Behind the Shot - Video: Recent Episodes
Steve Brazill
I have always been fascinated with the education side of photography. I don’t have a formal photography education myself, and I am very aware of what skill sets I wish I had been exposed to earlier in my photo journey.
I have been around a lot of the continuing education side of photography, like KelbyOne, or various workshops that a lot of the top photographers do, and in fact teach workshops myself, but I do appreciate what many of the more traditional photography programs provide for the next generation of photographers.
A few years ago I even teamed up with Red River Paper to spotlight some students from the schools they supported with the EDU programs.
All of this is to say, I think some of the absolute best creatives shooting today are a great representation of where this craft I love is headed.
A case in point is Cal Baptist University, in my hometown of Riverside, CA. The photography program there is run by Christopher Kern, and he has put together such an amazing program. I have been there a few times, usually to see my buddy, and past guest, Ian Spanier do his guest workshop, but also to visit with Christopher and see what they are doing at CBU. This program has even helped another past guest, Art Streamer, with interns for some of his shoots.
A few weeks ago I saw an Instagram post from CBU, and had me thinking…. what are some of the current students in this wonderful program shooting these days? I asked Christopher for a recommendation of a student he thought might make a good guest on the show, and he suggested Josiah Grant.
Josiah is the perfect example of what I was talking about up above. An amazing photographer that just sees things differently than most anyone I know. Looking through his portfolio you are struck by his use of depth, and I don’t only mean only depth-of-field. Josiah uses light and shadow, softness and sharpness, foreground and background, subtle or bold, to define what he wants you to see. His understanding of directing the viewers eye seems to be much more experienced than his still being in college would imply.
I am so excited to learn from the student today, and the image we will be discussing has won a few awards!
From over 7,000 entries, a Jury selected just 317 images, including Josiah’s, to appear in the “2024 American Photography 40”, a book representing the best pictures from 2023. It also won an Award of Excellence in the one of the most prestigious competitions for creativity in photography, the “2024 Communication Arts Photography Annual 65”.
Join photographer Josiah Grant and me as we dive into how he creates such amazing and creative portraits, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with JosiahWebsites: josiahvisuals.com
Instagram: @josiahvisuals
YouTube: YouTube.com
Josiah’s Photographer PicksMiguel Esparza: miguelesparzaphoto.com | @miguelesparzaphoto
Nico Carrillo: nicocarrillo.com | @nicocarrillophoto
Austin Elliott: austinelliottphoto.com | @austinelliottphoto
This is a show I have been thinking about doing for a while, and that I believe is an important subject for both new and veteran music photographers…. BUT even if you’re not a music photographer, this subject should matter to you. I think it applies to anyone negotiating prices.
I have strong opinions on what the ASMP has referred to as “Predatory” Releases, and there’s no question that I have an opinion on the message I want to get out on this episode, but, it is my show, so I get to do that.
If you’re not a Music Photographer, and have never heard of photo releases – note that these are NOT model releases – then don’t worry. I explain what they are, and why they exist, in the show. Then I am joined by two other music photographers…
My buddy David Bergman is a Canon Explorer of light, and hosts the show Ask David Bergman on Adorama TV. There are few people I know of that know more about photography than David, from his days shooting for the famed Miami Herald newspaper, to having 13 Sports Illustrated covers, David is a big deal. He has been Luke Combs’ full-time tour photographer since January 2019, and Bon Jovi’s tour photographer since 2010. So glad that we get to benefit from his years of experience in media and music photography for this show. Oh yeah… David’s workshops, like Shoot From the Pit and his upcoming Italy trip, are great chances to hang out and learn photography.
Also on the show we have Montreal based Music Photographer Marie Demeire. I have followed Marie on socials for years, but today is my first time meeting her face-to-face. Known around the net as “Marie Goes To Shows”, she has been published in Complex, EDM.com, Bandcamp, iHeartRadio Canada, Canadian Beats, 99Scenes, Sors-Tu, the MUHC Foundation, Secret Melbourne and BP Arts Media. Having been a fan of her work for years, I am thrilled to be able to get her perspective on this subject.
Join Canon Explorer of Light David Bergman, and Montreal Music Photographer Marie Demeire, as they join me for a serious, and fun, chat about Concert Photo Releases, on this Behind the Shot.
Chapter Timestamps00:00:00 – Intro
00:03:47 – Overview of Music Photography Photo releases
00:05:08 – Chapter 5
00:08:18 – Getting to Know of Marie & David
00:14:38 – David & Marie’s Overview of Releases
00:24:51 – Common Reasons People Say They Sign a Release
00:37:34 – Replying to Comments from Instagram
00:56:13 – What About the “Cross Out the Parts You Don’t Like and Return It” Argument?
01:09:07 – Anything the Guests Want to Add?
01:18:22 – My Final Thoughts on Concert Photo Releases
01:21:58 – Speed Round Q & A
01:25:41 – Marie and David’s Photographer Picks
01:26:51 – Where to Find My Guests?
01:28:26 – Outro
Connect with David BergmanWebsite: davidbergman.net
Italian Riviera with David Bergman: trovatrip.com
Instagram: @davidbergman
Facebook: @DavidBergmanPhoto
X / Twitter: @davidbergman
LinkedIN: @davidbergman
Connect with Marie DemeireWebsite: tinyurl.com/mariegoestoshows
Instagram: @mariegoestoshows
X / Twitter: @mgoestoshows
David’s Photographer PickAubrey Wise: aubreywisephoto.com | @aubreywisephoto
Marie’s Photographer PicksSusan Moss: susanmossphotography.com | @susanmossphotography
ASMP ArticlePredatory Contract Clauses: Music Edition: asmp.org
Copyright for PhotographersPlaylist on YouTube: Music Edition: YouTube.com/@behindtheshot
I will never forget growing up hearing my dad talk about his days flying P-51 and P-40 planes. His walls were covered in model planes of classic war birds, as though he was trying to relive his youth. When he passed away, I inherited a bunch of model planes he’d never gotten around to building. He was in the Air Force his entire life, retiring as a Lt. Colonel, and talking with today’s guest has brought back so many memories.
Brett Schauf, the owner of T&J Studios, in Wichita, Kansas, is a commercial, portrait and fine art photographer, but in addition to his commercial and portrait work Brett has been able to produce a collection of fine art prints featuring Landscape, Travel, and Aviation photography.
Since 2015 Brett has been the lead photographer for the B-29 Doc, a restored World War II B-29 bomber, and man…. it’s a beautiful plane. This gig has given Brett the opportunity to travel as a crew member, documenting the plane, crew, visitors and the many veterans who visit Doc on tour. So, while I started by introducing Brett as a commercial, portrait and fine art photographer, today’s focus will be the Aviation photography.
From aviation manufacturers and publications, to industry leaders, businesses and entertainers, Brett’s commercial client list keeps him pretty busy, so I am so grateful he was able to set aside some time to talk to us about how he captures these rare classic warbirds. And a quick thank you to Dr. T from Platypod for introducing us.
Join commercial, portrait. fine art, and arial photographer Brett Schauf and me as we talk about how he captures his stunning images of classic warbirds, like the B-29 Doc. Brett shares his passion for capturing dynamic lighting and vibrant colors, whether in landscapes or mid-air. He also provides insights into the technical aspects and creative process behind his aerial shots. Join us for a conversation that offers valuable tips and inspiration for photographers at all levels, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with BrettWebsites: brett.photo | tjstudios.com
Instagram: @brettphoto
Facebook: @bschauf
X / Twitter: @brettphoto
Brett’s Photographer PicksTravis Heying: travisheying.com | @theying
Seth Miranda: lastxwitness.com | @lastxwitness
Joel Grimes: joelgrimes.com | @joelgrimesworkshops
One of the things I love about the podcasting world is the instant camaraderie you sometimes feel when talking with other podcasters. It’s hard to explain the connection you get when you have something creative in common with someone, but it’s a pretty cool feeling. So, when a few months back I got a text from Kersten Luts, of the ‘Camera Shake Podcast‘, to see if I wanted to join him and Dave Clayton, of the ‘He Shoots, He Draws Podcast‘, for a joint podcast I answered with a quick “YES PLEASE!”.
Their idea was that we do a show on podcasting – a casual chat about how we got started, the ups and down, and why we still love doing our shows. We would record the show as a video, even though He Shoots, He Draws is normally audio only, and then we would each release the same show, on the same day, on each of our podcasts. I loved the concept as soon as I heard it, and the chance to do a show with these two friends made it even better.
I have had the honor of being on both Kersten’s and Dave’s podcasts. I was the guest on Episode 93 of He Shoots, He Draws, and I have been on the Camera Shake Podcast twice, for Episode 134: How To Take Great Music Photos, and on Episode 178 talking about how to Instantly Improve Your Photos, plus I was recently on Kersten’s live streamed Coffee Time.
For today’s show we went pretty long, it’s tough to stop when you’re just having a fun chat with friends about a topic you love.
Join podcasters Kersten Luts and Dave Clayton and me as we talk about podcasting, shoe phones, the Royal Family, and birthdays, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with Kersten LutsWebsite: kerstenluts.com
Instagram (Personal): @kerstenluts
Instagram (Three Heads In A Row): @threeheadsinarow
Facebook: @kerstenlutsphotography
X / Twitter: @kerstenphoto
Camera Shake PodcastWebsite: camerashakepodcast.com
YouTube: @camerashake
Instagram: @camerashakepodcast
Facebook: @camerashakepodcast
X / Twitter: @ShakeCamera
Connect with Dave ClaytonWebsite: itsdaveclayton.com
Instagram: @itsdaveclayton
Facebook: @itsdaveclayton
X / Twitter: @itsdaveclayton
LinkedIN: @daveclayton
He Shoots, He Draws PodcastWebsite: heshootshedrawspodcast.simplecast.com
YouTube: @heshootshedrawspodcast3209
Instagram: @heshootshedraws
Facebook: @heshootshedraws
X / Twitter: @heshootshedraws
The photographers I am exposed to by doing this show never cease to amaze me. Recently, my buddy Ian Spanier told a friend of his that he should be on the show, and gave him my contact info. At that point, Jason Gardner reached out to me, and when Ian, who has been on the show a few times himself, suggests someone I need to pay attention.
Jason is an interesting photographer. He has galleries on his site for Editorial, Events, Personalities, and Lifestyle, and the work is fantastic. Honestly, there were a few of his lifestyle images I really wanted to cover on the show, and hopefully we get to revisit that subject one day. For this show though we look at a project Jason has been working on for years, a lot of years.
For over 15 years, throughout 15 countries, Jason has documented the ritual and festival of Carnival, focusing on traditional, folkloric, and community celebrations. The resulting images, which are the subject of his second book, We the Spirits, and a window into how humanity, worldwide, celebrate life, tradition, and folklore. Photographs from We the Spirits were displayed in the exhibition Costume and Masquerade: at the Stadhaus in Ulm, Germany, and the project was selected to be exhibited at the Mois de la Photo OFF Photography festival in Paris, and that’s just two of the many exhibitions that Jason’s work has been displayed at, and in fact the images from We the Spirits will be on display again for an exhibition at Ted and Nune Studio, Street Hastings-on-Hudson, NY from April 6 – May 19.
With a client list that includes Con Edison, HBO, TED Talks, Dassault Systèmes, Electrolux, Grand Central Station, Samsung Corporation, N-Y Historical Society, Freshworks, Ogilvy & Mather, Direct TV, Pfizer, Big Brothers Big Sisters NY, and Human Rights Watch, it’s no wonder Jason has seen the success he has. Seriously, go check out his Lifestyle / Editorial work, or his Personalities gallery. So good.
Getting back to that term “Visual Anthropology”, Jason describes it this way:
“In my practice, I document visually various aspects of a culture, and how it is celebrated, both venerating traditions and looking forward.
I am interested in what constitutes cultures and most especially how they are celebrated, from honoring traditions to envisaging the future. By focusing on cultural manifestations such as music, dance, festival, and spectacle, as well as symbols, street art, glyphs, costumes, or shrines in a closet, I capture the intangible, visually translating the symbolic connections of what might not be visible at first glance.
Placing my photographic practice within the framework of Visual Anthropology, I hope to tell stories by focusing on cultures, traditions and practices which often happen behind the public’s view. I capture things that build up to define the cultural milieu and community’s regional identities. I look for that ineffable moment of transformation in a ceremony, the traditional song or costume epitomizing regional pride and identity, a symbol representing a culture, these all combine to reflect the culture.
I wish to reveal some of the diversity of the spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional landscape of a community. Making the connections among the various manifestations, to show their relationship with each other, and how they interlock, helps to form my view of the culture I am documenting. These displays of culture are significant, to me, in that they represent one of the more profound ways that humans can express themselves.”
And I think all of that comes through in his work.
Join documentary photographer Jason Gardner and me as we talk about his “Visual Anthropology”, and as we dissect one of the images from his travels documenting the ritual and festival of Carnival throughout 15 countries, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with JasonWebsite: jasongardner.net
Instagram: @visualanthropology1
Facebook: @jasongardnerphoto
X / Twitter: @JGardnerPhoto
LinkedIN: @ jasongardner
Jason’s BookWe the Spirits: jasongardner.net
Jason’s We the Spirits Exhibition – April 6 – May 19Ted and Nune Studio, Street Hastings-on-Hudson, NY: tedandnune.com
Jason’s Photographer PickRoberto de la Torre: roberdelatorre.com | @rober.delatorre
I never used to go to photography conferences. It’s not that they didn’t interest me, it’s just that none of them cover my genre of music photography. WPPI is all about weddings and portraits, and while Imaging USA seems to cover a bit more, it doesn’t go anywhere near concerts. Still, a few years ago I went to WPPI with a friend, to cover it on the show, and I found out that I didn’t care what the conference covered. What I enjoyed the most was meeting other photographers after hours to talk shop. Since then, I have been to all but one WPPI, and a few of the old Photoshop World conferences – which I really miss.
That is all to say that no matter what you think of conferences, the networking side is almost always worth the trip. This past January I decided to try out my first Imaging USA, partly because it was in Louisville, KY, the home of the Bourbon Trail. The conference, for me, was a huge success. I was able to hang out with some old friends, and meet a few new ones, like today’s guest. While at Imaging I stopped by to say hello to my friends at the Platypod booth, and while there I met fellow Platypod Pro Lenworth Johnson.
Lenworth is a commercial fashion and beauty photographer based in Houston, TX, and originally from Jamaica. We talked a bit at the conference, and I browsed through his site, and knew right then I needed to get him on the show. My original thought was to cover one of his amazing fashion or beauty shots, since that’s what he’s mostly known for, but that would have been obvious. Instead I decided we should focus on a tangential part of his work. Lenworth also shoots fashion related product photography, like perfumes and makeup, and I have never really had that genre on the show before.
The challenges of product photography are quite varied, from holding highlights on reflective surfaces, to subject separation and color accuracy, and Lenworth tackles these challenges so well I thought he could help you and I get a better sense of this difficult subject matter.
His work has been honored with multiple awards:
2019 Guru Awards Photoshop World Award
2020 Silver Advertising Award MIFA Award
2022 Gold Commercial Photography-Product MUSE Awards
2023 Gold People Photography-Portrait MUSE Awards
2023 Gold Commercial Photography-Fashion MUSE Awards
As a KelbyOne instructor, Lenworth teaches a few classes, including Fashion & Beauty, lighting, and getting published.
Join commercial fashion and beauty photographer Lenworth Johnson and me as we talk about his fashion and beauty work, and as we dissect his product shot of Chanel makeup, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with LenworthWebsite: lenworthjohnson.com
Instagram: @lenworth.johnson
Facebook: @photographyLJ
X / Twitter: @LJ_Photography1
LinkedIN: @lenworth-johnson-2966a319
Lenworth’s KelbyOne ClassesKelbyOne: KelbyOne.com
Lenworth’s Photographer PickMary Bel: marybelphotography.com | @marybelphotography
One of my favorite parts of doing this podcast is that I get to discover and meet some amazing photographers, and L.A. based Nikon Ambassador Joey Terrill is a perfect example.
We’ve all joked about a photographer we know being able to “shoot anything”, but in reality very few people can truly shoot any subject matter. There are a few out there though, Joe McNally comes to mind, that just get it. Their photography seems to breath it’s own air, and be alive. Joey is one of those talents. His career has included a range of specialties including architecture and interior design, advertising and corporate photography, golf course landscapes, and editorial portraiture, and his macro photography is fascinating.
Joey’s website has three galleries, Portraits, Scenes, and Macro, and if you spend a little time there you’ll get some insight into how Joey sees the world. Perhaps this quote from his website sums it up best:
“My camera is the window through which I experience life”
From extreme close-up or a vast valley, to a portrait of a corporate CEO made to look like a star, Mr. Terrill just seems to understand what we are doing when we take a photo. He understands how to make a viewer feel something, as though they’ve been invited into the scene. That, my friend, is a skill I wish I had.
Joey has worked with clients like American Express, Coca-Cola, Disney, Golf Digest, Major League Baseball, Nikon, Red Bull and Sports Illustrated. As an educator he teaches workshops and speaks at seminars including PhotoPlus Expo, WPPI, CES, Imaging USA, and of course Nikon School.
Join photographer and Nikon Ambassador Joey Terrill and me as we dive into the artistic world of his macro photography, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with JoeyWebsite: joeyterrill.com
Instagram: @joeyterrill
Glass: @joeyterrill
Facebook: @joeyterrill
X / Twitter: @joeyterrill
Joey’s Photographer PickGeorge Hurrell: georgehurrell.com | @hurrellphotos
I find guests for Behind the Shot in a number of ways. Sometimes it’s a referral from a friend, sometimes it’s a cold email I send after seeing an image I just need to know more about, and now and then it’s through a photographer’s PR company. Regardless of how I find them, more often than not I end up being introduced to an amazing artist I wasn’t familiar with beforehand. That is the case today.
Jiří Lízler was brought to my attention by the folks over at Wonderful Machine, a company I think of as a PR firm, but that describes itself as “an art production agency with a network of 559 photographers in 44 countries”. Whatever you see them as, they have a pool of talent that includes some of the best of the best, and they’ve brought me awesome guest ideas in the past. When they brought Jiří up to me two things jumped out… one was that I had never, that I recall, had an architectural shot on the show before, and the other was that Jiří’s work is insanely good. I am so glad this show worked out.
If, like me, you were not familiar with Jiří Lízler, let me introduce you…
Jiri is a renowned Award-Winning commercial photographer from the Czech Republic, with a portfolio that features luxury hotels and high-end residential interiors. His work has been featured in international media fixtures like Conde Nast Traveller, The Telegraph, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, The Times, Archilovers and more.
From a clientele perspective, I am not sure you will find bigger names, with clients that include Microsoft, McDonald’s, Chanel, Warner Bros Discovery, St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Six Senses, The Luxury Collection, and Hyatt.
As I am writing this, I have the Tear Sheets page of his website in front of me, and wow. Jiri’s work is truly fantastic.
Join Czech based commercial photographer Jiří Lízler and me as we discuss his world of photographing hotels & resorts, travel & tourism, architecture and interiors, and more, while taking a deep dive into his photo of the pool at the Corinthia Hotel Prague, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with JiříWebsite: jirilizler.com
Instagram: @jirilizler
LinkedIN: @jiri-lizler-hotel-photographer
Jiří’s Photographer PickRupert Peace: rupertpeace.com | @rupertpeace
One look at the client list at the bottom of Paul Mobley’s About page and it’s quickly apparent that he’s one of the best commercial, advertising, and editorial portrait photographers working today. It’s a list of A level celebrities & musicians, and Fortune 500 companies, that speaks volumes about the type of work Paul creates.
Whether it’s a celebrity promoting his or her latest project or a 100-year- old farmer celebrating his family’s legacy, Paul has that rare ability to direct as well as photograph his subjects, to create some connection with them that puts them at ease in front of the camera. They seem to trust him at an almost uncanny level. The result? He creates portraits that are authentic, and timeless.
In addition to his corporate, advertising, and editorial work, Paul is an accomplished author, having published four books of his photography with Welcome Books: American Farmer (2008), Everyday Heroes (2012), If I Live to Be 100 (2016), and American Firefighter (2018). For all four books, Mobley traveled around the country to meet the subjects in their hometowns and photograph these ordinary citizens leading their extraordinary lives. Mobley has also put together a traveling exhibition of his American Farmer photographs that will tour museums and colleges around the United States until 2025. You’ll find links to his books and exhibition below.
Join commercial, advertising, and editorial portrait photographer Paul Mobley and me as we talk about his portrait work, compositing portraits, and as we dissect his multi-shot image of comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with PaulWebsite: paulmobleystudio.com
Instagram: @paulmobleystudio
Facebook: @PaulMobleyStudio
X / Twitter: @PaulShoots
LinkedIN: @paulmobleystudio
Traveling ExhibitionWebsite: eusa.org/exhibition/american-farmer/
Paul’s BooksAmazon: amazon.com
Paul’s Photographer PickRuvén Afanador: ruvenafanador.com | @ruvenafanador
Zoe Rain is one of those photographers in the rare group of artists that was born to do what she does. Some people can learn to become amazing artists, while others, people like Zoe, seem to have a natural gift for seeing the world through a lens.
At the young age of 20, Zoe was already touring with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and that work brought a bit of notoriety, to say the least. Since then, her work has graced the cover of Rolling Stone, appeared on subway car ads, and been plastered on billboards across the world.
