOTOGRAPHER FATHER GUILLERMO" - See More Photos

11.26.2014

‘It’s Not the Gear, It’s the Photographer’




"Maybe the ‘it’s not the gear, it’s the photographer’ is the proverbial dead horse that’s occasionally given a beating, but it’s a message that we never tire of sharing with a gear-loving, often gear-obsessed, photography world.

To that end, the short tutorial video above by our friends at SLR Lounge puts some numbers to this idea. The question they’re asking: Does taking a picture with 6x more expensive gear, get you a 6x better photo?

The answer, of course, is no..." READ MORE via PetaPixel






SF Chronicle Photogs on the World Series

11.19.2014

How Good Are You at Remembering Faces?




















How Good are You at Remembering Faces?  Play the Game

11.15.2014

Keira Knightly on Photo Manipulation

Photo By PATRICK DEMARCHELIER/Click for link to Interview Magazine















""I've had my body manipulated so many different times for so many different reasons, whether it's paparazzi photographers or for film posters."" READ MORE


Keira Knightly's breasts were famously digitally manipulated for King Arthur Movie Poster.

Through A Lens Darkly: US Photo Racial Divide


Through A Lens Darkly Trailer (documentary in progress) from Thomas Allen Harris

""Through a Lens Darkly," a documentary directed by Thomas Allen Harris, is essentially a glimpse at two scrapbooks — one chronicled by African American photographers, the other by a country unsettled by racist attitudes that persist today. When it comes to race, whether in the old Jim Crow South or the echo chamber of social media, one person's image of truth can be another's degradation..." READ MORE

11.12.2014

Chilean Photography Online Exhibition

















The Photographic Museum of Humanity, an online photography showcase, is presenting Chilean Photography through November.  Visit the Exhibition

11.11.2014

Short Film about Selfies with Kirsten Dunst

ASPIRATIONAL from Matthew Frost on Vimeo.

The Oldest Known Photo of a Human



"...this image, taken in Paris, France, in 1838, is believed to be the earliest known photograph featuring a person.

Look in the photo's lower left corner and you'll see a man getting his boots cleaned on the sidewalk. The boot-cleaner is there too, although he is harder to spot...

It was taken by Louis Daguerre, the French photographer famous for pioneering the daguerreotype, an early type of photo produced on a silver plate or a silver-covered copper plate.
According to Retronaut's Amanda Uren, the exposure time for the image was around seven minutes. The street appears deserted because while the two human figures were relatively still, other pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages were moving too fast to register on the plate..." READ MORE

KIDS REACT TO "OLD" (film) CAMERAS

11.08.2014

Photographer Robert Frank Turns 90



"Robert Frank is 90 years old on Sunday. The great pioneer and iconoclast has become a survivor, celebrated and revered, but still resolutely an outsider. One thing we can be sure of: he won’t be looking back...

it is impossible to imagine photography’s recent past and overwhelmingly confusing present without his lingeringly pervasive presence. Frank was 31 in 1955 when he secured the Guggenheim Grant that financed his various road trips across America the following year with his wife and his two young children in tow. He shot around 28,000 pictures. When Les Americains was published by Robert Delpire in France in 1958, it consisted of just 83 black and white images, but it changed the nature of photography..."  READ MORE (via The Guardian)

Cerro Rico by Tim Hussein (Storehouse)


Chris Hondros Iraq Photo of Samar Hassan

Samar Hassan after her parents were killed. Chris Hondros/Getty


The Falling Man (Subtitulos en Español)

Ethics of Photojournalism

Follow Fotograf's board ETHICS of PHOTOJOURNALISM on Pinterest.

Recommended Reading:
LISTEN:

10.30.2014

Photographer Criticized for Portraying Indiginous






































"“The images look like a throwback to a past era, but they’re also a contemporary invention,” writes Corry. ““His Waorani [the Waorani Indians of Ecuador] female models have now preserved their modesty by tying “fig” leaves into their waist string, which they would never have done formerly.” Corry also criticises the book’s description of the Dani of West Papua as a dreaded head-hunting tribe, without mentioning accusations of killings, torture and intimidation under Indonesian occupation."...READ MORE

Abe Morell - Art with a Camera Obscura





Manuel Alvarez Bravo and Gabriela Iturbide









10.26.2014

Photography and Feelings of Others (PetaPixel)

When we see expressions of other's there is an unconscious activation of the same muscles. (via PetaPixel)





















