24 Frames in May, 2022
A project by the members of Project 52 Pro System.
We pulled out the film cameras and had some fun with one roll of film to be shot over the month of May, 2022.
An Open Letter to People Who Write Open Letters
Last week an open letter dispute erupted on social media. That could be said of just about any week on social media, but this time it was about a photographer and a band who wanted to use a photograph. I found myself intrigued but after reading both letters I felt...
Peter Lindbergh: Images of Women II
PETER LINDBERGH: IMAGES OF WOMEN II Lindbergh is one of the most popular photographers we study in the 8 Week Portrait Class. His work is simply brilliant and so many of the students have an immediate affinity to his authentic, intimate way of shooting. His new book,...
In Commercial Photography Some Things Change and Some Things Don’t
Some Things Change, and Some Things Stay the Same The constant, and rapidly changing landscape of photography continues unabated. Some may think of this as a very scary time to be in this business. They may be right… for them. For me it is nearly a miraculous time to...
Shooting Ice Cream with Photographer Rick Gayle
PHOTO BY RICK GAYLE, PHOENIX I will simply link to Rick's article here. Rick is a Phoenix photographer specializing in still life and food. This is a nicely done article documenting a shoot for Coldstone Creamery. BTS shots as well as some finished examples. You can...
Read more“I think that its a society that has totally lost its bearings on the terms of what its values are, and so its put all its value into celebrity. There is such a lack of spiritual self confidence perhaps that the achievers seem to have to be the kind of holy cows that people worship.”
— Editor, Vanity Fair, ca 1993
Annie Leibovitz Documentary
"I think that its a society that has totally lost its bearings on the terms of what its values are, and so its put all its value into celebrity. There is such a lack of spiritual self confidence perhaps that the achievers seem to have to be the kind of holy cows that...
Read more“The great thing about the job was that in the evenings when we weren’t doing these ads, we photographed Anjelica Huston and Julie Driscoll. Polly Mellon, the fashion editor was there – it must have been for Vogue. Julie Driscoll was a pop singer with Brian Auger and Trinity. Musically they were a very hot band at the time. At the end of the shoot, Dick (Avedon) gave her a kiss and she, being very, very English, said in her slightly Cockney accent, “Oh, I bet they’ll be awful,” which is a totally English way to say “Thank you.” He just froze. He sort of straightened, and said, “When I take pictures, they’re good.””
— Neil Selkirk on Richard Avedon
Neil Selkirk with Elizabeth Avedon
"The great thing about the job was that in the evenings when we weren’t doing these ads, we photographed Anjelica Huston and Julie Driscoll. Polly Mellon, the fashion editor was there - it must have been for Vogue. Julie Driscoll was a pop singer with Brian Auger and...
Two Articles on Printing at Nearly the Same Time
Awesome coincidence? Or a convergence of some unknown force? I do not know, but it is interesting nonetheless. Last week Petapixel ran an article I had written titled "Prints. Remember Prints?" (Article Here) Almost immediately afterwards they ran Lynne Cartia's...
Moodboard: Edgy Portraits
Here are a few portraits that caught my eye last week. I hope you enjoy the picks. Ryan McGehee delivered this exceptional portrait. Brave crop, lighting that engages and mystifies and an absolutely charming face. Kine Meijer showed this unique portrait and knocked me...
Marilyn Monroe by Nahum Baron
I just love this image. I don't really know why. Photograph by Ted (Nahum) Baron. --- My friend and mentor, Selina Maitreya is sharing a lot of great stuff on video. There is an upcoming course, but you can grab a lot of great info from these videos. Check them out...
Join Selina Maitreya in a Free Video Course to Help Move You Forward.
I have known Selina for many years. I have all of her books, and have trained with her. I consider her a mentor, coach and friend. Selina has joined us here on Lighting Essentials many times, and each time is a delightful experience for me. Selina was perhaps the...
Read more“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”
–Peter Lindbergh
Never play it safe
"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." --Peter Lindbergh
The Proof Is In The Pudding… Make Sure You Have a Killer Recipe
“The proof is in the pudding.” Always wondered about that term, so I looked it up. According to the Urban Dictionary; “The original phrase is "The proof of the pudding is in the eating!" Which means you have to eat the pudding to know what's inside of it. The modern...
Ten Beliefs That Suck the Life out of Photographers
What if I told you it was not the industry, the bad economy, where you live, what camera you shoot with, how many lights you have or how small your Facebook following is that is holding you back. None of those are truly capable of stopping you, they are only...
How Can A Single Photograph Tell a Story?
Recently Stefan Sagmeister posted a video in which he excoriates designers for using the word “story” in their descriptions of what they do. Whether you agree or disagree, it is a compelling video. Personally, I am not 100% on board with his statements. There are some...
P52 Member Alicia Bonterre wins Two ADDY’s… WOW
CONGRATULATIONS, ALICA!!! Alicia Bonterre started with P52 about two years ago. She wanted to up her game, create images outside of her comfort zone, and become better at commercial photography. She just won two ADDY's - A GOLD and a SILVER ... so, we can safely agree...
From the Portrait Workshop: Inspired by Dan Winters
Imitate. Assimilate. Innovate. -- Clark Terry, jazz trumpet legend. It is still the best way to learn art. And it drives the style of teaching I do. I don't want anyone to copy anyone else, but rather to be inspired by the work of others. In the portrait class, we...
8 Week Workshop: Portraits Inspired by Herb Ritts.
The goal is not to copy, but be inspired by... Learning about a photographer like the remarkable Herb Ritts helps us to evaluate our own work, see it with new eyes and blend what we learn into our own mix. The photographers who study the past forge new paths into the...
A Few Words on that “Unphotoshopped Cindy Crawford Photo” Crap
A few days ago, this was making big news online... wow. Imagine Cindy Crawford having the guts to go public in a photograph that was un-retouched in Photoshop. Yeah... wow. Big F'n Deal. Of course she did that for two decades and more. You know that, right? Of this I...
New Camera Announcements from Canon
Some amazing new cameras from Canon. I don't get involved in new gear releases, but this stuff is starting to get exciting now. Canon D5 PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS 50.6MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor Dual DIGIC 6 Image Processors 3.2" 1,040K-Dot ClearView II LCD Monitor Full HD...
Going North – Taking a Photo Trek
Every year I host a meet-up of Project 52 members. Part workshop, part social, full on fun. There is no fee for this, we share all expenses, so it is a very comfortable and relaxing time with the tribe. This year we will also be doing a road trip to the north country....
A Simple Photo of a Red Balloon
The recent assignment in Project 52 was to shoot a single red balloon and make it the focal point. The students made some amazing images. And shooting a red balloon is not the easiest thing to do. Give it a try - all you need is a camera and a red balloon. Here...
Portraits Inspired by Peter Lindbergh
This week we looked at the work of Peter Lindbergh. These are the images that the students in the 8 Week Portrait Class did after studying Lindbergh. The workshop is designed for inspiration, not copying. "Imitate. Assimilate. Innovate." - Clark Terry, jazz trumpet...
New Photography Books
New Photography books on Amazon.
“What Do You Charge For? EBook
Last summer I wrote four articles based on the five scariest words a beginning photographer can hear... "What do you charge for..." It ended up being nearly 20 pages, and it can definitely help you work through some of the myriad questions that haunt us when we don't...
Special Guest: Maciej Blaszczuk
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