Working with some of the biggest names in music, including Chance The Rapper, Ed Sheeran, Christina Aguilera, Ke$ha and Vic Mensa, has brought Zoe into the world of successful commercial photographer – a leap many people in music photography dream of. From multiple opportunities as an Apple keynote speaker, to being on industry panels hosted by agencies including Soho, Havas, & Leo Burnette, Zoe is now a sought after artist, and speaker for some of the largest brands in the industry.
Zoe’s love of travel has led to her photojournalistic projects, involving intimate collaborations with nonprofits such as the 30-30 project & Construction for Change. This work includes Rain’s portraiture series “Woman of Togo”, which has been featured in galleries across the US.
After over a decade of success, Zoe is at the top of her game.
Join commercial photographer and filmmaker Zoe Rain and me as we discuss everything from her life on the road with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, to her wonderful portrait work, and as we examine her portrait of Ed Sheeran, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with ZoeWebsite: rainstudio.com
Instagram: @ZoeRainPhoto
Back in June I did a review of the StellaPro Reflex line of lights titled “Is This My New Favorite Light?“. Well, today I’ve got an update. StellaPro has upgraded the hardware.
The StellaPro Reflex lights are “Continuous Strobe Hybrid” LED lights. They allow you to do constant light, as you might do for video, or using digital burst mode you can use the lights like you would a flash. Technically, these are not flashes, they are LED lights, but they allow you to over-charge the LED and release all of that charge as a burst of light, a burst that can be up to 1 stop brighter than the constant light.
And that constant light isn’t just some weak modeling light, like you might have in a standard studio monolight. These are bright, very bright.
After doing that deep dive review I was impressed. I mean, no product is everything we want, and there’s definitely a wishlist I have in my head for these lights, but for me the pros outweighed the cons.
And now StellaPro has made some interesting changes…
First, they consolidated the Reflex line into one model, eliminating the standard Reflex (no S), and leaving only the Reflex S. There is a Reflex Studio too, but the light head in that model is the Reflex S. Secondly, they’ve increased both the continuous and burst power 50%, doubled the runtime, and made the light 50% faster – now delivering 30 fps of full power bursts without missing a burst.
How much more do these upgraded lights cost you ask? Well, it’s not more expensive. It’s not even the same price. The upgraded lights are almost $250 cheaper! It actually feels weird writing that. An already good product is made better and they charge less? What the hell is the world coming to.
The StellaPro Reflex S lights are now $849, and with the added power they’re a pretty damn good deal – that is if they live up to the claims.
Today we are going to test this new upgraded hardware, which comes in the form of a larger battery handle, and a firmware update to the light head.
The Reflex Lights I will be using in this show were sent to me by Stella Pro Lights for the purpose of that original review show back in June, and the upgraded battery handles were sent to me for the review of the upgrade. Let me be clear though, they have not paid me further and this is not a sponsored review. I am free to have and state any opinions that I have, and StellaPro doesn’t get to see this show before it goes live. This is just my honest opinion based on what I might look for in a portable light.
As always, If you want a crazy technical review – that’s not me, but there are a lot of those out there.
Here are the various sections in the show, so feel free to jump around to the areas that interest you.
00:00 – Intro
01:21 – Disclaimers
03:11 – What is the StellaPro Reflex S?
04:09 – What Changed?
04:38 – The Upgrade
06:35 – Old vs New Battery
09:11 – Updated Specs
10:58 – Testing Intro
15:16 – Black Background Tests
19:45 – Block Wall Test
20:56 – Portrait Tests Intro
21:43 – Portrait Tests
24:30 – Light Falloff Test Intro
25:21 – The Falloff Setup
25:53 – Light Falloff Tests
27:01 – Wishlist
30:57 – Final Thoughts
32:33 – Outro
Join me as I take a look at the recent update to the StellaPro Lights Reflex S. We’ll take a look at the upgraded hardware, and check out the claim of 50% more power.
Original StellaPro Reflex Review Mentioned in the Show (June 2023)Is This My New Favorite Light? A Review of the Stella Pro Reflex:YouTube.com
Inverse Square Law Video Mentioned in the ShowDigital Photography 1 on 1: Episode 59: Inverse Square Law:: Adorama Photography TV on YouTube
Connect with StellaPro LightsWebsite: stellaprolights.com
Facebook: @stellaprolights
Instagram: @stellaprolights
YouTube: @stellaprolights
Connect with StevePortfolio: stevebrazill.com
Facebook: @SteveBrazillPhotography
Instagram: @stevebrazill
Twitter: @stevebrazill
Mastodon: @stevebrazill
StellaPro Reflex – Black Background – 3 Feet – Old BatteryStellaPro Reflex – Black Background – 3 Feet – New BatteryStellaPro Reflex Outdoor Portraits of SteveStellaPro Reflex Light Falloff Tests – Old BatteryStellaPro Reflex Light Falloff Tests – New BatteryStellaPro Reflex with Steve – Pool Side at Dusk
There are times when I see a photographer's work that I have an emotional response, a feeling that I am seeing something special. That's what happened the first time I browsed through Victoria Will's website. Photo after photo there was something.... with impact. That doesn't happen very often.
Victoria's career in photography began as a photojournalist, but has now moved to a focus on celebrity portraiture, editorial, and commercial assignments. That beginning, however, is readily obvious. Her images feel spontaneous, like she just happens to be there with a camera while some A List actor, or Hall of Fame musician. happened to be posing. Victoria's portraits just feel honest and authentic.
Victoria's images have appeared in the pages of some of the top publications, including Vogue, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, ESPN and W Magazine. Commercial campaigns for brands like Carhartt, Levis, Netflix, Hulu, Epix, AT&T, Bose, Samsung, Ralph Lauren, and Miller High Life have also used her work.
Her About Page says that her approach is "rooted in collaboration and meaningful connection where she seeks intimacy, authenticity, and elegance with a thoughtful eye and composition". I would probably just describe her work as magic, but I guess her wording is probably better for the website.
You don't get to this level of success, and talent, without other people noticing, and she has a crazy collection of awards. Victoria has been recognized by American Photography, PDN Photo Annual, and Communication Arts, and her imagery has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions internationally.
Her first monograph, Borne Back, a collection of tintype portraits, was published in 2017 by Peanut Press. Tintype photography is something I know very little about, or more accurately, nothing at all. Luckily for all of us, Profoto has a video on their YouTube channel documenting the process. You can check out "Victoria Will Shoots the Stars at Sundance" here.
In 2023, Victoria became one of the newest members of the Canon Explorer of Light program, an honor I will say is so very well deserved. She is one of the best working today.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Victoria Will and me as we explore tintype photography, and discuss her tintype image of famed actor Sam Shepard, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Victoria Website: victoriawill.com Instagram: @victoriawill Twitter: @vwillphoto Victoria's Book Borne Back: peanutpressbooks.com Profoto Video on Victoria Shooting Tintypes Victoria Will Shoots the Stars at Sundance: youtube.com Victoria's Photographer Picks Dana Scruggs: danascruggs.com | @danascruggs Benedict Evans: benedictevans.com | @benedict_evans
Regular watchers / listeners of the show will know Dave Williams. He's a great friend, and amazing photographer, and he has a skill I value... an eye for great guests. In fact, he has connected me to more potential guests than I think anyone else. Because of that, when Dave sends me someone, I pay attention.
Today is the result of that process.
Dave described Paul Kober's work to me, and I was immediately struck by how unique the concept was. Paul is what most would call a wildlife and nature photographer, but I have never seen his subjects photographed in quite the same way before, or since for that matter.
All of Paul's photos are taken in his backyard, and he places various string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments hanging from the trees or sitting on the ground. Next, he smears jelly, peanut butter, or birdseed in strategic places on the instruments to attract wild animals. Then, he waits.... and waits, sometimes for many hours. When the squirrels, birds, deer, or other wildlife come into the scene he has created, he grabs the shot. Catching the wildlife in artistically pleasing positions is the key, and somehow he does exactly that. It's also important to note that no animals are photoshopped into position, it's all about the patience he has to wait for just that right moment.
His interest in photography only started about twelve years ago, and over the years he has experimented with doing portraits, landscapes, and architecture images, before finding his niche.
Paul is very passionate about music, and in fact made a living as a professional jazz saxophonist for a number of years. He's also passionate about animals - he and his wife currently have five shelter cats.
In this relatively short period of time, Paul's photography has garnered him a great deal of recognition. He has been showcased in Photoshop Magazine, and AirSpeed Magazine. He won the prestigious international GURU award, and nine awards in the London Photography Awards. One of his pictures was even used as the cover for a flute composition.
Join photographer Paul Kober and me as we explore his musical wildlife photography project, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Paul Website: paulkoberphoto.com Instagram: @paulkoberphoto Facebook: @paul.kober.52 Dave William's Post About Paul on DIY Photography This Photographer Shoots Cute Animals Playing Musical Instruments: diyphotography.net Paul's Photographer Pick Kaylee Greer: dogbreathphoto.com | @dogbreathphotography Chapters 00:00 - Intro 00:38 - Intro to Paul Kober 14:12 - Photo Discussion 42:52 - Speed Round Q & A 47:44 - Paul’s Photographer Pick - Kaylee Greer 51:19 - Outro 51:41 - Remembering Terrell Woods
It never surprises me how often Scott Kelby's name comes up when I am talking about photography with someone. I remember, back when I started out in photography, how much I learned from watching his videos with "The Photoshop Guys". Scott, to me, is photography education personified.
Scott has been on the show a few times, for Insights From Scott Kelby and Timeless Photography, but I still remember the first time I met him in person. It was at a Photoshop World in Vegas, and I was at the hotel bar where everyone from the conference hung out. Scott walked in and the room seemed to gravitate slowly towards him. I recall thinking "it's gotta be weird to be him right now" at the same time as thinking "I should go introduce myself". Clearly, I am part of the problem. Still, I walked over and before I got to him he spotted me and walked towards me to say hi. Since then I have had the pleasure of seeing him at a few conferences, and hanging out for a few hours at the NAMM show in Anaheim, CA, but one of the most amazing things is to just sit in a session Scott is teaching and watch him work.
Scott Kelby was born to do what he does, and I'm not talking about the business side of Scott here. Sure, Scott is an icon in the photography world. He's the founder and namesake of KelbyOne, the gold standard in online photography education, and the creator of Photoshop World, but the teaching... that is where Scott shines. His knowledge is up there with the best in the business, but his pacing, speech patterns, and demeanor, all make absorbing that knowledge so easy. He has authored numerous books, and he shares a lot of his knowledge on his blog at scottkelby.com. I'd argue that his Guest Blog Wednesdays are one of the most amazing resources out there for photographers, and twice now I have been honored to write a post there, for Five Lessons Learned from Hosting the Behind The Shot Podcast and The Joy of Live Music Photography.
Scott's Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk – the world’s largest social photography event - just seems to get bigger each year, and he's more than just well versed in photography by the way. Scott is an accomplished musician, playing guitar (what an amazing guitar collection he has), bass, drums, and piano. Plus, he is one of the few photographers that seemingly can photograph anything – Any. Thing. Travel, fashion, beauty, people, the great indoors, automotive, sports, anything he points his camera at seems to crop itself for him, and that is one of the things I love about Scott's work. His eye for composition, and what makes a shot work, is amazing.
That is what brings him here today.
Scott does regular photo critique shows, usually blind photo critiques, on his show The Grid, usually with Erik Kuna, and his insight is amazing. I firmly believe that one of the best and fastest ways to improve your photography is to get fair honest critiques from a trusted source, and that's what Scott is doing. I also did a series of image critique shows, with my buddy Don Komarechka, for two years, but that stopped when the war broke out in Ukraine, and then Don moved to Bulgaria. At some point while we were doing those shows Scott wrote a blog post titled "What to expect from a photo critique", and it was so damn good that I started mentioning it at the start of every critique show I did with Don. Let me explain...
Often I would get an email from someone who's image Don and I critiqued trying to explain the image, and in doing so trying to let me know why we were "wrong" with what we had said. The same thing happens when I judge one of the image competitions I do periodically here in California. People feel that if we judges and critique people only knew the hardships they went through to get an image, or what the crowd was like, or what the music sounded like, or insert your explainer here meant, that we would understand how amazing their image was. We just didn't understand their art!
10 Questions with... Don Komarechka I have had a lot of guests on this show, but few I know as well as Don Komarechka. Don is a great friend, which seems odd considering we have never met in person. We did our critique shows together for about two years, in honestly, chatting with him is always a blast. for that reason, I figured he was a perfect guest for my new "10 Questions" series.
Don has been on the regular show too, a few times. The first was way back in February of 2018, for "The Art of Snowflakes", next was July of that year for "Improve Your Macro Photography", and the last time was for "Water Droplet Refractions" in 2019. I need to get him back for a regular show soon.
I'd had the "10 Questions" idea for awhile, and while recording a show with Toy Photographer, and Platypod Pro, Jesse Feyereisen. I decided to give it a shot. I asked him last minute if he wanted to try it, and lucky for me, he said yes!
Now, Don has agreed to to doing the show again, and this isn't a "normal" show at all. It's a rapid fire 10 questions ranging from photography to any other subject, and some are just off the wall.
From auroras to pollen, insects to infrared, much of Don’s photographic adventures help us to see how the universe works. Exploring a world we cannot see with our own eyes is a common thread in Don’s career as a professional photographer. Always science-minded but never formally trained, Don uses photography as a way to explore and understand the world around him. Photographing something unusual or unknown is the perfect excuse to learn something new. Don’s work often pushes up against the technical limitations of modern camera equipment and the physical limitations of light itself. It's in that space between photography and geek that Don seems to be most at home. He even hosts a podcast called Photo Geek Weekly, which I have had the honor of being a guest on a number of times (and it is honestly one of my favorite things to do).
When you browse through Don Komarechka’s work you may have the feeling you are not doing enough with your photography. I know I do. His work is something unique and special. Part photography, part science experiment.
One of the things I truly love about Don is his total openness to the process. He will share anything to help people understand his craft. He shows behind the scenes shots often, and on the macro episode we did he even shared his raw files to convince someone that the bee was alive and real. Don is honestly one of the coolest photographers I know, and I hope you enjoy today's special show with him.
Join Macro Photographer, and Platypod Pro, Don Komarechka and me as we dive into 10 random questions - some photography related, and some are far from it. Connect with Don Full Portfolio: donkom.ca Snowflake Portfolio: skycrystals.ca Photo Geek Weekly Podcast: photogeekweekly.com Workshops: donkom.ca/workshops Facebook: @donkomphoto Instagram: @donkomphoto Twitter: @donkom Flickr: @donkom 500px: @donkom
My guest today most likely needs no introduction. As Vice President of Operations for KelbyOne, Erik Kuna has been around the photography world for a long time, and he's been on the show before, for the episode titled Shoot for the Skies. His specialty is photographing rockets and spaceflight, but make no mistake, Erik could teach you a lot about almost any genre of photography.
From behind the camera, Erik photographs launches for organizations like NASA, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Orbital ATK. Whether he's working for a media outlet, a magazine, or for an actual space agency, his goal is to create images that help educate people on the space industry.
The educator side of Erik is where many people know him from. Working for KelbyOne, has led to him being the regular co-host with KelbyOne founder Scott Kelby on their show The Grid. Erik's 20+ years of experience serve him well there, and around the photography world, teaching seminars, workshops and classes. From landscapes, travel and nature, to night photography, twilight and rockets, Erik is as knowledgeable as it gets.
He’s also worked with partners such as Adobe, Google, Canon, B&H Photo and many more to produce training videos and corporate events to help their customers and clients unlock their full potential via education and inspiration.
Join rocket and spaceflight photojournalist Erik Kuna and me as we try to better understand what goes into creating his amazing images, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Erik Personal: erikkuna.com KelbyOne: kelbyone.com Photoshop World:photoshopworld.com Facebook: @erikkuna Instagram: @erikkuna Twitter: @erikkuna Erik's Prints Prints on SmugMug: erikkuna.smugmug.com Erik's Workshops with Jay Grammond Dakota Adventure: Light Painting Under The Stars: jgrammondphotography.net Erik's Photographer Pick John Kraus: johnkrausphotos.com | @johnkrausphotos Apps Erik Mentioned Adobe Lightroom: adobe.com Adobe Photoshop: adobe.com PhotoPills: photopills.com Flight Club: flightclub.io Astrospheric: astrospheric.com Erik's Agency SuperCluster: supercluster.com
Behind the Scenes Images Shown During the Show
A few years ago I was walking around the WPPI Expo floor with a friend, when he suggested we stop by the StellaPro Lights booth. This friend does some work with StellaPro Lights, a division of Light & Motion, and he thought I might be interested in seeing their new product – the StellaPro Reflex. As the staff there showed me the lights, I immediately thought that these might be a game changer for some people – maybe even me.
Since then, I’ve been able to see the lights, and meet the people from StellaPro a few times, including at NAB 2022. Every time, I was struck by how kind the staff were, and how passionate about this product they were. Yeah, they’re supposed to be passionate about their product while showing it at a conference, but this felt so honest to me. While I was handling these lights it felt like I was holding something different than any other light I’ve played around with… in a very cool way.
If you’re not familiar with the StellaPro Reflex, let me summarize for you. The StellaPro Reflex is a “Continuous Strobe Hybrid”, meaning it does both Constant Light or Digital Burst. These LED lights allow you to do constant light like any LED, and I am not talking about a simple modeling light like you have in a standard studio monolight. These are constant LED lights suitable for video use. The Digital Burst mode allows you to use the lights like you would a flash, but these are not flashes. Again, they are LED lights, but they allow you to charge the LED and release all of that charge as a burst of light, a burst that can be up to 1 stop brighter than the constant light. Hopefully the phrase “Continuous Strobe Hybrid” makes a bit more sense now.
After meeting the StellaPro Lights folks, they offered to send me some of the gear for a review, and I jumped at the chance. They ended up sending me a 2 Light Kit, including 2 Stella Pro Reflex S lights
along with various accessories and cables, and today we are going to put them to use.
I do want to make a few things clear for this show…
This is an honest, unsponsored review.
The Stella Pro Lights I’m using in this show were sent to me by Stella Pro Lights (and Light & Motion) for the purpose of this review, but this is not a paid ad. I am free to have and state any opinions I have, and Stella Pro doesn’t get to see this before it goes live.
Also, If you want a crazy technical review – that’s not me.
I’m not going to measure actual Kelvin, CRI, and TLCI, etc. If you want technical reviews on any gear, I’d suggest checking out Photo Joseph, Curtis Judd, Gerald Undone, or one of the many people that do that way better than I ever could. I don’t know if any of those YouTubers have reviewed these lights, but they do great content.
What I want to see is how these lights work for someone like me. I’m not a person that uses constant light or flash daily. I am a concert photographer. I do shoot Meet & Greets, Portraits and Promos, but I don’t normally use studio type lights. I have been able to get by on my Canon Speedlights, and even then I’m not a person that uses constant light or flash daily.
So, these are just my opinions based on how I shoot.
This show will divided into 3 parts: Getting to know the gear, the unboxing and gear details, and shooting with lights. Finally, I’ll close it out with my thoughts.
Join me for a review of the StellaPro Lights Reflex S, and let’s see if I have a new favorite light, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with StellaPro LightsWebsite: stellaprolights.com
Facebook: @stellaprolights
Instagram: @stellaprolights
YouTube: @stellaprolights
Connect with StevePortfolio: stevebrazill.com
Facebook: @SteveBrazillPhotography
Instagram: @stevebrazill
Twitter: @stevebrazill
Mastodon: @stevebrazill
StellaPro Reflex – Black Background – 3 FeetStellaPro Reflex – Block Wall – 3 FeetStellaPro Reflex with Steve – Black Background – 6 FeetStellaPro Reflex with Steve – Block Wall – 1, 2, 3, Stops Under Exposed – 1.5 FeetStellaPro Reflex with Steve – Pool Side at Dusk – 9 FeetStellaPro Reflex with Steve – Digital Burst Test – 25 Shot BurstStellaPro Reflex with Steve – Digital Burst Test – 3 Clips25 Shot Sequence with StellaPro Reflex at 1/6 Sec Per Image14 Shot Sequence – No Lights25 Shot Sequence Again at 1/3 Sec Per Imagehttps://behindtheshot.tv/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/StellaPro_Reflex_Burst_Movie_1280x720.mp4
My guest for this show is none other than my buddy Dave Williams, making his third appearance on the show. On the chance that you haven’t seen the other two shows I did with Dave, “Aurora and the Night Sky” and “The Traveling Photographer“, let me take a moment to introduce one of my favorite creatives.
Dave is a travel photographer based out of London, or wherever his tricked out van happens to be parked. Yeah, you heard that correctly. Dave lives in a van called “Kofifernweh”, and this van is insane – you can read about it here. He documents his travels, while photographing and writing, on his popular YouTube series “Due North”, and his Aurora images from these adventures are amazing – which isn’t a surprise considering he literally wrote The Complete Aurora Guide: for Travelers and Photographers. There’s no question about it, Dave is one of the most adventurous people I know.
Dave’s work has been featured in publications and campaigns for clients including Time, National Geographic, Forbes, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, Triumph, Conde Nast, and Shell to name a few. He also works closely with several companies within the photography and travel industries, including Platypod, Wandrd, Litra, Drobo, Blackrapid, Passion Passport, and Lonely Planet.