"...Photography is important because it can influence our capacity to empathize, it effects our motivation to help others, and help us connect with people through imitation. Seeing children with polio, viewing racial discrimination, watching the total destruction of New Orleans undoubtedly appeal to our emotions and our yearning to help those in need. The very survival of our species has and still relies on understanding how other feel, attending to the needs of those around us, and working with one another to construct a better society. Photography is more important than ever because we need visual imagery that reflects our connectedness, especially in a world that can be as inhumane as ours."  READ FULL ARTICLE

Tips to Becoming a Better Photographer

10.25.2014

The Golden Ratio vs. The Rule of Thirds

The Case of Renée Zellwegger (NYT)







































"...Faces are tightly packed with important biological information, Dr. Etcoff said. “They tell people who we are, who our relatives are, how we feel,” she said. “We are face virtuosos. We can discern one face from thousands, even millions, of other faces. When someone does something to their face that renders them unrecognizable, when that impacts our ability to read their face, it really is a jolt.”..." READ MORE

10.22.2014

Henri Cartier Bresson's Decisive Moment 2015




"Within the canon of European photography books it would be difficult to find one more famous, revered and influential as Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Images a la Sauvette or, as the American edition is titled, The Decisive Moment...
Finally, after 62 years, it is again seeing the light of day this December with a gorgeous facsimile from the German publishing house Steidl..."  READ MORE (via Time)



SESIÓN 30. Fotografía clásica: Henri Cartier Bresson from tucamon on Vimeo.

Taking Pictures: Protect Your Work (New Yorker)




Taking Pictures: A Way for Photographers to Protect Their Work (via The New Yorker)

"...There’s software that can help photographers keep tabs, and services like ImageRights International, whose tagline is “It’s your image. You shot it. You created it. Now get paid for it.” Tracing infringements (and unwanted use in propaganda) is a part of any photographer’s job these days. “Professional photographers don’t talk about this publicly,” (Yunghi) Kim said. “But they all do it.”...

“Remember, infringers don’t set the price of your work. You do! My settlements range from 1,000 to 3,000 euros plus legal fees for a single unlicensed image used for editorial purposes.” Kim told me that, in general, “For me, it’s financially worth pursuing.”"  READ MORE


10.20.2014

100 Things About Photography

1. Just because someone has an expensive camera doesn’t mean that they’re a good photographer.

5. The rule of thirds works 99% of the time.

12. There is no “magic” camera or lens.

28. The more photos you take, the better you get.

34. Think before you shoot.

61. Natural light is the best light.

71. You don’t need to fly to Paris to get good photos; the best photo opportunities are in your backyard.

83. Don’t look suspicious when taking photos- blend in with the environment.

85. Have fun while taking photos.

99. Capture the decisive moment.

The Camera - a short film

The Camera (short film / original score) from Peter Lewis on Vimeo.

Magnum Photographer René Burri Dies



"News has emerged of the death of 81-year-old René Burri, a photographer with Magnum Photos. The news broke this afternoon (Monday 20 October). In an email sent to members of the press the agency said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Magnum photographer René Burri who passed away today”"...READ MORE

10.19.2014

Portraits of Four Sisters Every Year for 36 years



Nicholas Nixon and the Brown Sisters: Four Siblings Photographed Every Year for Forty Years (See Photos)

10.15.2014

Photographer and Elephant Seal Pups

10.13.2014

Jeff Harris: 4,748 Self-Portraits and Counting


Jeff Harris: 4,748 Self-Portraits and Counting from Jonas Colstrup on Vimeo.


Ethics of Sports Photojournalism Portraits


























"...journalists “can't photoshop or alter the images in any way. This is where portrait photographers and news photographers are VERY different.”  Photoshopping news photos beyond minor color corrections is a major ethical violation in the photojounalism business.

Others asked whether portraits (as opposed to candid shots) in news photojournalism might be exempt from this ethical rule. In photojournalism, photographers are allowed to position their news subjects for portraits without being accused of "staging" --yet another ethical danger zone for news photographers and editors. Read more in the National Press Photographers Association's Code of Ethics for further details.

The general public seems largely unaware of the rules of photojournalism that prohibit anything except the most basic adjustments to exposure and color in a photograph...."  READ MORE

Cosmetic Surgery in Brazil (via NPR)















'A country known for its natural beauty — tropical beaches and vast rain forest — Brazil recently surpassed the U.S. as the nation with the most cosmetic surgeries performed in the world. That’s despite the fact that it has fewer people and less collective disposable income per capita than the U.S. In Brazil, it’s not just the upper class getting lipo. And it’s not just middle-aged women, either." SEE SLIDESHOW 

10.12.2014

Basic Photography Interactive Tutorial (FREE)















