PetaPixel printed my article on changing the brand for photographers. I titled it "What If Clients Don't Need Professional Photography" as a way of saying that the picture centric medium has changed to brand centric. Photographers must engage with the clients at a...

This week we studied the work of Sarah Moon for inspiration. The students looked at Ms Moon's work, analyzed it, found what they liked and used it for inspiration. The goal is not to copy the masters, it is to understand them and let that understanding inspire the...

The "Protectionist" Attitude Among Photographers Well, not all photographers, but a considerable few. Enough that they can make a lot of noise and bluster. I don't suffer that attitude well, never have. The whining about how there are too many photographers and how we...

Very excited to see that Lighting Essentials is the number 16 highest rated photography blog, overall. There is a whole lot of information on the page about designations for certain criteria that LE can certainly improve on. But heck... I am very happy to be up there...

This past week we looked at the work of Yousef Karsh. The students in the 8 Week Portrait Workshop are learning a ton and putting it to practical use. Here are their images from last weeks assignment. [gallery link="file" columns="6"...

“What makes a photograph “Portfolio Worthy” I want to talk about what makes an image worthy of your portfolio today, and have you think about your work in possibly a different sort of way. What is your portfolio, anyway? It is the repository of the work you have made,...

From Amazon: "W magazine is renowned for its avant-garde fashion stories, those elaborate confections of magic and mystery that have inspired and captivated readers for more than two decades. This volume gathers 10 of the most remarkable stories, each in its entirety,...

Shooting for the web has created some interesting configured imagery. From very wide and narrow images for banners to tall and skinny images for side bars, shooting to layout is as important as ever. Here is a simple video for making a viewing tool that can help you...

In the 8 week portrait class we looked at the work of famed Chicago photographer Victor Skrebneski. The students were asked to make a photograph inspired by what they saw in Skrebneski's work. Not to copy it, but to be inspired by it. Here are the remarkable expamples...

Distractions, Discontent, and Disruption The three “D’s” of the new daily discomforts. Wait, is that a fourth? We are constantly being distracted from our work, made to feel discontent at every turn and facing disruption in our business like never before....

Trends I am noticing: Social Media Thinning. Photographers are becoming more selective in where and how they spend their time in social media. This is a good thing. Not every SM platform is right for you and what you do.Facebook may be find for consumer shooters, but...

Finding someone to “cover” for you on a photography assignment can be tricky business. Not just for your client, but for you AND the person who you hire to do the shoot in your place. Look, stuff happens. We all get sick or a relative passes away or there is emergency...

{This is the final post of the "What I've Learned So Far" series and it will become a book very soon. All of you may download it for free if you are interested. I hope you enjoyed the series. I've learned more than just this, but I figured wrapping it in a month long...

"You can't do that anymore. The market is full of photographers." "Nobody is making any money in this business." "Why the hell would anyone want to go into the professional photography now, all the clients have dried up." I know. We hear that all the time. Nothing new...

I read all about "overnight success" and usually I just smile to myself. Of course I do not believe them, but that's OK - they are always great entertainment. I remember an interview with the band "Foreigner" where the gushing interviewer mentioned their meteoric rise...

What do I mean by "baggage"? I mean the crap we think about when we are making our work, the stuff that goes on between our ears that may have NOTHING at all to do with reality, but begins to weigh on us with false intentions and ruinous decisions. When I was younger...

Be certain. Be sure. Be deliberate. Now this may sound strange coming from someone who advocates challenging everything, finding new solutions, and experimenting, but they actually go very well together. When I say be deliberate, I am talking about a process from 0 -...

I am writing this on Christmas Day, 2014. Not gonna do too much today. Spend time with the family, have a quiet read, and listen to some of my favorite music. There are times we must do this after long periods of stress and hyperactivity. It is our way of...

Is making a photograph easy? Good question... although the question should really be; Should making a photograph be easy? We seem to expect it to be. I see the ads about how easy it is to "click" and get a picture. Kodak said it decades earlier: "Push the button and...

Occasionally we run into the argument of whether or not 'creativity' can be taught, or does it have to be born within us? We read all about creativity and how important it is. We award little statuettes to really "creative" people. Creativity is blessed, cursed,...

Photography at its best can be a reflection of the world in ways that we have never been seen before. It is the photographer's vision that makes the image become more than it could have been. But at the heart of the photographer's vision, there is a deep foundation of...

Nobody likes a clone. A clone is a copy, a non-authentic 'ringer' that has no soul, no guts, no passion, no quirks or guilts or pleasures. And it is way, way too easy to be a clone. Just copy something or someone and do that as you. But it is you. Case in point. A...

One of the more difficult things to wrap our arms around is that not everyone out there wants us to succeed. In fact, the numbers are highly stacked against us. More people will seem to want to douse your flame of passions before it gets lit than will block the wind...

In the 'business' of photography some things have changed drastically since I started out a long time ago. From "day rates" to "snip tests" some of what we did as a normal part of our creative lives have either vanished or have been recreated into some new language -...