What has always stuck out in my mind was Dave’s ability to teach others, and you can find his tutorials and writings in various places, and I have the links below, but many will know him the same way I did, his work over at KelbyOne, along with his writings for Photoshop User Magazine and ScottKelby.com. He also writes journalistic and inspirational articles for DIY Photography. He’s also presented at Photoshop World Conference, The Photography Show, Russell Browns Art Directors Invitational Masterclass.
Recently, I was talking to Dave and he mentioned he was doing a new workshop with another past guest and friend, Kersten Luts, who was on the show for the episode on Creative Portraits and Headshots. He calls this workshop the “Lofoten Islands Viking Photography Workshop“, but it’s a lot more than that. It’s a portrait and landscape hybrid photography workshop deep within the Arctic Circle. There will be a Viking, epic landscapes, rugged mountains, majestic fjords, beautiful reindeer, world-renowned food, traditional red cabins, dancing aurora, and Dave and Kersten as your photo guides. I have to admit, I REALLY want to do this workshop, and I even have had other friends of mine tell me they’ve already signed up. Not sure I can swing it, since I already have a big vacation planned this year, but yeah, I am looking at it. Dave and Kersten were kind enough to share a discount code for you, so you can take 5% ($250) off when booking with DAVE5.
The mantra Dave lives by is ‘once in a lifetime as often as you can’ and so far, that’s working out pretty well
Join renowned travel photographer Dave Williams and me as we chat about photographing deep within the arctic circle, and his workshop in Lofoten, Norway, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with DaveWebsite: idavewilliams.com
Instagram: @idavewilliams
Facebook: @idavewilliams
Twitter: @idavewilliams
YouTube: @idavewilliams
Dave’s Workshop with Kersten LutsLofoten Islands Viking Photography Workshop: idavewilliams.com
Dave’s Due North SeriesYouTube.com
KelbyOneDave Williams on KelbyOne
Dave’s Aurora BookAmazon: The Complete Aurora Guide: for Travelers and Photographers
Dave on DIY Photographydiyphotography.net
Dave’s Photographer PickKersten Luts: kerstenluts.com | @kerstenluts
So, funny story… I get people pitch themselves for my show very often. It’s usually some bizarre pitch, for a subject matter that has zero to do with what my show actually is about. Sometimes it’s the potential guest emailing me, and sometimes it’s their “representative”, but it’s almost always some “motivational speaker” that wants to help my listeners. In almost every case, when someone pitches themself it’s not a fit, until the other day on Twitter.
I had tweeted that sometimes the onboarding process for guests can be…. difficult. I didn’t mean that as a dig at my guests at all, just a statement that picking a shot, getting the stuff I need to write the show notes and blog post, and coordinating schedules can be time consuming. Well, I got a reply from Jesse Feyereisen saying “If you ever want to chat with someone about Toy Photography, I’d be more than happy to talk!”.
As soon as I saw his name I knew who it was… we both have a connection to Platypod. I also already of his work, and he’s fantastic! So today, I bring you the Elevated Toy Photography of Jesse Feyereisen.
Calling Jesse a “Toy Photographer” doesn’t really cover it. He is a photographer, graphic designer and digital creative based in Wisconsin. While he went to school for Visual Communications, and Television Production, he is sort of visual, jack of all trades, working on everything including websites, print ads, video, photography, and nearly anything digitally creative.
At some point, his love of photography brought him to try all sorts of genres, from outdoors and wildlife, to astrophotography, macro, and product photography. When he “accidentally” discovered toy photography he instantly fell in love with it.
Accidentally or not, his ability to bring toys to life in his photography ended up catching the attention of the folks at Platypod, and he is now a Platypod Pro.
Join toy photographer, and Platypod Pro, Jesse Feyereisen and me as we look at how you can elevate your toy photography, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with JesseWebsite: jessefphotography.com
Instagram: @jessefeyereisen
Facebook: @jessefeyereisen
Twitter: @JesseFeyereisen
YouTube: @jessefeyereisenphotography
LinkedIn: linkedin.com
Jesse’s Print Shop: jessefeyereisen.smugmug.com
Toy Photography Book for CharityStop Wars: A collection of photos produced by over 50 Toy Photographers from across the globe: amazon.com
Jesse’s Photographer PickHarry Nguyen: @_cinematoygrapher_
Steve’s Whiskey PickBarrel Craft Spirits – Vantage: barrellbourbon.com
I get guest suggestions sent to me regularly, and this show is the result of one of those. Dave Kallmann messaged me on Twitter to suggest a few motorsports photographers, and that instantly intrigued me. Dave is a sports reporter for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and he is one hell of a photographer himself. If he was suggesting someone then I knew I had to take a look, and man, I am so glad that I did.
Jamey Price is a motorsport and automotive photographer from Charlotte, North Carolina, and he is in a league of his own. If you’ve watched or listened to show for any amount of time, you’ll know that I spend a lot of time looking through my guest’s work to try and find common threads, those things that seem to connect all of the shots together. Many photographers have these fine threads that seem to weave from image to image, a way that they tell their story that is unique to them. For Jamey it’s motion. Let me explain…
As a motorsports photographer, of course Jamey is photographing things in motion, and when I say motion I mean speed, but that’s not the thread I am talking about. Jamey has an ability to coney to the viewer a feeling of actual motion. Through the use of panning, a creative depth of field, or a dragged shutter, Jamey makes you feel like you are along for the ride. I’m not sure if you can motion sickness from a photo, but if you can then you’d be advised to view Jamey’s work carefully.
I am left wondering if Jamey’s early career choices played a role in the resulting images I see. Jamey was a thoroughbred steeplechase horse racing jockey and exercise rider in the United States, England and Ireland. He rode in more than 50 races, and notched 11 wins in the saddle, all the while taking photos between his races. He eventually self published a book titled “Chasing: Racing Life in England & Ireland.”
In 2011, Jamey’s photography career path switched from horses, to horse power. Since then, his images have been published around the world in magazines, newspapers and websites including The New York Times, HotRod, Hagerty, MAXIM, Car&Driver, CycleWorld, Road&Track, Autoweek, RACER, MotorTrend, Autosport, F1 Racing magazine, Motorsport Magazine, Formula1.com, Lamborghini.com, TopGear.com, Blackbird Automotive Journal, Popular Mechanics, Sports Illustrated & ESPN and many others.
Named Motorsport Photographer of the Year in 2019 by the National Motorsports Press Association, Jamey currently does freelance work supplying racing and marketing imagery to some of the most respected automotive brands, photographers, agencies and racing teams and drivers across the world including: Lamborghini & Lamborghini Squadra Corse, Ferrari, Ducati, Audi Canada, Acura, Red Bull, Ford, Bentley, Goodyear, PUMA, MOTUL, RM Sotheby’s, Aston Martin Racing, Manor Racing F1 team, Force India Formula 1 team, Renault Formula 1 team, Alpine Formula 1 Team, Williams Formula 1 team, Toyota Gazoo Racing, the Macau Grand Prix and many more.
Though primarily sticking to the motor racing and automotive world, Jamey has photographed a diverse range of sporting assignments from professional swimming, to the Kentucky Derby & Breeders’ Cup Horse Racing World Championships, NFL games, US Women’s National team soccer, and of course the fast-paced world of NASCAR, World Endurance Championship, Formula E, IMSA Weathertech Championship, NHRA, Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Indycar & the Indy 500, MotoGP, 24 hours of Le Mans, 24 hours of Nürburgring, more than 35 Formula 1 races, and a little bit of everything in between!
Jamey has been the staff photographer for successful Charlotte based luxury print magazine, QC Exclusive and Discover the Carolinas since 2014 and is a sponsored LEXAR Elite Artist.
Join award winning photographer, and LEXAR Elite Artist, Jamey Price and me as we peek into his world of F1 Motorsports Photography, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with JameyWebsite: jameypricephoto.com
Instagram: @jameypricephoto
Facebook: @jameyprice
Twitter: @jameypricephoto
YouTube: @jameypricephoto
Jamey’s BookChasing: Racing Life in England and Ireland: jameyprice.photoshelter.com
Jamey’s Photographer PicksChris Burkard: chrisburkard.com | @chrisburkard
James Moy: jamesmoy.com | @f1photographer
Today is a new type of show, its:
10 Questions with… Jesse FeyereisenI have been thinking a lot lately about doing some shows that are a bit different from the normal format. Something just for fun, and shorter than the usual style of shows.
I’ve had the “10 Questions” idea for awhile, and while recording a show with Toy Photographer, and Platypod Pro, Jesse Feyereisen (for release on May 4th) I asked if he wanted to be the first guest on this new format. Lucky for me, he said yes!
Calling Jesse a “Toy Photographer” doesn’t really cover it. He is a photographer, graphic designer and digital creative based in Wisconsin. While he went to school for Visual Communications, and Television Production, he is sort of visual, jack of all trades, working on everything including websites, print ads, video, photography, and nearly anything digitally creative.
At some point, his love of photography brought him to try all sorts of genres, from outdoors and wildlife, to astrophotography, macro, and product photography. When he “accidentally” discovered toy photography he instantly fell in love with it.
Accidentally or not, his ability to bring toys to life in his photography ended up catching the attention of the folks at Platypod, and he is now a Platypod Pro.
Join Toy Photographer, and Platypod Pro, Jesse Feyereisen and me as we kick off a new series where I ask my guest photographer 10 random questions – some photography related, and some are far from it.
Connect with JesseWebsite: jessefphotography.com
Instagram: @jessefeyereisen
Facebook: @jessefeyereisen
Twitter: @JesseFeyereisen
YouTube: @jessefeyereisenphotography
LinkedIn: linkedin.com
Jesse’s Print Shop: jessefeyereisen.smugmug.com
Toy Photography Book for CharityStop Wars: A collection of photos produced by over 50 Toy Photographers from across the globe: amazon.com
I first heard about wedding and portrait photographer, and wedding videographer, Andre Brown through my buddy Ant Pruitt’s show “Hands on Photography”, when Andre was on for a Photographers’ Go-To Tip. I knew I wanted to get him on the show, and once I realized he was an Ambassador for StellaPro – an amazing line of lighting – I worked my contacts there to help get him on Behind the Shot.
Here’s the thing, Andre’s work is different, it’s unique in a number of ways. The post “Finding My Success by Exploring Light“, for Sal Cincotta’s Behind the Shutter, is a great read, and really helps to understand Andre as a creative. His overall approach, as he has described it, is “…a high-fashion, editorial photography style. Showcasing my clients, and my culture with style and opulence. Creating drama with light and the absence of light”. What struck me was how he described that he had been “replicating what I saw on the popular wedding blogs. High Key light, light and airy, kind of whimsical”, but that his realization that the presence of black culture on some major sites, and in mainstream publications, was fairly non-existent outside of predominantly black publications like Essence and Ebony. As I read that it was like I was seeing the process of finding yourself – creatively – explained, step by step. We all start by re-creating, or emulating, what we see, or like, or think will work, but at some point (at least for the best out there) we have to find why we are doing this at all, what makes us pick up the camera. Seriously, go read that post.
Andre is so talented that he has won awards that I know many have tried and never won. For example, the image we are talking about on this show won the 2019 WPPI Silver Distinction Award, and the
2019 WPPI Wedding Division, Bridal Party Award for Second Place. If you’ve never seen a WPPI competition, it’s tough, damn tough. Oh yeah, that was his first competition! Since then he’s racked up more than I can list.
As an educator, Andre is a sought after speaker, and workshop leader. He has been published in outlets including Essence Magazine, Huffington Post, The Knot, Munaluchi Bride, Black Bride, The B Collective Magazine, and Huffington Post, and his work has also appeared on ABC News, and Good Morning America.
A few things in Andre’s bio intrigue me, and one in particular makes me think we might be good friends. Andre got his Bachelor of Science in Recording Arts, and at 19 he was the manager of Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer Ric Rude. Whoa. His work through that relationship with Ric Rude included, most notably, “Cater 2 U” by Destiny’s Child and hits for other artists including Busta Rhymes, Mary J. Blige, Bow Wow, Omarion, Redman and Method Man, to name a few. I am so curious about this part of his history. The part that made me think we may already be friends is the fact that in his spare time he binge- watches episodes of Law and Order. I record re-runs of the original show regularly. Almost 500 episodes over 20 years means I still come across shows I haven’t seen.
Join award winning photographer, and Ambassador for StellaPro, Andre Brown and me as we dive into his high-fashion, editorial approach to wedding photography, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with AndreWebsite: AndreBrown.com
Instagram: @andrebrownphoto
Facebook: @andrebrownphoto
TikTok: @andrebrownphoto
YouTube: @andrebrownphoto
Andre’s WorkshopsBokeh Academy: BokehAcademy.co
Andre’s Photography Marketing and Sales SolutionSnapFlow: snapflow.co
Andre’s Photographer PicksJoshua Dwain: joshuadwain.com | @joshua_dwain
Karl Taylor: karltaylor.com | @karltaylorphotography
Steve’s Whiskey PickJack Daniel’s Triple Mash: jackdaniels.com
PRODUCTION NOTE: I unfortunately had some issues with the guest audio on this show, so you will hear some echo at times. My apologies to my guest, and to you – the viewers and listeners.
Tim Gerard Barker is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker based in Hanoi, Vietnam, who I met through the folks over at Wonderful Machine. As soon as I saw Tim’s work, I knew I needed to get him on the show.
When you look at Tim’s portfolio you’ll see photography categories for Hospitality I Hotels and Resorts, Lifestyle, Corporate, Industrial, Portraiture, Travel, Landscape | Aerial, and NGO | Documentary, and trust me…. he’s amazing at all of those. Looking through his work I was immediately struck by some of his commercial lifestyle shots. The detail in how he structures a scene for a client just blows my mind. His understanding of where the goals of a client and the craft of photography meet is next level. He writes about some of his shoots, and reading the post about today’s image was very enlightening. You can find that here, or at the link below, under the subhead “Male Financial Professionals | Hanoi Train Street“.
Of course, none of that is surprising. Tim has extensive experience working throughout Asia on a wide range of photography and videography projects. His results are not cookie cutter images either. His ability to capture real people and real places, and the uniqueness of a culture, is refreshing. He manages to convey his stories with a colourful, graphic style that has resulted in numerous awards over the years, with citations in the International Photography Awards, Australia’s Top Photographers and Travel Photographer of the Year.
His client list is a who’s who of corporate giants, including Nike, Forbes, Novartis, Discovery Channel, CNN, BBC and more.
Please join award winning photographer Tim Gerard Barker and me as we dive into his approach to commercial lifestyle photography, and how he creates the scenes his clients are looking for, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with TimWebsite: tgbarker.com
Instagram: @timgerardbarker
Facebook: @tgbarkerphotographyandfilm
Twitter: @timgerardbarker
Vimeo: @timgerardbarker
YouTube: @timgerardbarker4886
Blog Post About This Episode’s Shot:“Lifestyle Photography for a Financial Technology Company”Under “Male Financial Professionals | Hanoi Train Street”: tim-barker-uuum.squarespace.com
Tim’s Photographer PickAndrew Quilty: andrewquilty.com | @andrewquilty
Steve’s Whiskey PickNikka From the Barrel: nikka.com
Today’s guest, former White House photographer Pete Souza, is a bucket-list item for me.
I started Behind the Shot because I am a fan of great photography, or more specifically great photographers. Through the over six years I have been doing the show, I have had a range of guests, in a range of genres, from legends, to people I wasn’t aware of before asking them to be on the show. While I have discovered many amazing creatives through doing this podcast, when I started there were a few specific people I hoped would someday be on the show. Joe McNally checked off one of those boxes last year when he came on for the show Master of Light, and again when he helped with the show on the Best Photo Advice You’ve Been Given. Scott Kelby has now been on a few times, with Insights From Scott Kelby and Timeless Photography. Trey Ratcliff stopped by twice, for Raise Your Dynamic Range and Documenting Burning Man, Christie Goodwin did Fireworks, Ed Sheeran: Memories We Made, and also helped with the Best Photo Advice You’ve Been Given show, and Rick Sammon, David Bergman, and Don Komarechka each have been here too many times to list.
Well, today checks off the name I never thought I would get, and excited doesn’t begin to cover what I am feeling.
Often described as the White House photographer for the eight years of the Obama administration, Mr. Souza’s career, and influence on the industry, is so much more than that. Pete Souza is a best-selling author, speaker and freelance photographer. His actual title during the Obama years was Chief Official White House Photographer and the Director of the White House photo office. That job alone would instill fear in most photographers, but Souza has done it more than once! He was also the Official White House Photographer for Ronald Reagan.
As an author, Pete has written some of the definitive books related to White House photography. His book, Obama: An Intimate Portrait, was published in 2017, and debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and to date it is one of the best-selling photography books of all time. His 2018 book, Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, also debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions.
His most recent book, The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency, was published in September 2022. This book lets us behind the scenes of the West Wing — and into the Oval Office, the Situation Room, aboard Air Force One, and beyond — in intimate detail.
Based on his best-selling books, Souza became the subject of a documentary film, The Way I See It, in November 2020. If you haven’t seen it, I can’t recommend it enough. It is absolute fantastic. The film takes an unprecedented look behind the scenes of two of the most iconic Presidents in history, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as seen through Souza’s eyes and camera. As Official White House Photographer for both these Presidents, Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful man in the world. The film also reveals how Souza transformed from a respected White House photographer and photojournalist to a searing commentator on the importance of having someone with empathy and dignity in the office of the Presidency.
In addition to the national political scene, Souza has covered stories around the world. After 9/11, he was among the first journalists to cover the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, after crossing the Hindu Kush mountains by horseback in three feet of snow. While at the Chicago Tribune, Souza was also part of the staff awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for explanatory reporting on the airline industry.
As an educator, Pete Souza is Professor Emeritus of Visual Communication at Ohio University, and as a lecturer he is in high demand. He has lectured on his photography at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, Carnegie Hall, Harvard University, FaceBook, and in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, India and the United Kingdom. He has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, Dateline NBC, ABC’s 20-20, NBC Nightly News, Morning Joe, Face The Nation, Fox News Sunday, The 11th Hour with Brian Wiliams, All In with Chris Hayes, and The Today Show.
His photographs have also been part of group exhibits at the National Archives, Smithsonian Museum of American History, Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Newseum, and the 92nd Street Y in NYC. He currently has two traveling exhibits, “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” and “Two Presidents: Obama and Reagan”.
Pete Souza is one of, in my opinion, the most important photographers of our day, and his award list – that’s too long to include here – backs me up on that. His work is the dictionary definition of storytelling, and capturing that precise moment in a way that lets us all feel like we witnessed something important, or special, or just plain amazing.
I will most likely be so nervous during this show that will forget to say this to him, so let me say it here… Pete, thank you. Your work inspires us to be better photographers, to better understand the craft and process, and to see our collective world differently.
It’s an honor to welcome acclaimed photographer Pete Souza to the show to discuss his life as a White House photographer, and his image “Hair Like Me”, which he described to me as “a candid and unexpected moment of an ordinary situation but now is symbolic of the Obama presidency”.
Connect with PeteWebsite: petesouza.com
Instagram: @petesouza
Twitter: @PeteSouza
Pete’s BooksThe West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency: petesouza.com
Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents: petesouza.com
Obama: An Intimate Portrait: petesouza.com
Documentary Film Based on Pete’s BooksThe Way I See It: focusfeatures.com
Pete’s Photographer Pick – Look through who he follows on Instagram:@PeteSouza: instagram.com/petesouza
Steve’s Whiskey PickJack Daniel’s Single Barrel 2021 Special Release Coy Hill High Proof: jackdaniels.com
I often talk about how much I love being a part of the photo community. I have made such amazing friends being around this world of creativity, and today’s show is the product of those friendships. There are times that this community starts to feel like “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”, and I love that.
A few weeks ago I had Kersten Luts on the show to talk about Creative Portraits & Headshots, and that show happened because of our mutual friend Dave Williams. Dave has been on my show a few times, and introduced Kersten and I because he knew his two friends, both of whom have podcasts, would enjoy chatting. Well, within a day of recording with Kersten he emailed to introduce me to Nina Welch-Kling, saying he thought she would be an amazing guest on Behind the Shot. That chain of introductions is what made today’s show possible, because as soon as I saw Nina’s work I knew I had to try and get her on the show.
Nina Welch-Kling is a New York City-based photographer, originally from a small town in southern Germany. Her background in fine art and architecture combined with a love for roaming the city streets inform her photographic depictions of everyday life.
She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a Master of Architecture from The University of California, Los Angeles. Now living in New York City she continues to explore creative outlets defined by her passion for photography.
Looking at her portfolio, her fine art background shows. Her work has feeling, and emotion, built-in. One of her projects, Duologues, instantly jumped out at me. She describes the project this way:
I love to wander the streets and observe people. My series, Duologues, records fragments of these encounters. It is a play between two images creating meanings belonging to neither— a discovery process each viewer interprets differently. Reminiscent of the idea of synchronicity, an idea that describes meaningful coincidences, my pairings intentionally produce uncanny relationships.
Shooting intuitively and spontaneously, my eyes lock onto the unusual, the outstanding, and even the mundane. Frequently, dramatic lighting shapes the photographs. I collect the unrelated pieces like stems in a wildflower field – disconnected, yet bound together by their place of origin. The visuals seem familiar but particulars will distinguish them from the common.