"The Where To Start Chart is a tools designed to help beginning photographers navigate the settings on their camera. The chart is an interactive PDF file with links to hours of free photography tutorials. If you get to a spot and are unsure what something means, just click the box to watch a video about that topic..." DOWNLOAD INTERACTIVE PDF

10.10.2014

10 Photos Documenting The Return of the Jedi






































Fifty photography documenting the making of Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the JediSEE PHOTOS




10.09.2014

10.07.2014

The Story-Telling Power of Photography

LensCulture's Emerging Talents Winners









"You should know about these 50 photographers! We’ve discovered some great, new, emerging talents from around the world. Photographers from 94 countries submitted their best work for our review. An international jury of photography experts had to select 50 from the thousands of entries..." SEE PHOTO PROJECT GALLERIES

10.03.2014

Jeffery Salter: Light and Breaking Rules



Miami Photographer Jeffery Salter on a Location Shoot for his Key Bridge Dance project.

The Failed Revolution - Jan Josef Stok



Photographer Jan Josef Stok's fundraising and article:

"On a November night in 1965, Che Guevara quietly boarded a small boat on Lake Tanganyika. It was the end of his secret mission designed to spark a revolution in Congo. Several months earlier, he had entered the country secretly with 100 Cuban combatants to support an insurgency against the imperialist forces..." READ MORE and SEE PHOTOS


Leica Ad Recreates Famous Photos

10.01.2014

LIGHTING

Follow Fotograf's board LIGHTING on Pinterest.

Mary Ellen Mark, Annie Leibovitz, Diane Arbus

Review of Fujifilm X100T at Hong Kong Protest



DigitalRev TV is one of my favorite places for equipment reviews (and I have started a love affair with Fujifilm cameras).  A photo nerd will feel at home with the entertaining and often lightly irreverent hosts.  They give honest opinion about gear, offer useful tips or prove a point with segments such as their "cheap camera challenge" to famous photographers. I recommend it if you're shopping for a new camera.

We looked at pictures and discussed the news in Hong Kong.  In this piece the host Kai uses his review to show what is going on in his country while the government imposes blackouts.  Although it's a light segment, worried fans of the show concerned about the stars of DigitalRev get to check in with them and get a glimpse of the turmoil.


Getty Images Grants 10 Year Anniversary

Getty Images Grants 10 Year Anniversary from Reportage by Getty Images on Vimeo.

W. Eugene Smith: Father of the Photo Essay







W. Eugene Smith (en Español)

9.30.2014

Dorothea Lange



Documentary: Grab a Hunk of Lightning 




Lecture (en Español) on Dorothea Lange

I Disagree With You, But I Still Like You...















"I disagree with you, but I still like you as a person who is a human being, and I will treat you like that because if I didn't it would make everything bad, and that's what lots of people do, and it's lame." –Kid President

9.29.2014

Top 10 Cameras for Travelers


























15 Best Cheat Sheets for Photographers






































Fifteen of the Best Cheat Sheets, Printables and Infographics for Photographers (via Digital Photography School)

Camera Dials Explained



Mike Browne is one of my favorite online photography instructors.  He explains lessons thoroughly and uses simple, easy-to-understand examples. If you are have questions about any aspect of beginning and more advanced photography, I highly recommend taking a look at Mr. Browne's YouTube channel.

9.26.2014

Arnold Newman: Environmental Portrait Master






"(Arnold Newman) became known as one of the pioneers of Environmental Portraiture (although he himself did not like the term). In portraits such as these, the subjects surroundings, be it their home or workplace, must be able to convey a sense of what the subject is like. Thus, even without knowing who the subject is, a reader can identify the artist in his studio, or a musician at the keyboard, or a president at his desk.

Newman insisted that a picture of a celebrity or politician by himself wouldn't be as meaningful as one taken in the subject's workplace. Moreover, anything caught in the frame should be able to communicate to the viewer something revealing about the subject. As he put it, "The surroundings had to add to the composition and the understanding of the person. No matter who the subject was, it had to be an interesting photograph."..." READ MORE

9.21.2014

HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON








  • The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier Bresson: PDF
  • Henri Cartier-Bresson (photos)Magnum Photos

Feature Photography

As noted in class, determining exactly what feature photography is challenges even the most seasoned professional photojournalists.  In fact the National Press Photographer Association simply defines features for their monthly clip contests like this:


Feature/Single PictureCoverage of events and subjects that don't fit in Spot News, General News, Sports or Illustration. Single images only.


If you are still having trouble understanding the difference, please read the Features chapter in the textbook and look at some examples from past winners of the NPPA's winning photos:  LINK


I also recommend reading this article in a downloadable PDF about features: LINK 

Exposure Review



Please See Previous Posts on Exposure:  LINK

Follow Fotograf's board EXPOSURE on Pinterest.

