8.03.2015

You Need More than Natural Talent to Make It



"You Need More than ‘Natural Talent’ to Make it as a Photographer:  In this 3-minute clip, the main character, Mason, has a conversation with his photography teacher, Mr. Turlington, in the class darkroom. It turns out to be a fatherly lecture about the importance of adding hard work and other qualities on top of natural talent..." READ MORE (via PetaPixel)



6.27.2015

The Washington Post Talent Network

















"New digital tool aimed at extending the reach of Post coverage; Makes it easier for editors and freelancers to connect and collaborate on story assignments..." (Read More)

6.25.2015

Selfie Dangers Of Showing Off Online



















"Thought-Provoking Selfie Ads Warn The Dangers Of Showing Off Online..." (See More)

6.13.2015

One-Day Photo Camp Review References

Thanks to everyone for hanging in there for our whirlwind photo class today.

I've attached references to some of the things we talked about in links posted here.  Take a look at the Pinterest board below, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. There are plenty more similar references on my Pinterest page.

To start, here's the answer to the question I was not able to answer on the spot about Tara and Viviana's Nikon D3100 in M (Manual) Mode.  In order to change apertures, hold down the +/- button which is just under the shutter button to the right, then use the dial on the back to change f-stops. Take a look at this video beginning at the 8:45 point to hear and see exactly how to do it.




Follow Fotograf's board Basic Photography Camp on Pinterest.

Video Clips (there are a lot more videos on my YouTube Channel)


Mike Browne's YouTube Channel





As I said, you could very easily learn photography free online.  On the sidebars to the right, there are several links of all sorts including tutorials, free ebooks and even full free college courses.  As I said, don't be a slave to gear and buying the flashiest camera money can buy.  The best way to improve your photography is by simply taking a lot of photos, making mistakes and learning from them.

SI Crown Cover Epitomizes Modern Society

Photo/Erick W. Rasco, Sports Illustrated





































"Sports Illustrated's American Pharoah Cover Photo Epitomizes Everything Wrong With Modern Society:  ...IS THAT THE HORSE? GET MY PHONE. WAIT, I CAN’T SEE IF THIS IS A GOOD ANGLE. SHOULD I DO VERTICAL ANGLE OR..." READ FULL COMMENTARY (via HuffPost)


6.12.2015

44 Tips to Improve Your Photography

"1. Shoot every day Like any skill, the more you do it, the better you can get. The best camera you have is the one in your hand, so if you aren’t out with your full DSLR kit, don’t be afraid to take great photos with your cell phone camera or a point-and-shoot. Photography is photography, make pictures with a camera. Any camera.

2. Always have your camera near Pull up a chair and I can describe two amazing scenes that have been indelibly embedded in my mind. Unfortunately, for the first, my camera was broken (I was at sea, far from a camera store). For the second, it was out of reach (I was flying). I have considered learning to draw or paint so I can make a “picture” of these two moments. The moral of these stories: have a camera within reach. You never know what will happen or what you will see.

3. Read your manual Camera manuals aren’t engaging reading, but they do tell you a lot about how to use your camera. Spend a night or two with your manual and get intimate with your camera. This will help you every time you photograph. Most manuals are now available electronically, so know where to find it, or save it on your mobile device for reference in the field..."  READ FULL LIST via (PetaPixel) by Todd Vorenkamp

Serious Eats Guide to Food Photography

SeriousEats.com




















"Taking great photographs of food is a hard-earned skill—after all, that's why some people are lucky enough to get paid for it. But it's also a lot easier to hone these days, no matter who you are; even a smartphone can yield gorgeous, high-quality images.

Sure, professional cameras and lenses—provided you know how to use them—can make taking a great photo easier, but they're by no means necessary to the process. Just think of all the amazing Instagram feeds out there. What separates magazine-worthy photos from their less impressive counterparts isn't a fancy camera or expensive equipment. It's an understanding of what it takes to compose an appealing image and the confidence to execute your vision..."  READ TUTORIAL

5.26.2015

5.14.2015

4.22.2015

Photography Is Not a Crime



An officer in South Gate, California - not far from where I grew up - attacks a woman photographing with her cell phone.  READ STORY (via Peta Pixel)


4.12.2015

Octopus Trained to Photograph


SONY GAVE AN OCTOPUS AT A NEW ZEALAND AQUARIUM A CAMERA; TRAINS IT TO PHOTOGRAPH TOURISTS (Read Story)

Ebola Patients See Faces of Those Helping

3.28.2015

Can We Still Recognize Quality Photography?