I match the images by playing a game of Memory: finding in each image shapes, gestures, and symbols that rhyme. The rhyming may occur within the major elements in the image, such as the subject, or in minute details that otherwise might go unnoticed. By pairing two photos that occurred at different moments in time, the story that emerges can bring them together. The final sequence feels deeply connected, even though the encounters on the street were random.
The idea of doing diptychs based on the connection of shapes, gestures, and symbols in two images is wonderful, and she is a master at these pairings. So much so that choosing the subject for today’s show wasn’t easy. There are some sets that just connected to me on first glance, with color, or movement that draws the eye. Still, after much thought, I asked if we could discuss todays Duologue because the use of shape, shadow, and composition really stuck with me, for days after seeing it.
On this episode, I’m joined by New York based photographer Nina Welch-Kling to talk about her Duologues project – a set of images displayed as diptychs with shapes, gestures, and symbols that rhyme.
Connect with NinaWebsite: ninaklingphotography.com
Instagram: @ninakling
Facebook: @nina.w.kling
Twitter: @NinaWK
Nina’s BookDuologues: ninaklingphotography.com
Nina’s Photographer PickHarry Gruyaert: harrygruyaert-film.com
Steve’s Whiskey PickThe Prideful Goat 6 yr Rye: gianttexas.com
Bourbon Real Talk: bourbonrealtalk.com | @bourbonrealtalk
One of the best parts of doing this podcast is getting to see the amazing photography community at work. I mentioned this a few weeks ago when I had Kersten Luts (Creative Portraits and Headshots) on the show. He had been suggested as a guest by my friend, and past guest, Dave Williams ( The Aurora & The Night Sky, The Traveling Photographer). Kersten then referred me to Nina Welch-Kling (Duolougues). Well, we are here today because of another connection.
A few months ago I received an email from someone named Aurora, who works with photographer Chris McLennan. They had received a few inquiries after Jeff Cable’s most recent appearance (Real-World Use of the Canon EOS R3, Capture the Action) aired, because Jeff had made Chris his Photographer pick. They were reaching out about possibly getting Chris McLennan on the show. Once again, it’s the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon… if Kevin were a photographer.
Getting Chris on the show is pretty exciting for me. He’s a Nikon New Zealand Ambassador, a Lowepro Bags Loweprofessional, a Rab Equipment Ambassador and a Lexar Elite Photographer, and he is widely recognized as one of the best travel pros out there, which makes sense looking at his career. After all, he has been photographing professionally since 1988!
Having grown up around adventure sports, Chris spent the early part of his photography career working mainly in the ski industry. That evolved into tourism promotional photography for tourism authorities and operators around the globe.
Today, after working in over 60 countries throughout more than 30 years, Chris is also an educator. He organizes and hosts photography expeditions in many exciting locations, such as Alaska in Winter for the Northern Lights, dog sledding and Arctic landscapes, Alaska during Summer for grizzly bears, Botswana wildlife safaris, Mongolia for its vast array of wildlife and nomadic eagle hunters, the many cultures of Papua New Guinea and chartering a private ice breaker in Svalbard to photograph polar bears. Any of these would be such a wonderful adventure.
Join Nikon New Zealand Ambassador Chris McLennan and me as we talk about how he made his image of a Mongolian Eagle Hunter, and to talk about travel photography, workshops, and expeditions, on this Behind the Shot.
Connect with ChrisWebsite: chrismclennanphotography.com
Instagram: @chris_mclennan1
Facebook: @Chris.McLennan.Photography
YouTube: @ChrisMcLennan
Chris’ Workshops and ExpeditionsNew Zealand Workshops: chrismclennanphotography.com
International Photo Expeditions: chrismclennanphotography.com
Chris’ Photographer PickEric Esterle: ericesterle.com | @ericesterlephoto
I am so excited to have David Dewhurst back on the show again!
David is one of those legends that I could talk to everyday. His work spans through multiple genres, and has consistently stood the test of time. The first time he was on was for the show on Getting Your Photos Up To Speed. When I learned he was creating a book about his days photographing the golden era of motocross I asked him to come back on the show once it was finished, and here we are.
David has been at photography for most of his life. By the age of 15 he was already a working pro, getting paid by national magazines to shoot what he loved – motorcycles.
While that was a lesson on it’s own, David loved photography so much that he pursued a formal education as well. He attended a three year course on Industrial and Commercial photography at Blackpool College of Technology in Northern England, and that’s where he learned the subtle art of capturing controlled images.
That combination of real world and formal training took David to his first full-time job, as the beat photographer for a regional newspaper. In those days prior to TTL Metering, or TTL flash David learned to be prepared for anything, and in those days we didn’t have autofocus either! Thinking carefully about his exposure, learning how to get the most out of a flash by bouncing it, and taking control of a shoot were just a few of the on-the-job lessons. Always having a plan was another.
David knew what he really wanted to photograph, he wanted to get back to motorcycles, so he convinced the newspaper’s owners to actually start a national weekly newspaper about off-road motorcycling. They did, and he was the technical editor, bike tester, and photographer for five years. That drive would land him at Cycle Guide magazine in California.
Today, David is a sought after pro, with a successful business in LA, shooting what he has always been passionate about – motorcycles and cars. That passion, and understanding of the subject, informs his every shot.
David has had magazine clients that included Car and Driver, Cycle World and Cycle, and his corporate clients included all the major players including Honda, Toyota, Lexus, BMW and Yamaha.
These days, David is back at his passion, and has released his new book “Motocross: The Golden Era”. This is the biggest and most in-depth book ever written about the amazing sport of motocross. Four hundred eighty pages about one of the most demanding sports on the planet. Illustrated with six hundred original images by the author and some of the best photographers in the business, that have been beautifully reproduced on heavy paper stock.
Join legendary motorsports photographer David Dewhurst and me as we talk about his new book “Motocross: The Golden Era”, while discussing the cover image of Roger De Coster, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
David’s Book – Motocross: The Golden EraWebsite: motocrossthegoldenera.com
Facebook: @motocrossthegoldenera
Instagram: @motocrossthegoldenera
Connect with DavidPortfolio: dewhurstphoto.com
Facebook: @dewhurstphoto
Instagram: @daviddewhurst
Twitter: @dewhurstphoto
David’s Photographer PickFran Kuhn: linkedin.com
Rick Sammon has been referred to as the Godfather of Photography, because he is one of the best there is. He jokes that he “specializes in not specializing”, but the reality is that he understands light, his gear, and his subjects so well that he can photograph pretty much anything at a world class level.
I’ve learned so much from this guy over the years, and I still learn something almost every time I talk to him. It’s no wonder he is so in demand. His classes on KelbyOne are detailed, and yet easily absorbable. He does workshops around the world, is so popular on this podcast that today is his seventh appearance!
Rick Sammon is a legend, and I mean that in every sense of the word. Every time I talk with him I am amazed at how much he enjoys what he does, his photography, educating others, from amateurs to pros, and living life. Along with his wife Susan, Rick is honestly one of the best working today.
An award winning photographer, Rick is a Canon Explorer of Light. A tireless, prolific and inspirational image-maker, he is one of the most active photographers I know. His enthusiasm for digital imaging is contagious, making photography fun, creative, exciting and rewarding for others. He even does private coaching..
Rick is also an author, with more photography books than anyone I know to his credit. I even have a small bit in a few of his books.
Rick is an avid podcaster, and has built his Photo Therapy Facebook Group into a wonderful resource for photographers of all levels.
I asked Rick once how he describes his photography, and he answered “evolving,” I kinda dig that description. He even hesitates to categorize his work. He does it all, and enjoys the freedom of not specializing.
With as much experience as Rick brings to the table, this self-taught photographer has many accomplishments – and as Rick suggests, “When you are through changing, you are through”. As many times as Rick has been on the show, I always want to remind people that Rick’s partner is his wife Susan. While Rick seems to get the bulk of the attention, Susan deserves her own. Behind every successful person there is often a spouse, or special person that helps push them, guide them, and in many ways drive the success. I know that is the case for me, and in Rick’s case that is Susan. She is there on his workshops, and she is often a co-author on his books.
On this episode, Canon Explorer of Light Rick Sammon returns to talk about how you can get better wildlife photos, as we dive into his photo of the Zebra and Wildebeest crossing in Tanzania.
Connect with RickPersonal: ricksammon.com
Instagram: @ricksammonphotography
Facebook: @RickSammonPhotography
Twitter: @ricksammon
YouTube: @ricksammon
Rick’s Workshops, Seminars, and Coachingricksammon.com
Rick’s Books on AmazonAll of Rick’s Books on Amazon
Rick’s Classes on KelbyOneKelbyOne
Rick’s Photographer PickJohn Issac: johnisaac.com
Jefferson Graham is a Manhattan Beach, California based writer-photographer, educator, and the host/producer of the travel photography series “Photowalks with Jefferson Graham”, which streams on YouTube, Tubi and the Roku Network.
I first met Jefferson the same day I met Frederick Van Johnson. I drove out to watch him record his Talking Tech podcast, a show he did for USA TODAY when he was one of their tech columnists. His guests that day were Frederick and tech journalist Mark Gurman. Right away it was obvious that there was much more to Jefferson than just being a tech journalist and podcaster. His photography knowledge was front and center. Fast forward a good number of years and Jefferson is busier than ever.
His popular PhotowalksTV newsletter marries tech/photo and travel in weekly installments. As an educator, he is an instructor and frequent speaker for the KelbyOne website (I have a discount code for a KelbyOne subscription on the Discount Codes Page).
Jefferson has authored of nine books, including the recent Video Nation, a DIY Guide to Planning, Shooting and Sharing great Video, as well as tomes on infomercial king Ron Popeil, the late TV legend Aaron Spelling and a history of Sin City, Vegas: Live and In Person. He has written and/or photographed for a host of publications, including Rolling Stone, People, Us Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Easy Reader, Esquire and TV Guide.
A working photographer, a writer, a podcast host, a video creator, and a darn good guitarist – and that is just the start of knowing my friend Jefferson Graham. On PhotowalksTV he takes viewers to wonderful places, from Southern California to great locations like Dana Point Morro Bay, Cannon Beach, Oregon, Port Townsend, Washington, Madrid, Lisbon, Paris and even all the way to Tokyo. I even had the pleasure of hosting Jefferson for one of his Photowalks series in my home town in Southern CA a few years ago, and it was a blast. I was born and raised here, and yet I learned so much by doing the walk with him.
Recently I saw a post Jefferson did, where he talked about using nothing but an iPhone, a few of them actually, for his photowalk in Paris. That connected with me, because years ago I decided that I didn’t want to be “that dad” on family vacations that made everyone stop while I took photos. Starting way back with the iPhone 6, all I have taken on trips is my phone. Have there been times I wished I had a “Real Cameras”? Sure, but overall the experience has been great. I decided to invite Jefferson on to talk about the pros and cons of mobile photography, often called iPhoneography, even though you could use any phone.
Join all around creative Jefferson Graham and me as we chat about using nothing but a phone as your camera while traveling, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Connect with JeffersonWebsite: jeffersongraham.net
Newsletter: jeffersongraham.substack.com
YouTube: @photowalkstv
Twitter: @jeffersongraham
Instagram: @jeffersongraham
Facebook: @jefferson.graham
Jefferson’s PodcastiPhone Photo Show: Spotify
PhotowalksTV Paris EpisodePhotowalks in Paris: YouTube
PhotowalksTV Episode with SteveRiverside California things to do (2020): YouTube
Jefferson’s Photographer PicksRussell Preston Brown: @dr_brown
Christopher Michel: christophermichel.com | @chris_michel
Jefferson’s Fireworks Video Shown in the Showhttps://behindtheshot.tv/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Jefferson_Fireworks_Clip_1080.mp4
It looks like I will owe Dave Williams a beer, or whisk(e)y. Dave is one of the best there is, and I am so lucky that he’s been on the show a few times. Well, a few weeks ago Dave emailed me to introduce me to Kersten Luts, a commercial portrait and headshot photographer based in West London. I was already aware of Kersten, along with his amazing work and Camera Shake Podcast.
Kersten is one of the most creative photographers in his genre, not only thinking outside of some hypothetical box, but taking that imaginary box, shredding it, and then using the pieces to create a new world.
In his bio, Kersten describes a fascination with the human expression. That is one of the most powerful fascinations I think a creative could have, and in Kersten’s case it manifests itself in his ability to capture these small, often fleeting moments that happen during a shoot. He has an ability to make you not just see his images, but to have an emotional response to them. That’s not an easy feat.
I am left wondering what effect a few decades in the music industry had on Kersten’s photographic eye. Somehow, his images seem to have both chaos and amazing harmony, all at the same time. He is just a fascinating creative.
His podcast is where I first found Kersten. He has had many of the same guests as I have, although with a format that is nothing like Behind the Shot. Along with his podcasting partner Nick Kirby, the Camera Shake podcast covers the latest photography and video news, and these two have interviewed some of the greatest photographers working today,
Join commercial portrait and headshot photographer Kersten Luts and me as we dive into one of the shots from his personal project “Three Heads in a Row”, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Connect with KerstenWebsite: kerstenluts.com
Instagram: @kerstenluts | @threeheadsinarow | @camerashakepodcast
Facebook: @camerashakepodcast
YouTube: @camerashake
Twitter: @kerstenphoto | @ShakeCamera
PodcastCamera Shake Podcast: camerashakepodcast.com
Kersten’s Photographer PicksDave Williams: idavewilliams.com
Joel Grimes: joelgrimes.com
Three Heads in a RowBehind the Scenes for Today’s Image
A few episodes ago I talked about how I edit and finish some of my images in the episodes on Dodge & Burn + and Photoshop + Nik Color Efex Pro + Nik Silver Efex Pro. After those shows went live I received a few comments from people that they didn't own some of the software I mentioned, like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or the DxO Nik Collection of plugins.
That got me thinking that maybe some gift ideas might help some people. All of the things I mention in this show will make great gifts for the upcoming holidays, but if you watch this after the holidays don't worry! These gifts are timeless.
In this show I break down some suggestions into categories as follows:
Software Hardware Accessories Services Store Suggestions
In some cases, where I don't have a preference or the experience with a particular product, I may mention a gift idea without making a specific product suggestion. Mainly, I want to pass on things that I know, use, and / or just like.
Lastly, none of the links below are affiliate codes! I make nothing off any purchases made through these links, but do note that I do have some discount codes on this site.
Hopefully these suggestions will make shopping for the photographer, videographer, podcaster, or general creative in your life easier. Software: Adobe Photography Plan CaptureOne Photo Mechanic Nik Collection by DxO Topaz Bundle Ecamm Live Subscription Backblaze Backup
Hardware: MICS: Shure SM7B Shure MV7 Heil PR40 Video Mics from Rode or Deity INTERFACES: Shure X2U Sound Devices MixPre 3 II LIGHTING: El Gato Key Light Aputure MC RGB FJ Westcott Flashes, Modifiers & Backdrops Nanlite Products STORAGE: Synology NAS External or Portable HDD - Lots of option available VIDEO: Black Magic Design ATEM Mini
Accessories: BAGS, BELTS & STRAPS: Think Tank Black Rapid Straps MISC: Zeiss Lens Wipes El Gato Stream Deck (Sm, Reg, XL or the new Stream Deck +) Platypod - (Discount Code Here) Custom Ear Plugs - Ultimate Ears
Services: LensRentals.com - (Discount Code Here) KelbyOne Membership - (Discount Code Here) Creative Live Membership - (Discount Code Here) PHLEARN Membership - (Discount Code Here) Shoot From the Pit with David Bergman
Store Suggestions: B & H Photo & Video - Deal Zone Adorama DVE Store
David Bergman has been on the show many times. Along with twice on the normal shows, first back on Episode 48 for "Composition, Creativity, and Workflow", and then on Episode 137 for a "Making Better Action Photos", he was also a guest on Image Critique #9. His most recent spot was on the show about "The Best Photo Advice You've Ever Been Given". Today makes appearance number 3 on the normal shows.
The other day David posted a shot to Instagram that immediately made me think of doing a show. In all the time I have been doing Behind the Shot I can think of two times where I found out during the show that a shot was done with a remote camera. In those cases I honestly thought the photographer may have been at the camera, mostly because the photos were from locations where a photographer could have been at the camera. Sometimes, however, a remote camera can get you into a position where you simply can't physically be. It maybe a safety issue, like up in the truss above a stage, or a space issue where you can't fit. The shot David posted was from the drum set during a Luke Combs show. Rarely, if ever, will you see a photographer sitting in front of the drum set during a major concert, but as David mentioned in the post, sometimes you come up with crazy ways to catch unique shots, shots that keep you interested when you're shooting the same show over and over again.
That post made me realize that I had never done a show on the process of using a remote camera. I mean, I have touched on it with guests, but it's never been the focus of a show. That thought surprised me. Personally I have asked friends many times, including David, how they go about solving all of the challenges involved with mounting, focusing, and triggering a remote camera. Obviously there had to be others that wanted those answers too!
Well, today is the day.
David usually needs no introduction, and he's been on the show so many times at this point I will assume you know him well. If however, you are not aware of David, let me do a brief intro... he is a New York based commercial photographer and photo educator who specializes in action, music, and portraiture photography. He is also a world class educator. Having attended his "Shoot From the Pit" workshop, I would say he is one of the absolute best out there at teaching photography. His AdoramaTV show "Ask David Bergman" may be the best photography tutorial series there is. He is a born educator.
David's current running tour gig is as the photographer for Luke Combs, one of the most successful country artists working today. As the official tour photographer for Bon Jovi and Luke Combs, he has documented bands on stage and on the road in more than 30 countries. He has also toured with Barenaked Ladies and Gloria Estefan, and has worked with Avril Lavigne and Joss Stone. Simply put, he is one of the top photographers working in the entertainment space today, so it's no surprise that he is also a Canon Explorer of Light.
Join photographer David Bergman and me as we take a look at how he uses remote cameras to photograph stars like Luke Combs, from setup to the final shot, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with David Portfolio: DavidBergman.net Instagram: @davidbergman Facebook: @DavidBergmanPhoto Twitter: @davidbergman Live Photo Workshops ShootFromThePit.com Ask David Bergman AdoramaTV on YouTube David's Gigapixel Photography ObamaGigapan.com David's Photographer Pick David Lehr: @davidnlehr
Photos related to today's chosen image:
A few episodes ago I talked about masking in Lightroom, which is one of my favorite new features in the program. It wasn't a deep dive into masking, but a demonstration of how I use masks in Lightroom to add depth to my concert photography using what I call "Dodge & Burn +". It's a technique that's easy to do, and can be used on any genre of photography.
During that show I mentioned that, for most jobs, I can usually finish all of my edits in Lightroom now, but that on occasion I may still finish an image in Photoshop. There are a number of reasons I might still end up in Photoshop. I might have a shot I want in my portfolio, and I just want to add som POP to it. I may have a critical client image that needs more complex edits, frequency separation, advanced masking or layers, or I might need tools that are either better in Photoshop, or that only exist there.
With all of the options available in Photoshop, there are two specific techniques that, if I end up there, I will almost always try. These techniques don't always work, and in fact there are times they make the image worse, but my success ratio with these techniques is so high that will always at least try them.
The steps I describe in this show will require Adobe's Photoshop, which has a trial version available here, and the Nik Collection from DxO, which also has a trial version. From the Nik set of plugins I use Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro often. Silver Efex Pro is a great BW conversion tool, but today we will use it differently, and I have to thank the amazing Alan Hess for this technique.
Join me as I walk through how I use two of my favorite ways to finish an image in Photoshop, with the help of Nik's Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Steve Portfolio: stevebrazill.com Instagram: @stevebrazill Twitter: @stevebrazill Links Mentioned in the Show Adobe Photoshop: Photoshop from Adobe Nik Collection from DxO: Nik Collection of 8 Plugins
There are rankings in photography that I had no idea even existed. For example, the #1 Fearless Photographer in North America, and Top 3 in the World, for 2021 is Jason Vinson. He's also ranked as one of the Top 100 Fearless Photographers of all time. I am intrigued, and that alone makes me want to meet him.
Jason is a multi-award winning wedding and documentary photographer, based out of Northwest Arkansas, and the awards list is impressive, with awards from Junebug Weddings, World Best Wedding Photos, ISPWP, Masters of Wedding Photography, Documentary Family Awards, and more.
Recognitions like that bring with them an audience that wants to learn, and Jason is a skilled speaker, instructor, writer, and content creator for establishments such as WPPI, Portrait Master, Rangefinder, PPA, Fstoppers, to name a few.
Jason is also a Stella Pro Ambassador, for the Stella Pro line of lighting from Light & Motion. I saw these lights for the first time at this year's WPPI, and again at NAB, and I am seriously impressed. I might need to get some of these.
With all of that, I think the part on his "About" page that struck me is this list:
lover of extreme sports self proclaimed beer snob dinosaur impersonator mexican food junky technology nerd
Three of the five mean we will clearly be friends.
As an ambassador for brands such as Stella Pro Lights, Flashpoint, Magmod, Aftershoot, DreambooksPro, Holdfast, DVLOP, and more, Jason is taking the photography community to new heights, and I'm excited to have him on the show.