9.18.2014

Portraits of Homeless Military Veterans















"What Do Homeless Vets Look Like?"  SEE SLIDESHOW

9.17.2014

Photographer Rejected Racism in the South






































"In an era that was marked by growing racial discrimination and the introduction of what were known as the "Jim Crow" segregation laws, a relatively unknown photographer, Hugh Mangum, did a rare thing - he opened his doors to everyone regardless of their race, gender or how much money they had..."  READ MORE (Via The BBC)

9.12.2014

9.11.2014

Story Behind Thomas Franklin's Iconic 9/11 Photo

Photos by Thomas Franklin












"...I work for the the Bergen Record newspaper. At the time, our offices were in a five-story building in Hackensack, NJ, five miles from New York City. I happened to be in the office early that day preparing for a meeting when an editor came running into the photo department saying a plane had hit the World Trade Center..."  READ STORY and SEE PHOTOS (via The Image Deconstructed)

New York Times 2002 Photo Pulitzer Prize

The 2002 Pulitzer Prize Winner
Breaking News Photography
The New York Times Staff
U.S. Attacked  


9.10.2014

The iPhone...is NOT a great camera

















"The iPhone is a great camera for a phone, but it is NOT a great camera.

We as a society have become giddy with the idea that we are carrying around a professional camera in our pockets, after all..."  READ MORE (via PetaPixel)

9.09.2014

Drama Fotografico

9.05.2014

Photos Taken By Pets And Farm Animals

Photo by Chris Keeney





























In Chris Keeney’s latest photo book, titled Petcam: The World Through the Lens of Our Four-Legged Friends, the photographs were not shot by him. Instead, he enlisted the help of his pet dog and cat, and other animals like cows, chickens, and pigs from all over the world to take the pictures for him...." READ MORE and SEE PHOTOS

Smartphone – Tiny Camera: Giant Lens



"If you thought mounting a full frame lens onto a mirrorless camera just imagine what attaching a massive telephoto lens in front of your smartphone would look like..."
Read More (via Phoblographer)

History of Photography



  Follow Fotograf's board HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY on Pinterest.


See this previous post on Photo History:  LINK

8.31.2014

Introduction to Photojournalism



  • Pictures That Change History: Why the World Needs Photojournalists. It's never been easier to take photos—or harder to capture ones that matter.  READ ARTICLE (via The Atlantic)

Photojournalism at Boston University

8.29.2014

Widower's Beloved Photos of Wife Returned



 Read Story and See Photos via CNN

Bad Camera or Bad Photographer? (Editorial)


























"Five years as an Editor in Chief, two years as a wedding photographer, a half a year at Magnum Photos, and two years as a working photojournalist taught me something: there is such a thing as a very bad photographer...."  READ MORE (Editorial via The Phoblographer)

8.28.2014

Company Photoshops Model Meaghan Kausman



Swimwear company Fella Swim's re-touched a photograph by photographer Pip Summerville of Australian model Meaghan Kausman without authorization:  READ STORY


Top image was photoshopped; bottom is original by by Pip Summerville

8.27.2014

Photographer Tasers and Films Nude Subjects



"(Photographer Patrick Hall) had his models stand in front of a high-speed camera while a friend mischievously waits to hit his prey with the stun gun. The result is definitely something you’d want to watch, but not experience..." READ MORE




Dad Makes Video of Daughter's Selfie Shoot

Smartphones Changed The Photography Experience

"(Henry Jacobson) says smartphones have democratized image making in an unprecedented way, more than even the Kodak Brownie or the 35mm Leica had done in the past. “I think  the smartphone is a radical change,” he explains. “The fact that everyone is a photographer has changed the way that everyone thinks about photography. It’s become about the sharing of experience, rather than the sharing of a moment, and that’s something that I think is entirely new.”"
 - READ MORE and SEE PHOTOS (via Time LightBox)

8.26.2014

7 Tips and Tricks for Creative Smartphone Photos



"The Cooperative of Photography, is back in the photo tip game again, this time showing us 7 smartphone photography tips you’ll want to be writing down if you ever shoot with the computer in your pocket..." READ MORE (via PetaPixel)

The Power of the Still Image: Ed Kashi Interview

Ed Kashi Photo via EyeEm

















"What tips would you give to aspiring photographers?

Be ready for a lot of defeat and frustration, you must be passionate and belief in yourself and your work. Create a great body of work that shows a point of view, a vision and personal approach. Own a subject, issue, style, area… distinguish yourself..." READ INTERVIEW w/ PHOTOS, VIDEO (via EyeEm)