 Have advanced camera phones stunted our abilities to recognize professional photography? 

In the wake of mass layoffs of photographers from major news organizations like the Chicago Sun Times and Sports Illustrated, the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) wanted to find out whether or not typical newspaper readers preferred — or could even tell the difference between — photos shot by professional photographers and those contributed by amateur shutterbugs. The results, contained in the newly released scientific Eyetracking Photojournalism Study and commissioned by the NPPA, were the topic of a SXSW panel, “Who’s Driving the Extinction of Pro Photographers?” They should surprise no one...(READ ARTICLE


3.22.2015

Women in Photojournalism:


  • First behind the camera: Photojournalist Jessie Tarbox Beals: READ STORY
  • Two of a Kind: Alice Austen and Jessie Tarbox Beals: READ STORY
  • Jessie Tarbox Beals: En Espanol

Susan Meiselas

Photographers in Focus: Susan Meiselas - NOWNESS from NOWNESS on Vimeo.


Carnival Strippers by Susan Meiselas from Magnum Photos on Vimeo.




Lynsey Addarrio

Adobe - Lynsey Addario from Casual Films on Vimeo.

Lynsey Addario: "The Camera Does Act As A Sort Of Shield" from Topic on Vimeo.

  




Stephanie Sinclair


Too Young to Wed: Destaye from TooYoungtoWed (via Vimeo.)


"Where Women Rule"  
Finally, I discussed a few of strong women journalists in leadership who I had the good fortune to work with and learn from during my six years as a photographer and deputy photo director at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida. It was a much different (much larger) newspaper then, owned by The New York Times.  American Journalism Review wrote about Diane McFarlin, Janet (Weaver) Coats, Rosemary Armao and, one of my biggest influences, Sara Quinn: READ HERE. (via American Journalism Review)

Steve McCurry's 9 Composition Tips



Nine Photo Composition Tips From Steve McCurry For Taking Better Pictures

  • Rule of Thirds
  • Leading Lines
  • Diagonals
  • Framing
  • Figure to Ground
  • Fill the Frame
  • Center the Dominant Eye
  • Patterns and Repetition
  • Symmetry

3.07.2015

How to Hold a Camera

via Digital Camera World















How to Hold a Camera (Click Here for Full Version) via Digital Camera World

3.06.2015

Harlin Ellison on Paying Artists

What Not to Say to Photographers



























"Photography is a complex and challenging art and craft that requires talent and knowledge, but that doesn’t stop some people from treating them like free photo dispensers. That’s why Italian designer Luca Masini created the aptly named “What Not To Say To Photographers” image series." SEE IMAGES via Bored Panda

3.01.2015

Henri Cartier-Bresson: A Decisive Collection

Recommended: Dumb Photos for Dumb People

Dumb Photos for Dumb People



Suppose you’re the director of photography (DoP) at a big magazine or newspaper and suppose your budget has been slashed (but I repeat myself).

How do you keep publishing great images?

You can no longer afford to hire great photographers. If you could afford them, you’d still have to get them to sign a work-for-hire agreement, which the great ones won’t do. Well, a few of them will, but you need to properly compensate them, put them on staff, and float them a low interest loan on their upstate, weekend home. So that’s not happening, because remember, you’ve got no money. To make matters worse, the day-rate you offer freelance photographers hasn’t risen in 25 years.... (READ ARTICLE - by Kenneth Jarecke via medium.com)

2.26.2015

How Manuel Becker Improved His Photography

"The question I get asked the most is: “Wow, nice pic! Which camera are you using?” Does that sound familiar? In the past, every time I heard this question I would answer in the same way: by telling people which camera I was using, but that it didn’t really matter in my opinion.

Beginners and hobby photographers usually expect that, if they can only save enough money to buy much better equipment, this will improve their results in a linear way. Maybe that’s the reason so many people are buying DSLR cameras without knowing how or even having an open mind about learning how to use one..." READ FULL ARTICLE (via PetaPixel)

Sony World Photography Shortlist


















See Shortlist of Winners from Sony World Photography:

2.25.2015

How Long Shots in Birdman are Done




Watch: How The Extremely Long Shots In ‘Birdman’ Are Made: via DesignTaxi

China's Street Photographer Tao Liu



Chinese Street Photographer Tao Liu has made a splash with his wit and timing giving a different glimpse of his country through his lens.