Join multi-award winning wedding and documentary photographer, and Stella Pro Ambassador, Jason Vinson and me as we explore the creative use of light in his wedding and portrait images, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Jason Portfolio: vinsonimages.com Patreon: @Jason_vinson Instagram: @vinsonimages_jason Twitter: @vinson83 Facebook: @VinsonImages Jason's Photographer Pick Phil Sharp: philsharp-photo.com | @philsharp Stella Pro Lights Website: stellaprolights.com All Socials: @stellaprolights
I know a lot of photographers that work in multiple genres, but Kevin Jairaj is unique among them. One day he might be shooting a wedding, and a few days later college or pro sports. Then, on the days in-between, you might find him doing a fashion or boudoir shoot. What makes him unique is that he is very accomplished in each and every one of these fields.
In just a few short years, Kevin has become one of the most sought after photographers working today, both in the USA and worldwide. He has done photoshoots, weddings, and events in London, Hawaii, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Mexico, Jamaica, Anguilla, and Aruba, in addition to the work he shoots in Texas and the rest of the USA. Kevin is also a favorite among the celebrity crowd and has photographed weddings and events for many musicians, actors, and famous athletes.
Kevin's accomplishments have been highly recognized, and rewarded. He is one of only a few people in the world to hold the Triple Master Title from WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International), as well as a Master of Photography from PPA (Professional Photographers of America). When it comes to competitions, Kevin is at the top of his craft, having won Numerous 1st Place Awards in the very prestigious WPPI 16×20 and 8x10 print competitions, as well as having several prints selected in the PPA Loan collection over the years.
I mentioned wedding photography earlier, and his work in that world has also been highly recognized. He was named a Top Knots of Wedding Photography by the very well respected Photo District News magazine, and his book for wedding photographers, titled “Stylish Weddings”, was published by Amherst Media.
Kevin is also sought after In the sports world. He was chosen by USA Today to take portraits of key members of the USA Summer and Winter Olympic Teams, as well as covering the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, and the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang for them. Along with a recurring role in the hit Discovery Channel Show "Fast N Loud.", and covering Super Bowls, Final Fours, the World Series, and National Championship games, Kevin has also been the Official Photographer for the College Football Playoff National Championship since its inception in 2015.
Add to all of this Kevin's recent win of 1st place in the basketball category in the 2022 World Sports Photography Awards!
Kevin Jairaj's success behind the camera is well deserved, and being named as a ProFoto Legend of Light in 2017 is well earned.
Join sports and portrait photographer Kevin Jairaj and me as we take a look at focusing on the moment that matters, while working under the pressure of an important shoot, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Kevin Personal: kjimages.com Instagram: @kevinjairaj Twitter: @kevinjairaj Facebook: @kevinjairaj
Today is another special episode, at least to me it is. In the almost six years I have been doing this show I have had guests share so much knowledge, and that got me thinking.
"What is the Best Photo Advice You've Ever Been Given?" is a pretty open ended question. In fact, if you replace the word "photo" with "creative" it gets even more generalized. Still, it's an interesting one because for many of us there has been a moment where someone shared something with us that 'clicked'. It could be a quote we saw, a technique we learned, words of wisdom from someone we respect, or simply words of encouragement at a time when we really need it.
Everyone creative that I know has helped someone else at some point. We have all, in fact, been on both sides of that equation at some point. From asking questions about gear, technique, or business, to answering them for someone else. Reviewing a friend's website, critiquing their images, or helping them figure out what rate to quote for a gig are just a few of the ways we, as a community, help each other. It's part of what makes me feel close to other photographers, many of whom I have never met in person.
Good honest advice is invaluable in any line of work, but in the creative world it can be the difference between getting a gig, or not. That is where today's show comes from, the desire to share with you really good advice.
I reached out to a number of people I respect in the photography and creative worlds, and I asked each of them "What is the Best Photo Advice You've Ever Been Given?" - and the response blew me away. Many of today's guests are friends of mine, or friends of the show, while some are people I only know through social media. Everyone whose schedule allowed it wanted to join in.
I asked each of them to record a video, of around one or two minutes, where they introduce themselves, share the best advice they've been given, and let you know where you can follow them. Some of them have pro setups for doing this (I'm looking at you Bergman), while others used their phones. This is what made it all really work for me. This show isn't about being on a set, or having a great mic in front of you. It's all about the great knowledge these pros share, and the responses often surprised me. Spanning everything from technique and technical tips to business concepts, this show is exactly what I was hoping for, and I hope you find it as special as I do.
BTW, while I did reference photography in the question, the responses can be applied to any creative space.
Join me and 19 friends of the show, as we answer the question "What's the Best Photo Advice You've Ever Been Given", on this Behind the Shot.
Thank you to this these amazing creatives that joined in for today's show (in alphabetical order): Adam Elmakias: adamelmakias.com | @elmakias Aki Fujita Taguchi: aftphotography.tokyo | @a.f.t.photography Andy Ihnatko: ihnatko.com | @ihnatko Ant Pruitt: antpruitt.com | twit.tv | youtube.com | @ant_pruitt Brad Moore: bmoorevisuals.com | @bmoorevisuals Britt Bowman: brittbowmanphotography.com | @britt_bowman Christie Goodwin: christiegoodwin.com | @christiegoodwin David Bergman: davidbergman.net | shootfromthepit.com | @davidbergman Freddy Clark: freddyclark.photography | @freddyclarkphoto Ian Spanier: ianspanier.com | @ianspanier Jeff Harmon: phototacopodcast.com | @harmonjeff Joe McNally: joemcnally.com | @joemcnallyphoto Jose Negrete: jose-negrete.com | @_josenegrete Moose Peterson: moosepeterson.com | @moosepeterson Peter Hurley: peterhurley.com | headshotcrew.com | @peter_hurley Rick Sammon: ricksammon.com | @ricksammonphotography Steve Rose: steverosephotos.com | @steve_rose Troy Miller: imageryconcepts.com | spicyjello.com | @spicyjello | @spicyjello_bw Vanessa Joy: vanessajoy.com | @vanessajoy
I have always had a love / hate relationship with Lightroom, meaning 20% love and 80% hate. There are just parts of this app that drive me crazy, or seem like they're designed by someone that has never edited a photo in their life, or used a computer, or knows what a mouse is. Recently however, one feature has completely changed how I do my edits... Masking.
Lightroom has had masks for a while, but a few recent updates have really taken them to the next level. On this episode I want to share how I use the latest features in Lightroom to help shape the light in my images.
The basic premise of this is something I used to do with radial filters, and I talked about this back in January, 2021 on the TWiT Network's Hands on Photography show, episode 62, hosted by my buddy Ant Pruitt. A viewers eye is usually drawn to the brightest spot in an image, and sometimes to the most saturated spot. The idea with this technique is to create more depth in the image, by editing the subject separately from the environment they are in. By doing this you can make sure that not only is the subject the brightest, or at least from the point of view of what a viewer will focus on, but that the background falls back in the scene even more.
If you're not familiar with dodging and burning, it's a technique carried over from the old darkroom days, where you would darken or lighten various parts of an image to create depth. By sculpting the tonal variances you can shape a subject's face, or accentuate the rolling hills in a landscape. Traditionally this is done by simply changing the exposure in parts of the image, and Lightroom has adjustment brush effect presets that do just that, with the burn option defaulting to an exposure of -30, and the dodge preset starting at +25.
There is also a technique available for dodging & burning using luminance masks, a feature I found in a video from Serge Ramelli called "the best kept secret to Dodge and Burn in Lightroom". I haven't used this method myself, but it does look interesting.
What this original concept of dodging & burning is missing is the fact that modern editors, like Lightroom, have many more adjustments available than just exposure. We now have sliders available for contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks. We even have contrast based tools like texture, clarity, and dehaze. When you add saturation and noise to the mix, a Lightroom adjustment brush, or other masking tool, gives you what I call "Dodge & Burn +".
Today I am going through six of my images. For five of them I will show you the straight-out-of-camera shot, and my final basic crop and edit. Then, I will show you how I add my version of a mask, using a preset I like for my concert shots. My settings may, or may not, work for your type of photography, but it will at least get you started. For most images my preset is just a starting point, and I do change it a little to fit what each shot needs. On the sixth image I will start with the straight-out-of-camera version and show you how I might process it from scratch, start to finish.
For many, if not most of my images, this technique is enough for me to consider the image done. I should note however that for critical client images, or portfolio shots, I will usually finish my images with a few techniques I love in Photoshop. If this show does well, maybe I will do more like it, and share those finishing touches as well.
Join me as I walk through how I use one of my favorite Lightroom techniques to add depth to an image. It's "Dodge & Burn +" with masks in Lightroom on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Steve Portfolio: stevebrazill.com Instagram: @stevebrazill Twitter: @stevebrazill Links Mentioned in the Show Hands on Photography: twit.tv Serge Ramelli's Video on Luminance Masks: youtube.com
Corporate portraits can be challenging. Everything from tight spaces and limited time, to a mix of personalities and desired goals, the photographer has to become the fixer. Adding to that, telling the story of what someone does in a single photo might be one of the most difficult things you'll ever have to do.
When it comes to these types of commercial shoots, there are many possible directions you can go. Some people opt for the traditional portrait, the ones against a backdrop. Others try to embrace the story of the subject with an environmental portrait, by placing the subject in a scene designed to help the story. This is where today's guest excels.
Spokane, WA based Zack Berlat is a commercial and editorial photographer that specializes in creative portraits, combining bold colors, dynamic compositions, and authentic emotion. Looking through his portfolio is like looking at a book full of inspiration. Photo after photo that uses space and the subject's environment in some of the most wonderfully creative ways.
Zack's work has taken him everywhere from a 6x12 jail cell to a 14th-century monastery in the Italian countryside, and his approach to portraiture is clear... he brings a refreshing curiosity about what makes his subjects who they are.
With clients ranging from Gonzaga and Regis Universities to Providence Hospitals and the Spokane Symphony, Zack has mastered the art of placing a person in a scene in a way that immediately tells the viewer what they are looking at.
Join commercial and editorial photographer Zack Berlat and me as we take a look at how he creates his style of corporate portraits, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Zack Personal: zackberlat.com Instagram: @zackberlat Zack's Photographer Pick Steve Korn: stevekornphoto.com
LA based photographer Ian Spanier was first on the show back in 2019 for a conversation about Classic Portraits & Classic Lighting, discussing a portrait of actor Jeff bridges. His lighting style immediately struck me as something so classic, and timeless. Since then, Ian and I have become friends, and when he was invited to do a lighting workshop for the photography students at California Baptist University in my hometown he invited me to sit in. Watching his laid back style was inspiring. Ian has a way of seeming so calm, even as 15 things are happening around him, any of which could derail the project.
Recently, two things got me thinking about a different kind of show. One was talking to Vanessa Joy at WPPI this year, and wanting to get her on the show again. The other was watching Ian work at that workshop. I started to really look at what the show meant to me, and why I started it. Then it hit me... I look at Behind the Shot as a backwards interview. Instead of me interviewing a photographer, the photographer and I interview the photograph. Those "normal" Behind the Shot episodes are based on looking at one image, through it's many aspects, like the composition, lighting, posing, props, location, and post production. But, what I reversed that? What if we looked at one aspect, and how that element looks when applied in various photographic examples?
This show is one of the results of that idea, and the second in the series. It's a show focused on Ian Spanier's favorite lighting setups. In this episode we are going to look at four of Ian's go-to setups, using a few images as examples, along with some behind-the-scenes images. Ian will help us understand the different characteristics of each modifier and setup, as well as the reason he might pick one setup over another, based on location, subject, or intended use. Ian will also introduce us the brand new umbrella, and idea he had and then developed with Westcott, the Westcott Deep Umbrella. This is a chance to speed up your on-set workflow, and start using tested and proven light setups on your jobs. If you're new to lighting, and need a bit of confidence boost, Ian's knowledge can help you get over any fears and start lighting you subjects with confidence. Oh yeah, in case you were wondering, the first show in this series was the one I did with Vanessa Joy focused on Posing Tips.
It's no wonder that Ian's work is so refined. He began taking photographs at six years old, and he majored in photography in college. While he ended up working in publishing for some time, as an editor, photography never left him. He ended up teaching himself medium and large format, as well as lighting.
Today Ian is a respected and published artist. His first full book of published work, "Playboy, a Guide to Cigars" arrived in cigar shops in November 2009, with the public version hitting retail stores in the Spring of 2010. The book is a collection of his photographs made in six countries, and spanning two and a half years. His second book project was a different subject altogether, and “Local Heroes: America’s Volunteer Fire Fighters,” came out to critical acclaim in the Fall of 2012. His personal project "Right Next Door," has been featured on Huffingtonpost.com (here and here), The Daily Mail, and the Platypod Blog, and he's not even finished shooting!
As an educator, Ian loves to share his experience as a lecturer for Canon, Westcott, PPA and the NY Photo Expo, B&H, The Sante Fe Workshop (2019) and The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC.
Ian is an Ambassador for Westcott as a "Top Pro," ThinkTank Photo, Spider Holster, as well as Hoodman USA, Sekonic, Naroo Global Masks, CamRanger, and finally, he's on Imagenomic's featured photographer list.
The original “Masters of Photography” have always inspired Spanier as they shot what they saw. For him, there is no “one” subject that he photographs; he shoots what he sees. This approach has certainly paid off too.
I get guest suggestions often, very often in fact, and almost all of them are for amazing photographers, but on occasion the suggestion stops me in my tracks. On those very rare occasions, no matter where I am or what I am doing, the photographer is so good that I need to ask them to be on the show right then. This is an example...
On April 13th I saw that I had a DM on Instagram from Jaime (@elespaiz) making a suggestion that I do a show about a specific image, a global publicity photo for "Jurassic World Dominion". What was interesting to me is that the link Jaime sent was to a series of behind the scenes images for the shoot, and the description was fascinating. The next post from the photographer showed the end result, and it was amazing. At this point, some browsing was in order. What I found was some of the absolute best photography I have seen.
Let me pause for a moment to say something important. If you have listened to the show for any period of time then you know I love looking at great images. I find many of my guest's works to be some of the best you'll find, but this photographer was different.
The photographer was Art Streiber, and it seems most every one I know is very familiar with Art. In fact, after being invited to a student exhibit at California Baptist University by the director of the photography program, Christopher Kern, I mentioned to him that I was excited about a new potential guest. He response was that he'd known Art for years. I'm embarrassed to say that I wasn't aware of Art Streiber before Jaime's message. How on earth had I never seen Art's work before? To be more specific, I most likely had seen his work before, and probably had seen it often, but I was completely unaware of Art. I am hoping that with this show I help you avoid that embarrassment.
Art is a Los Angeles-based freelance photographer specializing in portrait, reportage, entertainment, and advertising photography, and for the last decade, Streiber’s imagery has been selected to appear in American Photography and Communication Arts Photography Annual. To put his talent in perspective, let me list a few of his clients...
Starting with Editorial clients we have the likes of Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, Wired, New York, Fortune, ESPN, GQ and The New York Times Magazine. His Entertainment clients include ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO, A&E, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, TBS, TNT, The CW, IFC, MTV, SyFy Channel, Showtime, TVLand, Universal Studios, Columbia-TriStar, Dreamworks, Paramount, STX, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Studios. For Advertising clients we have Chase Bank, KFC, Kohler, Cadillac, Miller Lite, Heineken, Subway, Farmers Insurance, Oakley and Disneyland. Art Streiber is at the top of the game.
As an educator, Art has lectured at the International Center of Photography, The Santa Fe Workshops, Art Center College of Design, PDN's Photo Plus, Savannah College of Art & Design, ATLAS Institute at University of Colorado at Boulder and at The Stanford Publishing Course - his BA in Communications is from Stanford by the way.
Having been honored by American Photo Magazine, the Pacific Design Center and the Los Angeles Center of Photography, it seems I am not the only one that is struck by the amazing imagery he creates, and as you hear in this show, he creates his shots... at times with very complex sets, production, and post work.
For me, what sums up Art's work best, and perhaps the biggest compliment I can give him, is that I see the clear inspiration he draws from the great portrait, fashion and documentary photographers of the mid 20th Century. Today's image is a perfect example.
As we were picking the image for this show, which wasn't easy at all considering there are about 100 of his shots I have questions about, Art described a few images to me as "BIG productions under intense parameters". That's intriguing. He described these shoots as "a window onto productions that perhaps your listeners don’t experience / w...
Alex Buisse is an adventure photographer based out of Alberta, Canada, but it would seem that Chamonix, France has his heart - at least photographically. Alex is a climber, but around the same time he fell in love with that, he also fell into photography. The combination of those two passions allows Alex to create some absolutely stunning photographs.
These two disciplines seem to feed each other, and by Alex's own admission have caused him to climb bigger and wilder mountains so that he would get better images. This balance of the physical art of climbing and the creative art of photography have also caused him to constantly work to become a better photographer. Imagine making some extremely difficult climbs only to not be able to do the scene justice in the resulting photos. That would be such a loss for us, the viewers.
Over a decade ago Alex was studying Computer Science when he dropped out to move to the climbing mecca of Chamonix, France to pursue adventure photography full time. I'm not sure how his parents felt about it at the time, but based on his portfolio, the world is a better place because we get the benefit of seeing his amazing work.
Alex's work has provided him with some amazing opportunities, and unique life experiences. Alex has sailed an expedition yacht around Cape Horn, been invited to an Ethiopian coffee ceremony in Dadaab Refugee Camp, photographed Usain Bolt at the Olympics, skied to the North Pole, named three (small) mountains in Greenland, adventure raced through Tierra del Fuego, climbed on K2 and been winched from a rescue helicopter at night - on purpose! Alex is that person we have all heard about, the one that makes you realize you haven't been living your life to the fullest.
Along with his adventure photography, he has branched out into a few other genres, including portraiture, humanitarian, automotive and industrial. His ability to deal with the complicated logistics of shooting in wild places, with unpredictable weather, make him a sought after talent.
His client list is a Who's Who: Patagonia Garmin BMW Nissan Novartis VISA Red Bull Microsoft Scandinavian Airlines Adidas Arc'teryx Petzl Black Diamond Sports Illustrated The Economist International Olympic Committee Chamonix-Mont-Blanc NationalGeographic.com CNN Alex is also one of the over 600 photographers in 41 countries that represented by the art production agency Wonderful Machine. Wonderful Machine is a very interesting concept, with a list of photographers that is top notch. I have to admit I am excited to try and get a few others from their roster on the show.
Join climber and adventure photographer Alex Buisse and me as we discuss his world of adventure photography, and as we take a deep dive, or should that be deep climb, into his image of Jeff Mercier climbing out of the depths of a moulin, a crevasse in Mer de Glace, Chamonix, France, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Alex Portfolio: alexbuisse.com Climbing Posters: montblanclines.com Instagram: @alexbuisse Twitter: @alexbuisse Facebook: @alexbuissephotography Alex's Book Mont Blanc Lines: French | Italian | English (Release October 6, 2022) Alex's Photographer Picks Danielle Villasana: daniellevillasana.com | @davillasana Eric Bouvet: ericbouvet.com | @ericbouvet Alex's App Picks Sun Seeker: www.ozpda.com | Android | iOS FatMap: fatmap.com | Android | iOS Photographers Ephemeris: photoephemeris.com | iOS | iOS 3D
At WPPI this year I ran into Vanessa Joy, my first time meeting her in person. We chatted about the classes and workshops she was doing at the conference, and the friend I was with suggested that I get her on the show again. I had such a great time when Vanessa was on the show the first time, talking about how to Elevate Your Wedding Photography, that when she agreed to do it I jumped at the chance.
As I was thinking about this show, I knew that I wanted to do something different than the first one. She is a world renowned wedding photographer, and a Canon Explorer of Light, so there had to be a way I could approach this show uniquely. That's when it hit me...
Every show we take one image and explore and dissect the multiple aspects required to make the image. From the planning and pre-visualization, to exposure, lighting, post production, posing and more. What if we reversed that process? What if we picked just one of those aspects and examined it through multiple working scenarios, using multiple image examples per scenario?
Vanessa Joy is an expert in posing, so I knew what the main topic would be. She has a free Posing Inspiration Guide, and a Speed Posing Course at speedposing.com. The hard part was trying to find a way to approach posing on multiple levels. What I settled on was four photo shoot scenarios: Solo, Couples, Standard Groups, and Random Groups - let me explain...
Solo Subjects would be anytime you have just one person in front of the camera; Couples would be when you have two subjects in front of the camera, whether they are actual couples or not; Standard Groups - OK I wasn't sure what to call it, but basically think of this as when you have a group of people on almost the same focal plane - like when you say "everyone get together"; and the last one is how I think of a band portrait, or a commercial type shoot - that's a Random Group, as in randomly placing subjects not only left to right, but forward and backwards on the Z axis. Obviously, we could go into every possible scenario you might encounter, but even then someone would say something crazy "I need the groom in a tree and the bride in a boat". There is just no way to cover every scenario, so we are going to do these four, with 3 different image examples per category.
Since Vanessa is a wedding photographer, we are using mostly wedding type images here, but you can of course apply the concepts we discuss to any genre. And let me just add, when I say she is a world renowned wedding photographer, that there are only five Canon Explorers of Light in the field of Wedding Photography - just five, and Vanessa is one of them.
Vanessa Joy photographs weddings from Austin and Dallas, TX, to New Jersey, New York City, and Manhattan, and of course is sought after for destination weddings. Her style is photojournalistic, and has led to multiple awards. Her work has been seen in The Knot, RangeFinder, Grace Ormonde, Brides, and more.
As an educator, she has 11 classes on CreativeLive, and you can even buy her preset packs. And yes, she's an author, with her book "The Off-Camera Flash Handbook: 32 Scenarios for Creating Beautiful Light and Stunning Photographs" available now, and she has 3 new digital books: The Business Of Wedding Photography, Building & Marketing Your Wedding Business, and The Art Of Wedding Photography.
Vanessa Joy is at the top of the wedding photography game, and I am so glad to have her on the show once again.
Please join Canon Explorer of Light Vanessa Joy and me as we take a deep dive into Posing Tips, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Vanessa Website: vanessajoy.com Website for Photographers: breatheyourpassion.com Blog: vanessajoyphotographyblog.com Twitter: @vanessa__joy Instagram: @vanessajoy Facebook: @VJoyPhoto YouTube: @vanessajoy Vanessa's Videos Mentioned During the Show Budget Photography Gear Shootout Featuring Miguel Quiles: YouTube
George Schaub is a photographer's photographer, and that may be the best compliment I can give anyone.
George has a been a professional photographer since 1966, when he was the House photographer for promotion, brochures, and events at International House, NYC - and he's been a writer for almost as long. From the 1970s through the 2000s his career took off, with articles published in Studio Photography magazine, followed by articles and illustrations in the New York Times Sunday Arts and Leisure section, Video Photography, Lens Magazine, Lens on Campus, Photographer’s Forum, Camera Arts, Photo District News, and a monthly column in Darkroom Photography magazine. George was a regular contributor to Travel Holiday magazine and he had photo and technology related articles in consumer magazines such as Popular Mechanics, Travel & Leisure, Men’s Journal, and American Photographer. After covering the L.A. olympics, George was hired as an Assistant Editor at popular Photography magazine, and later became a writer and copy editor, before eventually becoming the Executive Editor.
With all of that experience, George has also been heavily involved on the education side of photography, through his writing, and his workshops through a number of educational outlets, including the famed Santa Fe Photo Workshops. He was an Adjunct Professor at New School University/Parsons School of Design, teaching courses that included a General Intro lecture course, a Masters Class in Black and White Printing, Digital Camera intro; Advanced Photo Techniques; Digital Photo Processing, and Digital Printing. He has also been an Adjunct Professor at Sitka University for online critiques and assignments.
His body of work is extensive, and after a number of photo and illustration books, some of which have been self-published, George's latest book is In Public, which covers his street photography from 1970 through 2020.
Join author, educator, and photographer George Schaub and me as we explore his approach to Street Photography, his new book In Public, and his photo Illusion Realite, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with George Portfolio: gschaub.zenfolio.com Instagram: @gschaubphoto Facebook: facebook.com EBay: ebay.com George's Book In Public: blurb.com George's Photographer Pick W. Eugene Smith: magnumphotos.com
Rick Sammon has said that he specializes in not specializing, and I am seeing that approach to photography more often. Today's guest is Will Cadena, and his portfolio include Weddings, Bar / Bat Mitzvahs, Corporate Events, Commercial work, and Cinematography, and the entire body of work is world class.
Will brings a sense of space to his images, with subjects that pop off the background. His lighting never leaves the subjects without their environment, while at the same time keeping the background in it's place. I'm browsing his site while writing this, and there is just an amazing richness to his work. Needless to say, picking an image for this show was difficult.
Having started taking an interest in photography at a young age, today he is a sought after speaker. He has educated audiences at the Canon Experience Center, and the Fundy Inspiration Workshop to inspire Disney's Fine Art photographers at Disney World. He's spoken at PhotoPlus NY, and is a Speaker & International Judge at WPPI. From Imaging USA to the Vegas Symposium Will Cadena is helping to advance the creative community.
His client list ranges from FJ Westcott and Think Tank Photo to Synology, Wacom, Sekonic and Celebrate. From Shinzo Abe - the Prime Minister of Japan, to Johnny Depp, Derek Jeter, Michael Bloomberg or Timothy Gunn, it seems Will can work in any situation regardless of pressure.
Join photographer Will Cadena and me for a chat about everything from shooting on location to overpowering the sun, and as we dissect how he made his beautiful fashion photo, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Will Portfolio: willcadena.com Instagram: @WillCadena Twitter: @WillCadena Facebook: @WillCadenaPhotography Vimeo: @WillCadena Conferences with Will as a Speaker VegasSymposium: vegassymposium.com PHOTOPLUS: photoplusexpo.com Wedding MBA: weddingmba.com Imaging USA: imagingusa.org WPPI: wppiexpo.com Will's Photographer Pick Take a look at who he follows on Instagram: instagram.com Model | Hair & Makeup (At 30:46 I asked if Will remembered the model's name. Thanks to Jennifer Denton Photography, who reached out on Instagram (@jendentonseniors) to mention the name of the model, and the hair & makeup crew.)
Model - Victoria Quartieri: @victoria_quartieri Hair & Makeup - Jax Studio: @jaxstudio
A few days ago Jeremy Lanthorn (@Snackem on Twitter) sent me a guest suggestion: @stevebrazill check out @LeviVentura_ and this shot of @GableSteveson at the NCAA wrestling tournament. Would make a great BTS episode. I get a lot of guest suggestions, and while I reach out to most of them, many never answer back. In this case, I replied to the tweet, Levi Ventura answered back almost instantly, and here we are with a new show.
I wasn't familiar with Levi before this, but I hope more people will be after this show. Levi Ventura is a 22 year old college student majoring in graphic design. He has only been working as a freelance photographer & videographer since 2019, but since that time he has been creating content for Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs' social media. Ranging from high school sports to the NCAA, this young creative has been creating such fantastic work in a very short period of time.
Along with a clear passion for sports photography and video, Levi has also been focusing on working with small businesses and brands to help provide quality content for their social media sites. Based on looking through his site, I'd expect big things from Levi to happen quickly.
His client list already includes names like Asics and USA Wrestling, and it's his NCAA wresting work that really jumps out - yes, a jump joke for today's image.
Join photographer Levi Ventura and me as we explore his composite image of Gable Steveson doing his famous backflip, after winning his final match at his last NCAA wrestling tournament, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Levi Portfolio: levivphoto.com Instagram: @leviventura.photo Twitter: @LeviVentura_ YouTube: @LeviVentura Vimeo: @LeviVentura Levi's Photographer Pick Tony Rotundo: @tonyrotundo.waw on Instagram
NOTE: This is not an official Nikon USA show. This is a podcast first and foremost, and Nikon was kind enough to allow my guest, Mark Cruz, to come speak about the Nikon AF system options. This is not intended to be a technical training, but a conversation with Mark to better understand the choices you have in customizing the current line of Nikon camera AF systems. Obviously, there are still some constraints here. I try to keep the shows at a reasonable length - for some behind the scenes reasons related to the podcast versions of the show - and my guests often have limited time as well. I have a lot of people that listen to the audio only version of the show, and so there will be times I inject myself into the conversation to be sure the topic we are discussing is absorbable by those without video, as well as to moderate time so that we can at least get to all of the planned topics. Still, my hope is that explaining the AF options one-at-a-time in some detail will help you to get more out of the camera system you have.
I recently did a special episode taking a detailed look at the current Canon Auto-Focus systems, and now it's time to do the same for the Nikon users.
As I explained in the first show in this series, my relationship with auto-focus systems hasn't always been a great one. Like most photographers, it's so easy to say "the camera missed focus", or "it front or back focused". The problem is that's not the case more often than not. Don't misunderstand me, these issues are real. Cameras and lenses are not perfect, and the software that runs anything today can have issues, but focus issues often relate to the end user not having the AF system configured correctly, or not understanding how the system really works.
Cameras today are complex electronic systems, and for many end users the process of customizing the AF systems is a daunting task. This results in many users leaving the camera at it's default settings, and while for many that may end up working, with a bit of customization these AF systems are capable of amazing speed and accuracy.
Camera manuals are written by people that already understand the tech involved, and as "plain English" as they try to be, there just isn't enough detail in the text to make the menu options useful to many end users. My goal with these two shows is to demystify the camera AF system options available to you.
For this show I am joined by Mark Cruz, a Senior Manager, Product Digital Cameras with Interchangeable Lenses (DCIL) at Nikon USA. Mark is responsible for bringing new digital imaging products to market, including the latest Nikon Z series mirrorless cameras and NIKKOR Z lenses. He also helps manage marketing and educational efforts for Nikon products across a variety of platforms and social media channels. Previously he was a Senior Technical representative for Nikon Canada, responsible for spearheading business development through technical sales and services. In 2019, he moved to the U.S. to join the Marketing department at Nikon USA.
Together we are going to go through the auto-focus menu options available to you to better customize the AF system for your shooting style and needs. Our example camera for this show will be a Nikon Z9, and while you may have a different camera body, most of the options will apply to most of the current Nikon mirrorless lineup. For those that use older Nikon DSLRs there will still be some overlap to help you, and if you use non-Nikon gear it's my hope that the concepts we discuss will help.
Join Mark Cruz, a Senior Manager, Product Digital Cameras with Interchangeable Lenses (DCIL) at Nikon USA, and me as we take a deep dive into the amazing auto-focus systems available in the current line of Nikon cameras, using the Z9 as the example, on this Behind the Shot. Nikon USA Website: nikonusa.com Instagram: @NikonUSA Facebook: >@NikonUSA Twitter: >@NikonUSA YouTube: >@NikonUSA Connect with Mark:
I don't think Dr. Larry Tiefenbrunn, or Dr. T as he's known to many, ever sleeps. Larry is a practicing pediatrician, and active photographer, and he's the founder and CEO of Platypod.
I first met Larry through Rick Sammon, and we have been friends ever since. His company Platypod makes some of my favorite photo accessories - the larger Platypod Max and the smaller Ultra, one of which is next to me every show. Their most recent product is the Platyball, a unique bullhead available in the Ergo and Elite models. I have an unboxing of both Platyball options up on the YouTube channel here.
One special part of this show is that Larry is sharing details of a new Platypod product that's in development. If you are a fan of Platypod, like I am, this new product sounds very interesting.
Larry has been on the show once before, on episode 57 in 2018. On that show we talked about a great guitar image he did, and discussed Better Product Photography. This time we are going a different route...
if you look at Larry's portfolio you'll notice that Larry shoots a lot of different genres, from portraits, to animals, landscapes, street, and studio work. One thing you may also notice is that Larry has an eye for Black & White images. His B&W work has a contrast and depth I enjoy, and he manages to strip the story down to the basic components needed to help a viewer better understand the story. Today, we are going to explore not just the process of making a photo black & white, but the thought process behind when and why you might choose to remove the color from an image.
Join businessman and photographer Dr. Larry Tiefenbrunn and me as we explore his approach to Black & White photography, and as we discuss the new Platypod Extreme, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Larry's First Time on Behind the Shot Episode 57 - 2018: Better Product Photography Connect with Larry Portfolio: ljtmd.smugmug.com Platypod Website: platypod.com Instagram: @platypodtripods Twitter: @platypodtripods Facebook: @platypod YouTube: @platypod Larry's Photographer Pick Bryan Peterson: bryanfpeterson.com Bryan Peterson's Books Understanding Exposure: amazon.com Learning to See Creatively: amazon.com Ansel Adams Book Mentioned by Larry During the Show The Negative: amazon.com Software Mentioned by Larry During the Show Nik Collection from DxO: nikcollection.dxo.com
Platypod Extreme
I get guest suggestions on a very regular basis, and most of the time I actually do follow through on them. Unfortunately, I often don't get any response. Periodically however I not only get a reply, but we end up with a great show. That is the case with this episode, and describing my guest is going to take a bit of setup...
A few days ago I received an email from a gentleman named Michael Ryno. I don't know Michael personally, but his email caught my eye. He mentioned a photo group that is near and dear to my heart, the Inland Empire Professional Photographers and Videographers, or IEPPV. I used to be an IEPPV board member, and still help them on occasion. Michael said he was an IEPPV member, even though he is from Colorado, and he is a regular listener / watcher of the show. He is also the President of PPC - the Professional Photographers of Colorado. At this point I was intrigued enough to look Michael up, and he is an amazing photographer - see for yourself. Then something unexpected happened, Michael - this amazing photographer - was writing to suggest someone else he knew. His email went on to describe Cheryl Moore to me, and he described her so well that I honestly thought he might be her PR agent.
I tried to politely ask him if he was representing her in any way. That alone wouldn't be a deal breaker, but I wanted to know the motivation behind the suggestion, as I take the credibility of the show very seriously. Are you ready for this... Michael just wanted to bring attention to someone he truly respected as an artist. He was just doing the right thing. So refreshing.
At this point I started exploring Cheryl's work, and it is stunning. I mean... it's blow your mind beautiful.
Cheryl was a Media Specialist for the Colorado Department of Corrections, now retired - and is now a Wildlife and Nature photographer. She also owns a portrait studio, specializing in Senior portraits (which some might argue is still wildlife). Her husband Jim is a biologist by education, so she also has the benefit of his knowledge in wildlife and bird habitats.
Having been published in places like Colorado Outdoors Magazine, it seems that 2022 has been a very good year for Cheryl. She has earned a number of awards this year, including: PPA: 2022 Diamond Artist of the Year 2022 Gold Medal in Photographic Open World Photographic Cup: Top 10 finalist “Best of Nations” for Team USA - with the finals happening in Rome in May, 2022 Professional Photographers of Colorado: 2022 General Photographer of the Year When Michael sent me the first email, he had attached one image he thought would be a good subject for a show. That image, "Dance of Light", has won a number of accolades: PPA: Image Excellence Grand Imaging Award (GIA) Nomination - Top 10 in the Wildlife Category World Photographic Cup: Top 10 in the Nature category “Best of Nations” for Team USA - with the finals happening in Rome in May, 2022 Pro Print Photo Labs Wildlife Contest: First Place Winner If you've watched this show at all then you know I tend to spend a lot of time browsing a guest's website. I like to look for common threads in their work, and with Cheryl one thing stands out - Gesture. Gesture is an important part of photography, and I'd argue it is often the deciding factor between an ok shot and an amazing image. Rick Sammon mentions it regularly, and Jay Maisel has a book about it - Light Gesture and Color. If you are not familiar with the idea of Gesture in photography, here's a great, short video of 'Jay Maisel on the Importance of “Gesture” in Photography' from PDN Online, and yes... even a wall can have Gesture.
Join Colorado based Wildlife and Nature photographer Cheryl Moore and me as we discuss photographic gesture, and as we take a deep dive into the making of her award wining image "Dance of Light", on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Cheryl - Nature & Wildlife Website: cmooreimages.com
These last few years of the pandemic have been an interesting time. While I would definitely hope to not do it again any time soon, there are a few things that have come out of the pandemic that have been amazing. One of those are the various virtual photographer hangouts I have been invited to, and the amazing people I have met through them. In one of these Zoom hangouts I met William Snyder, who was on the show with his Stevie Ray Vaughn album cover image, and in the same hangout I was also introduced to legendary Reuters photographer Gary Hershorn.
When talking about Gary's career as a photojournalist you can get lost in the story alone, and then once you add his images to the story you are seemingly transported to amazing historical moments in time.
Gary is a Canadian photographer and picture editor based in New York City, and his 43 year career began in 1979 at United Press International, in Toronto. By 1985 he was working at Reuters, as Chief Photographer, Canada, before moving to Washington, DC. in 1990. In his time at Reuters, Gary filled the roles of Senior Photographer, Picture Editor-Americas, and Global Sports Pictures Editor. He led major event coverage of the 9/11 attacks on the WTC, Hurricane Katrina, the Haiti Earthquake, along with covering numerous news, sporting championships and entertainment events around the world.
Since leaving Reuters in 2014, he has worked as a photo editor for Flipboard, was the photo editor at FOXnews.com for 3 years and presently works in news curation for Facebook. In addition he is a contributing photographer for Getty Images. For those 43 years Gary has been photographing history, he has been taking us there with him in the process.
In the summer of 2011, as the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center approached, he began a photography project documenting New York City, the ever-changing skyline of the city as it entered a construction boom and began pairing the skyline of the city with various celestial events that happened in the skies over New York City. This work continues and led to the publication of the book “New York Celestial” in 2019. If you follow Gary on Instagram you will find one of the most inspirational feeds there is. I show Gary's current work to someone almost daily, and could study his photojournalistic work just as frequently. Today, I am excited to share one of his most historic images with you.
Join legendary photojournalist, and all around great photographer, Gary Hershorn and me as we discuss what it was like to photograph the 2008 Obama Election Night Rally for Reuters, on this Behind the Shot.
(The Obama photo featured in this episode is provided courtesy of Reuters, and is Copyright Reuters) Connect with Gary Website: garyhershorn.com Instagram: @garyhershorn Twitter: @garyhershorn Gary's Book New York Celestial: newyorkcelestial.com Gary's Favorite Mobile Apps Radar Scope: Android | iOS Webcams – EarthCam: Android | iOS Planit Pro: Photo Planner: Android | iOS Gary's Photographer Picks Andy Sharp: andy-sharp.com | @andybobsharp Andy Clark: clarkfoto.ca | @andyclarkfoto
NOTE: This is not an official Canon USA show. This is a podcast first and foremost, and Canon was kind enough to allow my guest, Rudy Winston, to come speak about the Canon AF system options. This is not intended to be a technical training, but a conversation with Rudy to better understand the choices you have in customizing the current line of Canon camera AF systems. Obviously, there are still some constraints here. I try to keep the shows at a reasonable length - for some behind the scenes reasons related to the podcast versions of the show - and my guests often have limited time as well. I have a lot of people that listen to the audio only version of the show, and so there will be times I inject myself into the conversation to be sure the topic we are discussing is absorbable by those without video, as well as to moderate time so that we can at least get to all of the planned topics. Still, my hope is that explaining the AF options one-at-a-time in some detail will help you to get more out of the camera system you have.
This is a show I have been wanting to do for a very long time. My relationship with auto-focus systems hasn't always been a great one. Like most photographers, it's so easy to say "the camera missed focus", or "it front or back focused". The problem is that's not the case more often than not. Don't misunderstand me, this issues are real. Cameras and lenses are not perfect, and the software that runs anything today can have issues, but focus issues often relate to the end user not having the AF system configured correctly, or not understanding how the system really works.
When I upgraded my system years ago I moved to the Canon EOS 5d mark IV. I loved that camera, and in fact it's still in use as the webcam for every show I do. But the first copy I received seemed off. I would be shooting an outdoor concert, with plenty of light, and the camera would nail focus on a singer mid-jump. When that same singer stood still at the mic the 5D IV would miss shots by a lot. I was sure it was the body, so I sent it back and got a new one, only to have the issue still happen. Clearly this wasn't the camera, Steve.
I loved the images this camera produced too, as they had so much more richness, depth and texture than the 5D mark III, but it wasn't useable if I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong, or if I was doing anything wrong. A friend of mine that does work for Canon at trade shows - he's one of the guys behind the booth helping attendees look at the gear - introduced me to Rudy Winston, a Technical Advisor in the Product Planning Dept. for Canon USA. I emailed my issue to Rudy, along with sample images where Canon's DPP software would clearly show the AF was in the right spot. Rudy, to my surprise, sent me more info than I could have ever imagined. He sent a detailed description of the AF Case modes, and what all those settings meant. So much of what he said seemed to be missing from the public AF conversation. I had already looked up everything I could find, and yet never heard things described with such detail.
Fast forward to today and I recently had someone ask me via an Instagram DM about the R5 AF settings. They were coming from the 5D mark IV, and the settings were different enough to be confusing for them. Instantly Rudy popped into my mind.
Luckily for us, Rudy has agreed to go through the entire Canon EOS R5 AF menus in detail, to help us better understand the options available. While I am using the R5 in this show for the example, obviously, most of the info will apply to the Canon auto-focus system as a whole.
Join Rudy Winston, a Technical Advisor in the Product Planning Dept. for Canon USA, and me as we take a deep dive into the amazing auto-focus systems available in the current line of Canon cameras, on this Behind the Shot. Canon USA Website: usa.canon.com Rudy's Photographer Pick Anthony Neste: anthonynestephotography.com
I feel like I have been studying Joe McNally's work since I first picked up a camera, so this should be the easiest show post I have ever done. He is an absolute master of light, and I own his "The Language of Light" Volume One, I need to get Volume Two. I have watched classes through KelbyOne and CreativeLive, and twice I have sat at the end of his PhotoshopWorld Keynotes wishing it wasn't over. Yeah, this should be easy. But no, this is a tough one.
Joe McNally is a legend, and most anyone you ask would agree that he's one of the top photographers working today, perhaps ever. He is in that very elite group of photographers know as Nikon Ambassadors, along with the likes of Moose Peterson (who has been on the show twice - for Wildlife & Wild Places & Aviation Photography), Deborah Sandidge (who was on the show for the episode on Better Travel Photography), Todd Owyoung and others. Joe is also a Capture One Ambassador, a Gitzo Ambassador, and is affiliated with Printique (an Adorama company), Synology, Lastolite, Tether Tools, and Powerex. Writing about someone I respect as much as Joe creates a flood of thoughts, and putting them in the right order matters. Let me start here...
Joe McNally won the first Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Journalistic Impact for a LIFE coverage titled, “The Panorama of War”. He has been honored numerous times by Communication Arts, PDN, Graphis, American Photo, POY, and The World Press Photo Foundation. His career has led to international acclaim, more awards than I could list here, and assignments that have taken him to 70 countries. With all of that said, we have only just begun to scratch the surface of Joe's career.