2.23.2015

Adobe Photoshop: 25 Years Old (via NPR)

Jessie Tarbox Beals: America's First Photojournalist










































"Here’s a photograph of Jessie Tarbox Beals, America’s first female photojournalist, with her camera on a street a century ago..." (Read More and See Photos via PetaPixel)


Spanish Artist Use Photoshop to Add Fat

 
David Lopera, 20, digitally alters photos to make celebrities appear fatter (See Photos)

2.22.2015

Volkswagen Anti-Selfie and Driving Ads










































"Volkswagen Ads Show The Deadly Consequences Of Taking Selfies While Driving" (See Ads via Design Taxi)

Fashion Photographer Erwin Blumenfeld




MediaStorm Projects on Award Shortlist


For Michael Tabon, being black, young and poor in America made incarceration feel inescapable. Behind bars he realized his true destiny: to be a one-man prison and premature death prevention power movement. Fight Hate with Love explores what's possible and what's sacrificed when one man tries to cha See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/fight-hate-with-love

2.20.2015

Portraits of Cuba - Carolyn Cole




















"Los Angeles Times photographer Carolyn Cole spent several days in Cuba after President Obama announced plans to normalize relations between the United States and the island nation and captured these images."  SEE PHOTOS

2.17.2015

Rules and Ethics of Digital Photojournalism

Debating the Rules and Ethics of Digital Photojournalism

"Significant questions have arisen after a large number of images were disqualified from this year’s World Press Photo competition because of excessive — and sometimes blatant — post-processing. After independent experts examined the images being considered for prizes in the final rounds, and presented their findings to the jury, 20 percent of the photos were disqualified by the judges. This was often because of significant addition or subtraction to the image content. These disqualifications — almost three times more than in last year’s competition — have generated discussion about the standards in photojournalism for post processing and the alteration of images. Understandably, there is concern over the degree of manipulation in widely published images. Hoping to forge a conversation on what happened and how the photojournalism community might move forward, Lens has asked several participants in the World Press Photo competition, as well as other photographers, to reflect on these issues..."(READ FULL ARTICLE) - via The New York Times Lens Blog


2.12.2015

World Press Photo 2015 Winners








View the entire collection of winning images from the 58th World Press Photo Contest.  The winners were selected from more than 95, 000 images submitte to the contest:

2.11.2015

Interview: Lynsey Addario



Twice Kidnapped, Photographer Returns To War Zone: 'It's What I Do'


Photographers Behind Their Famous PIctures


















Photographers Behind The World's Most Iconic Pictures Revealed via HuffPost

Cinematography By Steven Spielberg




9 Scenes from 'Jaws' That Will Show You How Spielberg Does Cinematography via No Film School

2.10.2015

How to Decide What Camera to Buy










































Basics of Photography (Chart)







































































































(click image to expand or download it here)

Nine Tips from Nature Photograpers










































  • 9 tips from Wildlife Photographers via Mashable

Free Photoshop Alternative for Mac Users



Affinity Photo is a New Pro Photoshop Alternative for Mac Users: Get It for Free (Read About it on PetaPixel)

  • Download free Beta version here

1.28.2015

Eadweard (movie trailer)




"Eadweard is a psychological drama centred around world-famous, turn-of-the-century photographer Eadweard Muybridge who photographed nude and deformed subjects, became the godfather of cinema, murdered his wife’s lover and was the last American to receive the justifiable homicide verdict. (for release in 2015 directed by Kyle Rideout) "  (read more


1.21.2015

Paddle Boarder Close-Up Orca Video



"Rich German says he had been dreaming of getting a close look at orcas. That dream came true recently, as a pod of five orcas swam around — and even under — German while he stood on his paddle board off of Laguna Beach, Calif..." (via NPR)
  • "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough." - Robert Capa (see Black Star's article on Telephoto vs. Wide-Angle Lenses.)

1.11.2015

Shoot Better Portraits via Phoblographer



  • The Phoblographer’s Introduction to Shooting Better Portraits (See Entire Lesson)

1.03.2015

For Creatives Just Starting Out




"Nobody Tells This to Beginners: An Inspiring Video for Creatives Just Starting Out" READ IT (via PetaPixel)