Joe has shot numerous cover stories, and highly complex features, for legendary publications such as LIFE, National Geographic, and Sports Illustrated, along with cover stories for TIME, Newsweek, Fortune, New York, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, and Men’s Journal. He has also managed to do something few people can... bridge the worlds of photojournalism and advertising.
His client list includes FedEx, Sony, Nikon, Land’s End, General Electric, MetLife, Adidas, American Ballet Theater, Epson, the Wildlife Conservation Society, ESPN, MAC Cosmetics, USAA, the New York Stock Exchange, and Lehman Brothers, and that's a short version.
American Photo listed Joe as one of the 100 Most Important People in Photography, and described by the magazine as “perhaps the most versatile photojournalist working today", and in 2010 he was voted as one of the 30 most influential photographers of the decade in an industry wide Photo District News survey.
As an educator, McNally is unequaled. He is an author, teacher, and highly sought after speaker. His newest book, "The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer" - available through Rocky Nook or Amazon - was released on February 8, 2022. I pre-ordered it, and can't wait to read through it. In fact the photo we discuss on this show triggers a whole chapter in the book. His other titles include "Sketching Light", "The Hot Shoe Diaries", The Moment It Clicks", and "The Face of Ground Zero". The latter is based on Joe's "Faces of Ground Zero, Portraits of the Heroes of September 11, 2001 Collection", which consists of 246 Giant Polaroids - life-size photos (9' x 4') shot during a three-week period shortly after September 11, 2001, with additional images shot in 2002.
I mentioned above my experience watching Joe give a Keynote at PhotoshopWorld a few years ago. Joe McNally is hands down the best I have ever seen. I don't know how to even begin to describe his speaking and teaching ability. All I can do is suggest that, given the opportunity, you don't miss him on stage. Be sure to check out his classes too, like The Language of Light class mentioned above, or through places like KelbyOne and CreativeLive. I can only imagine how great his live workshops are, and,
David Bergman is a legend in the world of concert photography, and he is someone I have looked up to for a long time. That may be the best summary of David I can come up with, that I am a fan, and honored to call him a friend.
For those not aware of David's work, David is a New York based commercial photographer and photo educator who specializes in action, music and portraiture photographer. David is one of the rare talents that can pull off any genre of photography. He is also a world class educator, something I don't want to bury down in paragraph seven somewhere. I will go into detail there, but it needs to be stated early on in this discussion. His education talent, his ability to truly understand the art of photography and be able to teach it to others is front and center to who David is.
David has been on the show twice before, first back on Episode 48 for "Composition, Creativity, and Workflow", and then as a guest on Image Critique #9. For that first show, I knew most people would expect a live music image, since David is the current tour photographer for country super star Luke Combs and is well know for being Bon Jovi's tour photographer. I didn't want to be that predictable however, so we chose an image he shot for Canon USA, knowing full well I would need to get him back on one day to talk music photography.
As I mentioned above, David's current running tour gig is as the photographer for Luke Combs, one of the most successful country artists working today. As the official tour photographer for Bon Jovi and Luke Combs, he has documented bands on stage and on the road in more than 30 countries. He has also toured with Barenaked Ladies and Gloria Estefan, and has worked with Avril Lavigne and Joss Stone. David has also done a lot of celebrity work, for the likes of Drew Carey and others. All of this adds up to David being one of the top photographers working in the entertainment space today, and to David being in the rare class of photographers known as Canon Explorers of Light.
One of the things he is best known for is being a pioneer of the GigaPan technique for making very high resolution images, and his Gigapan of President Obama's first inaugural speech was viewed by more than 30 million people. His 20,000 megapixel image of Yankee Stadium was printed at 130 feet wide and displayed at the Canon Expo in 2015, a technique he has also used for commercial clients including NBC and MLB.com. David at times seems to be able to do anything with a camera.
Hopefully you're starting to see what I meant when I mentioned his level of talent. Before moving to New York City in 2001, he was a photojournalist on staff at The Miami Herald and covered news and sporting events around the world. Moving from being a staff photographer to where he is today has been an interesting path. David has had 13 Sports Illustrated covers, including his image of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees raising his son over his head after winning the Super Bowl. He has covered multiple Olympics, World Series, Super Bowls, NBA and NCAA championships, and Stanley Cup Finals.
That brings us to the education side of David. I would argue that this is where David shines. He stars in and produces a show for AdoramaTV called "Ask David Bergman", which I would argue may be the best photography tutorial series there is. Short, straight to the point answers to questions that matter. He is also a sought after speaker, having done workshops and seminars for Canon, Apple, Adorama, Best Buy, and Columbia University.
Deserving of it's own paragraph here are David's Shoot From the Pit workshops. These in-person workshops are amazing, and I know because I took one this past year. Shoot From the Pit is a chance to learn how to photograph concerts from David Bergman. It's starts early in the day with David doing a multi-hour presentation. He shares everything you need to know about shooting photos at a concert - the gear, the settings,
I have the feeling that Sam Abell has more stories than almost any photographer you know. Thirty-four years as a staff and contract photographer at National Geographic tends to have that effect.
Sam is an Ohio based teacher, artist, and photographer. I would argue that his magic is that those three skills merge to create, in Sam, the perfect storyteller. His story started like many of my guests, learning photography from his father.
It was after graduating from the University of Kentucky that Sam went to work for Nat Geo. That in and of itself is an accomplishment. Lots of up-and-coming photographers dream of being a Nat Geo photographer, but the odds of having that dream come true aren't ones I would bet on. For Sam however, it was a career that fit perfectly with his work. Having read, and listened to a few interviews with Sam, it's amazing to hear about his process. When he describes some photos taking minutes, and other 1.5 years to make, you start to understand... Sam makes photos in his head, often long before the photo is actually made.
Sam has taken so many iconic images, including one for the Marlboro Man campaign that was famously appropriated by Richard Prince - and Sam's thoughts about being on his side of that situation have been widely covered. I won't be going into that in this show.
As a Canon Legend, Sam is one of the elite photographers working today, and if you are going to attend a workshop I'd guess you could learn a ton from Mr. Abell. Links to all of his upcoming workshops are at his website here.
Sam has authored a number of books too, but at the time of this show they are all sold out. Watch his site for any updates on that.
Join Canon Legend, and National Geographic legend, Sam Abell and me as we discuss how the parts of an image work together to build the power of the final photograph, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Sam Website: samabell.com Instagram: @samabellteacher Sam's Workshops Nobechi Creative: nobechicreative.com Santa Fe Workshops : santafeworkshops.com Pacific Northwest Art School: pacificnorthwestartschool.org Maine Media Workshops: mainemedia.edu Los Angelas Center of Photography: lacphoto.org Sam's Photographer Pick Alex Webb: magnumphotos.com
Sam's Keynote Slides Used in the Show
I have followed Zack Whitford on Instagram for as long as I can remember, in fact I think he was one of the first I followed after joining Instagram. You know how you have photographers whose work you like because it makes you feel an emotion, just makes you smile? Well, Zack is one of those photographers whose work speaks to me on multiple levels.
His images span from travel and humanitarian, to rock stars and red carpets, and all of it, every single image, makes me stop. For some, I just love the moment he's captured, while for others I find myself dissecting the angle, the light, and the subject on a deeper level.
As a music photographer, my first introduction to Zack was his work as the tour photographer for Aerosmith. His dad is Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford, and I'd say that Zack's talent with a camera is equal to that of his dad's with a guitar. Whether the creativity gene is an inherited trait or not, Zack has it.
If you stop after calling Zack a music photographer then you've missed the point. Zack is a documentary, commercial, event & music photographer. His website has portfolios for Street, Music, Portrait, and Lifestyle and his work has been seen in Vanity Fair, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Vogue, Rolling Stone, GQ, Billboard Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and People Magazine to name a few.
There is a quote in his bio, where he is talking about training to be a stage actor when he was younger. His acting teacher said something that, looking back now, seemingly changed his life. "As actors, you are investigators of humanity" The way Zack tells it, that statement made him realize that he had a fascination with "seeking out the contrasting emotional moments that occur within ourselves, and between one another: The monumental disquiet that we work so diligently to mask, and the allure of human triumph".
Read that again... "The monumental disquiet that we work so diligently to mask, and the allure of human triumph". Wow. I love that. That. Is. Deep. Now, contrast that with an interview I found of Zack with HuffPost where he says at one point " Most people love dogs. I'm not really interested in people who don't like dogs". I agree with him on that!
The problem, from a podcast point-of-view, when setting up an episode with someone like Zack is picking the photo we break-down. It wasn't easy but, luckily, Zack was patient with me. Of the image we settled on, Zack said "that’s one of my personal favorites, and the story behind it is good", so as I am writing this I am really looking forward to sitting down and chatting with L.A.based photographer Zack Whitford.
Join photographer Zack Whitford and me as we discuss his life as tour photographer, his humanitarian work, and his beautiful black & white image of Steven Tyler and Amiee Preston in the rain, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Zack Website: zwhitford.com Instagram: @zack.whitford Facebook: @zwhitford Twitter: @zwhitford Vimeo: @zwhitford Zack's Photographer Picks Kes Glozier: @kesglozier Ryan Muirhead: ryanmuirhead.com Alan Schaller: alanschaller.com
Usually, I struggle when I write these. To start with, I'm not a writer, but more importantly I want each post to convey to you how much I admire the guest I am writing about. Today however, I gained inspiration from my guest, Leah Horstman.
Leah is someone I have followed on Instagram for a long time, and a prime example of when Instagram helps me find new creatives to follow. She was a music photographer whose work I admired, so following her @lah_rockshots accounts was a given, but then the unexpected happened. I saw her @lahorstman account that focuses on her landscape and commercial work.
I want to talk about something Leah said to me that reminded me of something I mention on this show a lot, but let's back up first. Leah Horstman learned to love photography from her father, who was an avid travel photographer, and who gave her a Minolta XRT101 at age 14. She studied photography in High School, and had a photo of Half Dome published in 1980. After college things changed. Leah traded the photographer life for horses. She competed in the event of "Cutting", and even won a few world titles. Unfortunately, due to an illness, that life came to an end too. But, as he had done years before, Leah's dad once again suggested that she pick up a camera.
I think her dad might have known how good she was, because just a few years later Leah entered the Nature Conservancy’s Annual Photo Contest - along with over 17,000 others that year. Her image “Xmas on the Merced” won the grand prize, and was named their “photo of the year”. That image went on to hang in the San Diego Natural History Museum too.
It seems that Leah was destined to get a lot of these awards. In 2018 National Geographic emailed her to say they were interested in her image of a longhorn steer in Gainesville TX titled “Quintessential Texas”. Seems they were working on an article about the history of Texas and felt this image would make a great addition to the piece. Her image “Ice Climber” won the International SD Photo exhibition’s Best of Show in 2019, and recently she was published in the Harper Collin’s pocket book, “Canada”.
Leah's day job is working for Professionals Choice, a company that manufactures horse products. Her years of riding gives her a unique eye for the timing and composition needed for horse events. This is where her love of these two worlds collide, and while her horse riding competition days may be in the past, she was recently asked by 37X World Champion Bob Avila to take the portrait of him that is now hanging in the AQHA Hall of Fame for his 2021 induction. It's almost as though life guides us to where we belong.
Her commercial work has led to her working with "Buggy Whip", which still requires timing, but for dune buggies instead of horses. That connection led to her working with NASCAR driver Kyle Bush.
Leah's path through photography is exactly as we often hear it described... do the work, and make the relationships. Be the person clients know they can call on and trust, and the the work will find you.
Speaking of relationships, I mentioned that I originally found Leah because of her music photography. That came about because of someone she was dating that was in a band.
And this brings us to that thing Leah said to me that I mentioned above. While picking the image for this episode we were mostly looking at her horse images when Leah said she had an idea. She suggested we could touch on "not being afraid of shooting iconic spots... just do[ing] it in your own style and put[ting] your own twist on it". That resonated with me.
If you have listened to Behind the Shot for any length of time you might have heard me use the phrase "photographic voice", or "creative voice" for those in areas other than photography. I firmly believe that when people talk about find their "style" that what they really need is to find their voice. Style, to me at least, leans towards the processing side of creativity.
Trying to write a post about Ryszard Horowitz has proven to be tougher than I had imagined. Ryszard Horowitz is a legend, literally. His life, and his journey through the art of photography, is almost impossible to distill down to a blog post. There is simply no way I do him, and his legacy, justice here. Still, I will try...
Ryszard Horowitz was born in Krakow, Poland four months before the Nazis invaded his homeland, and his entire family ended up being sent to a series of concentration camps. Miraculously, they survived, and at the war's end they were amongst the few Jewish families who were able to re-establish their lives in Krakow. Ryszard is one of the youngest known survivors of Auschwitz, and to be listed on Schindler's list.
His path to becoming the artist that he is started with studying art at the High School of Fine Arts in Krakow, before going on to mjor in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1956, when the government awarded subsidies to encourage new and original art forms, Krakow emerged as a center of avant-garde jazz, painting, theater and filmmaking. Ryszard, who was seventeen at the time, took full advantage of being at the heart of the action and consequently became fascinated with American photography.
In 1959, he finally achieved his ambition of immigrating to the United States and enrolled at New York's famed Pratt Institute. While still a student at Pratt he was given a scholarship to be apprenticed to Alexey Brodovitch, one of the most influential figures in the world of editorial design and photography at the time. In 1967, having worked for a number of film and design companies and as an art director for Grey Advertising, he opened his own photography studio. Photography would be his lifelong career and passion.
Ryszard's work has been exhibited, published and collected around the globe, and he has been awarded every major accolade that can be bestowed on a photographer. Take a few minutes to scroll through the list on his Bio page, it's amazing. His awards include the Gloria Artis Gold Medal of Merit to Culture Awarded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Poland, and Doctor Honoris Causa Awarded by Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. As a music photographer, his images of American jazz legends like Dave Brubeck, Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington, Thelonios Monk, Count Basie, and Louie Armstrong are amazing. His creative works, in both analog and digital will blow your mind.
He is recognized as a pioneer of special effects photography predating digital imaging - yes, before digital and photoshop - using techniques such as darkroom retouching, multiple film exposures and manipulation of his camera. His complex photographic composites have been compared to the surrealist artworks of Magritte and Dalí. A former Canon Explorer of Light, Ryszard is a current member of Canon Legends, and he was inducted to the International Photography Hall of Fame in November 2017. Go look at the names in the Hall of Fame... Ryszard is one of the best to ever practice this art.
Join International Photography Hall of Fame Inductee, and Canon Legends member, Ryszard Horowitz and me as we chat about his life, his photography, and his complex photographic composites, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Ryszard Website: ryszardhorowitz.com Facebook: @RyszardHorowitzStudio Instagram: @ryszardhorowitz_studio International Photography Hall of Fame Inductees of Photography: iphf.org Documentary on Roman Polański and Ryszard Horowitz Polański, Horowitz. Hometown: imdb.com Ryszard's Books PHOTOCOMPOSER, 2009 All That Jazz , 2012 Ryszard's Photographer Picks Yasuhiro Wakabayashi: wikipedia.org Irving Penn: irvingpenn.org Richard Avedon: avedonfoundation.org Behind-the-Scenes Video Allegory: YouTube.com
Behind-the-Scenes Photos
If you've been watching the show for a while then you may have seen the "Aurora and the Night Sky" episode with Dave Williams. Dave is a travel photographer, based out of London, and one of the most adventurous people I know. More on that in a minute.
I met Dave by chance a few years ago at Photoshop World. I was interviewing people in a hallway when I asked two people walking by if I could ask them some questions (they kindly said yes). What I didn't realize at the time is that it was Dave Williams and Sian Elizabeth. Before this chance meeting I was aware of Dave Williams, due to his work with KelbyOne, but I really didn't know it was him when I asked for that interview, until noticed his instructor badge. Since that time I have gotten to know Dave a bit better, and have even had the pleasure of hanging out with him at a Platypod dinner. He is one of the most knowledgable guys in the business, and yet one of the most humble.
Dave's mantra is, ‘lend me your eyes and I’ll show you what I see’. I like that saying, and it sums up his work well. Dave's images take you places, and make you feel like you're there, and that work has been featured in publications and campaigns for clients including Time, National Geographic, Forbes, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, Triumph, Conde Nast, and Shell to name a few. He also works closely with several companies within the photography and travel industries, including Platypod, Wandrd, Litra, Drobo, Blackrapid, Passion Passport, and Lonely Planet.
You can find Dave's tutorials and writings in various places, and I have the links below, but many will know him the same way I did, his classes at KelbyOne, along with his writings for Photoshop User Magazine and ScottKelby.com, and through Photoshop World. He also writes writes journalistic and inspirational articles for DIY Photography.
Since that last episode, Dave's life has changed a bit. He now lives in a van he calls "Kofifernweh", and this is not a 'normal' van. Seriously, this thing is insane - you can read about it here, and take a tour of it here. While living in this van, Dave is traveling, and photographing, and writing, and doing a cool new series called Due North.
Due North is a series documenting his winter mission to hit as many Nordic countries as possible. You get to follow along with Dave as he drives through some of the most photographic landscapes in the world. You can catch the show over on his YouTube channel.
I'm so glad Dave has found the time to come back on the show, and for this episode we will be talking about his image of the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct. This location, and the old trains that travel it, has been seen in four Harry Potter movies, The Crown, and in many other shows and movies.
Join traveling photographer Dave Williams and me as we chat about his life in a van, and as we discuss his image of the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Dave Website: idavewilliams.com Facebook: @idavewilliams Twitter: @idavewilliams Instagram: @idavewilliams YouTube: @idavewilliams Dave's Due North Series YouTube.com KelbyOne Dave Williams on KelbyOne Dave's Aurora Book Amazon: The Complete Aurora Guide: for Travelers and Photographers Dave on DIY Photography diyphotography.net Dave's Photographer Pick Kersten Luts: kerstenluts.com Sian Elizabeth (Mentioned during the show) Portfolio: sianelizabeth.co.uk
I first met Australian music photographer Michelle G Hunder when she was a guest on the Sunday Night Photographer Hangouts I used to do with Adam Elmakias. We had such great time on those shows. After hanging out with Michelle there, I started watching her Twitch channel, where she does everything from workshops and viewer challenges, to interviews with some amazing photographers.
As big as Michelle is on Twitch, it's her photography that has gotten her where she is today, and the designation as an official Nikon Z Creator. Michelle is a sought after creative, and has two separate portrait series in the National Sound and Film Archive of Australia.
In 2015 she released her photography book "RISE", a detailed insight of her personal journey into the world of Australian Hip-Hop, and that in turn led to a successful career photographing both live performances and portrait images, used for press, publicity and album covers.
She has been the tour photographer for Ruel and Seth Sentry & Illy, and she was the Official Festival Photographer for "Come Together" at Sydney's iconic Big Top at Luna Park for 4 consecutive years.
We have discussed personal projects on Behind the Shot before, but Michelle's personal project "Her Sound, Her Story", celebrating Women in Australian Music, across all genres, took it to another level. Along with her with her project partner Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore, she worked with over 80 women, both artists and behind the scenes in the music industry, across all genres, shooting portraits and interviews for this highly ambitious project. The full length documentary of "Her Sound, Her Story" premiered with huge industry acclaim in May of 2018.
Recently, Michelle has entered the world of podcasting, along with her co-host and friend Tammy "Tamma" Martin, for the show "You're Killing It".
One of my favorite things about Michelle is her passion for the art and business of music photography. I'm a firm believer in helping other learn the ropes, and Michelle is helping the industry too. If you want to learn more about being a professional music photographer, Michelle has created an Online Masterclass that goes through the different pathways to shooting both small and major shows. She covers everything from building a portfolio, to charging for your work.
Join music photographer, and Nikon Z Creator, Michelle G Hunder and me as we chat about her life in Australia's music photography scene, and as we explore her techniques for blurring the lines of creativity, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Michelle Website: michellegracehunder.com Masterclass: mghmasterclass.com Twitch: @michelleghunder Instagram: @michelleghunder Facebook: @michellegracehunder Twitter: @michelleghunder Michelle's Documentary "Her Sound, Her Story": hersoundherstory.com Michelle's Podcast, with her friend Tammy "Tamma" Martin You're Killing It: acast.com Michelle's Photographer Pick Gabrielle Clement: @gxbriellemxry
The Canon EOS R3 looks to be a beast of a camera. Like so many others, I want this camera, and like 99% of those people I won't be buying one. Why? Because the Canon EOS R3 is for people like Jeff Cable. Ok, also because it's more than I can afford for what I shoot, and yes, I would buy it in an instant if I could, but for now I am sticking with the not buying it.
So, why do I say it's for people like Jeff Cable? Jeff is the market this camera is made for. I won't go through all the specs here, but let's just say that when you are photographing the Olympics for Team USA you cant miss the shot.
We knew Jeff was using an R3 at the Olympics, it was semi-public knowledge. Plus, Jeff was posting images to his blog and Instagram, and as DPReview mentioned here, some Canon Rumors forum members checked Jeff's meta data where they saw was something that had not been revealed by Canon, that the R3 was 24MP. When I saw Jeff mention on Instagram that he was shooting at the Olympics at 30 fps my brain stopped for a moment. That instantly meant he was using the electronic shutter... FOR SPORTS. This has usually be something to avoid due to rolling shutter effect. If you are not familiar with that issue, here's a great video by the legend David Bergman on his Ask David Bergman: Mechanical vs Electronic Shutter. I asked Jeff in an Instagram comment about using electronic shutter for sports, and his response was a cryptic "it depends what body" he is using. Ah Ha! The R3 solved the issue! It has a fast enough read speed to shoot 30fps for action, and that is amazing.
I asked Jeff that day if he might be willing to come back on the show - he was on before on the episode Capture the Action - to talk about his real world experiences with this new Canon R3. Luckily he said yes, and he even wrote a blog post about it too: Finally - my real world review of the new Canon R3 camera!
Now that we have the idea where this show might go, let me introduce you to my friend Jeff Cable...
Photographing the Olympics has got to be the pinnacle of a sports photographer's career, and for Jeff Cable it's one he's reached many times, having photographed the last 7 Olympics for Team USA.
I am always amazed by how many photographers either come from, or are in some way involved with, the tech industry. For more than 25 years, Jeff was a marketing executive at companies like Symantec, Magellan, and Micron, but while traveling the world for his corporate job, his interest and passion for photography grew quickly. He left the corporate world in 2016 to dedicate himself full-time to his photography.
Since then, Jeff has earned respect around the globe for his creative images, and for sharing his love of photography with others. He's best known for capturing photos for the US Olympic Committee, photographing the last six Olympic games, in Beijing, Vancouver, London, Sochi, Rio de Janeiro, and PyeongChang.
As an educator, Jeff also leads photo tours where he teaches photo enthusiasts and professionals around the world. He has taught in Africa, Australia, China, Europe, Central and South America, and across the United States. He is one of the most watched and respected instructors of photography, with millions of views of his free online photography classes.
Join me as I chat with Jeff Cable, one of the most accomplished sports photographers working today, about his real world experience at this year's Olympics with a pre-production Canon EOS R3, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Jeff's Real World Review of the Canon R3 Jeff's Blog: blog.jeffcable.com Connect with Jeff Website: jeffcable.com Blog: blog.jeffcable.com Instagram: @jeffcablephotography Facebook: @jeffcablephoto Twitter: @jcable12 YouTube: @jcable1234 Jeff's Photographer Pick Chris McLennan: chrismclennanphotography.com Peanut Butter Whiskey Mentioned by Jeff Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey: skrewballwhiskey.com
Periodically I get a guest on Behind the Shot that makes me nervous. This episode is one of those moments. Wish me luck... David Hume Kennerly is a legend. In fact, I would wager money that other 'legends' look to David Hume Kennerly as the standard by which they are judged. All of that is to say that there is no 'starting point' when trying to explain the photojournalist David Hume Kennerly. Still, the blog is here, and I have to start somewhere. Travel with me back to 1972... (insert way back machine sounds here) David was awarded the 1972 Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Featured Photography, with a winning portfolio that included Ali being knocked down in the 15th round during the Ali v. Frazier “Fight of the Century,” images of the Vietnam and Cambodia wars, and refugees escaping into India from East Pakistan. David was just 25 at the time. Two years later, at just 27, he was appointed President Gerald R. Ford's Personal White House Photographer, the third person to have that job. Again, I have to stress this, by the time David was 27 he'd seen and documented more history that most of us learn in school.
In the years since, David has photographed U.S. presidents from Johnson to Biden, and covered thirteen presidential campaigns. He was a Newsweek magazine contributing editor for ten years, and a contributing photographer for Time & Life and George magazines.
American Photo named Kennerly “One of the 100 Most Important People in Photography.” Washingtonian Magazine called him "One of the 50 most important journalists in Washington, DC".
That is David Hume Kennerly. One of the most important photographers ever, and his TedX talk has a title that really sums it up: Telling the Story in 1/60th of a Second As an author, David is just as successful. Kennerly has published several books of his work, Shooter, Photo Op, Seinoff: The Final Days of Seinfeld, Photo du Jour, Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford, and David Hume Kennerly On the iPhone. He was also a major contributor to the CNN 2016 book, Unprecedented: The Election that Changed Everything. His exclusive portrait of Trump is on the cover.
He was executive producer of The Spymasters, a 2015 CBS/Showtime documentary about the directors of the CIA. He also produced The Presidents’ Gatekeepers, a four-hour Discovery Channel film about White House chiefs of staff. Kennerly was nominated for a Primetime Emmy as executive producer of NBC’s, The Taking of Flight 847, and was the writer and executive producer of a two-hour NBC pilot filmed in Thailand, Shooter, starring Helen Hunt. Shooter, based on Kennerly’s Vietnam experiences, won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography.
In 2019 The University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography acquired the David Hume Kennerly Archive that features almost a million images, prints, objects, memorabilia, correspondence and documents. University President Dr. Robert C. Robbins appointed Kennerly as the university’s first Presidential Scholar.
When trying to pick an image for this show I lost over an hour browsing through David's site, specifically his 'Greatest Hits' gallery. The image of U.S. President Gerald Ford at the desk in the Oval Office, feet up is amazing. This was the day after he became president, August 10, 1974, and the bookshelves are empty because Nixon's things had been removed, but Ford's memorabilia had yet to arrive, due to the suddenness of the transition. The image of Mohammed Ali being knocked down in the 15th round at Madison Square Garden by Joe Frazier was part of Kennerly's Pulitzer Prize-winning portfolio. Then there was "The Hug", an image where Michelle Obama is hugging former president George W. Bush. Picking one image was hard, but with David's help we found the shot.
There is a quote on David's website from James Earl Jones that wraps up David's career perfectly: “David Hume Kennerly is like Forrest Gump, except he was really there.”
To introduce the guest on this show I'd like to start by giving a bit of background...
The first time I met Troy Miller I was doing a presentation at a local photo group, Inland Empire Professional Photographers and Videographers. I had never been involved in groups like IEPPV, but they had asked me to speak at one of their monthly meetings. The way it was explained to me, after years of having landscape, wedding, and portrait photographers speak, was that they wanted something different. As a music photographer, I knew most of the people there would have no connection to my genre, but within 5 minutes something odd happened. While I was setting up, someone walking in said "Hi Troy" to me. I assumed they'd simply gotten my name wrong, until it happened again.
Come to find out, Troy Miller was a real person, and like me he always wore a black beanie. These two people though I was Troy. I wouldn't know until later what an amazing compliment that was.
I met Troy later that night and, in all honesty, my life changed at that moment.
Over the years since, Troy has become one of my closest friends, I'd argue... family. That may color my opinions a bit, but much of what I do today has a direct link to Troy.
I ended up joining IEPPV because of that friendship, and ended up on the board. I started entering image competitions, and then judging them, at his suggestion. I was able to speak at the PPC Convention and Expo, because Troy told them about me, and that led to me liking the education side of things so much that I now regularly teach workshops. When I left the old network I was on, I had decided that I was done with podcasting. I was not going to re-launch Behind the Shot on my own. In fact, I had zero desire to manage the backend of a podcast. When I mentioned that to Troy his response was straight to the point... "you have to do it". In fairness, he had to say that about 10 times before I decided to give it a try, but Troy Miller has been encouraging and supportive throughout almost my entire journey in photography. Most importantly, I see images in my head differently than before I met him.
So, why did I need this back story before talking directly about Troy? Because he does this for everyone he knows. He helps, mentors, teaches, and encourages people. He is passionate about photography at a level I am not sure anyone else is.
That brings me to Troy Miller, The Photographer...
Troy is a wedding photographer for a living. Along with his wife Marjorie, they run Imagery Concepts, a successful wedding photography business based in Southern California. He is also a fine art photographer, that loves photographing the world around him. His site spicyjello.com is home to his fire, ice, water, and kelp images, but this is a guy that can shoot anything. I have walked down the Las Vegas strip with him confused at what he's photographing... I actually couldn't "see" what he could. I am baffled at the way he sees light.
Troy is an educator, lecturer, image competition judge and PPA Master Photographer. He has done a few online classes for my old network, This Week in Photo, and recently released his Capture One 21 Complete course for TWiP Pro members. He has also racked up an impressive list of awards:
PPA 2nd Place Grand Imaging Award in Wedding PPA Image Competition Gold Medalist Image chosen to represent the USA in the PPA World Photographic Cup PPC Wedding Photographer of the Year PPC Commercial Photographer of the Year Images in the PPA Loan Collection PPC Expo Digital Café Chair and lecturer IEPPV Wedding Photographer of the Year IEPPV Photographer of the Year
My first introduction to Infrared photography was also through Troy. We were at Photoshop World, and Rick Sammon suggested we all head out to Red Rock the next day. I of course asked "what time", and Rick suggested we pick him up at 4:30am. As a side note, 4:30am is hell to me.
When describing Blair Bunting's photography there are few way to approach it. First of all there is the website bio version, which starts:
"Blair Bunting is an advertising photographer based in Phoenix, Arizona specializing in portraits of professional athletes for commercial sports campaigns."
That's such an understatement, accurate yes, but it doesn't begin to cover what Blair creates. While known for his portraits of athletes for commercial photography, Blair also creates amazing art from subjects ranging from celebrities to trains.
Blair’s career began back in high school with his father teaching him about photography, and early on there was passion for the art. It was his father that gave him his very first camera, a 1972 Nikon F, a piece of history that still sits on Blair’s desk at home.
Blair has had the good fortune to shoot campaigns around the globe for a diversified list of clients that range from television shows shot for The Discovery Channel to athletes photographed for Muscle Milk. That early passion for the art still exists today, and leads to opportunities at every turn. In August of 2008 he decided to have his hand at photographing autos, not out of a quest for work, but in an attempt to create some images to put on his walls… He began shooting for Chevrolet two months later. All of this has led to Blair being named as a Canon Explorer of Light, putting him at the absolute top of his field. That early beginning learning photography from his father, for a career that has seen so much success, is mirrored by a quote from Blair on the Canon Explorer's of Light page:
"I am grateful everyday I can go out and take photos, and I consider myself fortunate to have made photography into a career"
Even with the success and recognition that Blair has received in the photographic world, he still holds true that his most important legacy will be helping other photographers to be successful in their careers. This is one of the many reasons I am so excited to have Blair on the show. Before recording, or even scheduling the show, we chatted on the phone for a bit. The plan was to discuss picking the image we would talk about, but the conversation was about all things photographic, and talking with Blair felt so natural, like we'd known each other for a while.
On set he constantly pushes the idea that everyone is equally important, from the assistant to the photographer. This demeanor and approach towards comfortable shoots has made for clients that return for years. Often describing his own life as, “quite a random existence,” many of his accomplishments have come outside of the photographic field. From being chosen as the honorary commander of a US Air Force fighter squadron to being recognized as an ambassador in the watch industry, his life has been anything but ordinary. However, he says his greatest honor is that of marrying his wife, Erin.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Blair Bunting and me as we discuss how he sculpts with light, his image of boxer Mike Tyson, lighting ratios, and a favorite drink recipe of his, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Blair Website: blairbunting.com Blog: blog.blairbunting.com Instagram: @blair.bunting Facebook: @BlairBuntingPhotographer Twitter: @blairbunting Canon Explorer's of Light: usa.canon.com Blair Around the Internet FStoppers: fstoppers.com Profoto: profoto.com Adorama: adorama.com Blair's Photographer Picks Ami Vitale: amivitale.com Robert Capa: magnumphotos.com/photographer/robert-capa Show Mentioned by Blair The Genius of Photography, Episode 3 - Right Place, Right Time: archive.org Blair's Old Fashioned Recipe Maker's 46 - 3 Shots Carpano Antica Vermouth - 1/2 to 1 Shot Luxardo Cherries Orange Slice Hand Pressed Sugar Muddle it all together
Let's start here... Cliff Mautner’s career in photography spans 38 years. Think about that for a minute... 38 years ago Nikon released the world's first SLR with Matrix Metering, the Nikon FA, and the world's first camera with a 1/250 sec. flash sync speed, the FE2. Man, we've come a long way, and Cliff has been there for all of it.
Cliff's career has included multiple genres. After 15 years and 6000 assignments as a photojournalist with the Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as shooting for an eclectic array of commercial clients ranging from Comcast to Subaru, Cliff launched his wedding photography career. After about 1100 weddings or so, he still brings the same passion and intensity with him to each event with an emphasis on creating authentic moments in some of the most difficult light imaginable. His ability to blend his lifetime of experience in photojournalism and commercial photography with his wedding photography is amazing. Browsing through his portfolio quickly reveals a journalistic approach to capturing his client's most important day.
Experience like Cliff's, and more importantly talent like Cliff's, comes with recognition. Cliff is a very proud Nikon Ambassador to the United States, and an Ambassador for Light & Motion. He was named one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world by American PHOTO magazine, and has received the Nikon WPPI Photographer of the Year award. He has also has been honored with the International Photographic Council Leadership medal at the United Nations, presented with the WPPI Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a two time WPPI Grand Award winner for photojournalism. Like I said.... talent like this gets recognized.
Join Nikon Ambassador, and Light & Motion Ambassador, Cliff Mautner and me as we explore the challenging world of wedding photography, and the art of light painting, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Cliff Website: cmphotography.com Instagram: @cliffmautner Facebook: @CliffMautnerPhotography Facebook Group: Cliff Mautner Education Twitter: @cliffmautner The Lighting and Skillset Bootcamp Website: cmbootcamp.com Nikon Ambassadors: nikonusa.com Light & Motion Collections: lightandmotion.com/collections/camera Ambassadors: lightandmotion.com/blogs/ambassadors Cliff's KelbyOne Classes Website: kelbyone.com Cliff's Photographer Picks Dave Black: daveblackphotography.com Mark Edward Harris: markedwardharris.com Larry Price: larrycprice.com Elliott Erwitt: elliotterwitt.com Diane Arbus: fraenkelgallery.com Sebastião Salgado: icp.org Sebastião Salgado Documentary: The Salt of the Earth
I have writer's block because of my guest.
In fact, describing William Snyder is so difficult that I've been waiting to write this for two days. I'm ready to give it a shot now, but let me say up front that there is little chance I will be able to convey in writing the talent of William Snyder.
Professor William Snyder - yup, he's a professor - is a four-time Pulitzer Prize winning photographer and editor. A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, William returned there 27 years after graduating from the Professional Photography program to chair the Photojournalism program. Now, as the Director of the Advertising Photography Program, he continues teaching, and has been chosen as an RIT Outstanding Alumnus, selected for the The Isaiah Thomas Award in Publishing, and has won the Frank J. Romano Endowed Prize for Publishing Entrepreneurship.
In between his graduating and then returning to RIT in 2008 William had a legendary career in journalism. After a few years at The Miami News, he moved on to The Dallas Morning News. For 15 years he was a staff photographer, winning many top photography awards, including a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism in 1989 (along with a DMN reporter and artist) for their special report on a 1985 airplane crash, the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his pictures of ill and orphaned children living in desperate conditions in Romania and, along with fellow photographer and RIT grad Ken Geiger, the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News photography for their photographic coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Moving up the ranks, Snyder served as the Night Photo Editor, Assignments Editor, Metro/Suburban Photo Editor, and Assistant Director of Photography in the DMN’s aggressive Collin County bureau.
I hope you are starting to see why telling Williams story is difficult.... his career path is amazing.
In 2005 William was named The Morning News’ Director of Photography. In 2006 the DMN staff won numerous awards, including: The Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography for their coverage of Hurricane Katrina; 12 awards in Pictures of the Year International including Photographer of the Year; Four awards in NPPA’s Best Of Photojournalism; and APME Texas Star Photographer of the Year. Again, William Snyder is one hell of a talented photographer, editor, and now professor.
I was lucky enough to meet William during this past year's pandemic. Our mutual friend David Bergman, who's been on the show himself for the episode Composition, Creativity, and Workflow , and who does the Adorama show Ask David Bergman, along with his Shoot From the Pit workshops, has been doing regular Zoom Happy Hours with his friends. Whenever there is someone there I don't know I look them up, and when I looked up William I noticed something that stopped me cold... William is the photographer for the legendary band The Who! Holy crap.
Looking through his music photography I was in awe. It wasn't just The Who, it was every damn band I loved growing up. His book, "Join Together (with the band)" I need to get still, but I will for sure.
With clients like Time Magazine, Life Magazine, Sports illustrated, The Sunday New York Times, USA Today, Holiday Inn and more, I could do more shows with William than perhaps anyone I have ever met. I wanted to start strong, and had every intention of talking about a shot from his storied career with The Who, and then something happened - I saw a photo I knew very well. When I mentioned today's image to William he replied "I have regrets about the situation - I shoulda, coulda, woulda if I had I been really smart", and right then I knew I wanted to know, no, needed to know, what a "really smart" William would have changed.
Join photographer, journalist, editor, educator, professor, and four-time Pulitzer Prize winner William Snyder and me as we dive into what it took to photograph what would become a classic album cover - St...
It's the return of Moose Peterson!
The first time Moose Peterson was on the show I was pretty nervous. Usually I am trying to calm guests that are nervous about being on a show, but this was different. Moose is a legend in every sense of the word. He's a Nikon Ambassador, the recipient of the John Muir Conservation Award, a Research Associate with the Endangered Species Recovery Program, and that's just a partial list. Luckily, my nervousness faded quickly. Moose is such a down-to-earth guy that I was feeling great by the time I hit record.
Shortly after that first show, I was at PhotoshopWorld in Las Vegas and saw Moose at a speakers booth. I decided to say hi in person, but I know that sometimes, at shows like that, speakers of Moose's caliber can be very busy. I was prepared for him to either not remember me, or be too rushed to chat for any length of time, but neither was an issue. Moose remembered me, and we had a great chat about the old warbirds - planes like my Dad flew, like a P40 or a P51D. I grew up with my Dad telling me stories about these classic aircraft.
That conversation is part of the reason I have wanted to have Moose back on the show. He's mostly known for his wildlife, landscape, and nature photography, but Moose is one of the most amazing aviation photographers I have seen. I have had aviation photography on the show before. My friend Scott Dworkin was on for the show "Top Gun Photo Tips", but Moose photographs a totally different kind of aircraft, classic warbirds. He was the creative producer/photographer of his acclaimed film: Warbirds and The Men Who Flew Them, and his images take you back in time. His use of light in this genre is so special.
As an educator he shares his knowledge through his writing, being published in over 143 magazines worldwide, and having authored 29 books. He also lectures across the country to thousands of photographers every year. His current education project is the Moose Peterson Aviation Seminar, and as usual Moose is living on the edge of technology. He will be teaching this seminar both to a live in-person audience, and streaming the seminar at the same time! This seminar is happening just a few days after this show goes live, on July 31, 2021, so act quickly if you're interested in attending.
Join Nikon Ambassador Moose Peterson and me as we take a close look at how he creates his beautiful aviation photos, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Moose Personal: moosepeterson.com Portfolio: moosepeterson.myportfolio.com Aviation: warbirdimages.com Normandy Bound: normandybound.com Facebook: @MoosePeterson Instagram: @MoosePeterson Twitter: @MoosePeterson Moose's Aviation Seminar The Moose Peterson Aviation Seminar: moosepeterson.com
Everybody loves a good meal, and it seems like everybody is posting photos of their food, but when food photography is done right you can seemingly taste it. That's where Freddy Clark comes in, and when he gets his hands on a nice cool adult beverage you will want a drink. Freddy is a New Jersey based beverage and food photographer, and his images will make you hungry and thirsty.
I have been lucky enough to get to know Freddy over the past few years. Rick Sammon suggested him as a guest awhile back, and we did a show on food photography, titled "Tastier Photos". Getting to know Freddy has been somewhat of a flashback for me. I have been in radio for about 40 years. When Freddy was fresh out of college he took that same path, as both an on-air personality and production director. After a decade of radio Freddy made a change, he went into tech, which is weird because I am an I.T. consultant "for a living". The parallels between Freddy and myself keep going. His move to photography came with the birth of his daughter, while for me it was when my son was in high school.
Freddy tried out various photographic genres, including portraiture, landscapes, street photography, and even wedding photography, before finding his passion in food and beverage. Through Santé Beverage & Food Photography Freddy is now living his dream. He has also moved into the education space, teaching for outlets like Princeton Photo Workshops. I did a class for Princeton earlier this year, thanks to an introduction from Freddy.
Along with doing workshops with legends like Rick Sammon, Freddy has also created his own workshops, and his latest is the workshop you may have heard me mention on the show. Freddy can explain it better than me, but the Wanderers Photographic Cultural Experience is designed to be a recurring event. I have described it as an opportunity to experience the people, history, music, and food of a destination city… ALL IN ONE WORKSHOP The first Wanderers Workshop will be Sunday, October 10th, through Thursday, October 14th, 2021 in New Orleans. Freddy will be joined by three other instructors: Ant Pruitt, the host of the Hands on Photography Podcast; Andrew Scrivani, another food and beverage photographer that is a New York Times contributor; and me! This workshop includes a lot, and has very limited space, so check it soon if you are at all interested.
Join food and beverage photographer Freddy Clark and me as we grab a drink and examine the refreshing world of beverage photography on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Freddy Website: freddyclark.photography | santephoto.com Twitter: @santephoto Instagram: @santephoto Freddy's Classes Website: princetonphotoworkshop.com New Orleans Workshop - Wanderers Photographic Cultural Experiences Website: wanderersphoto.com Cookbook with Freddy's Photos on Amazon A Meal for All Seasons: Anton’s at the Swan Freddy's Photographer Pick Rob Grimm: rggphoto.com
Damian Strohmeyer is a Boston based photographer that's just as comfortable photographing a Super Bowl, as he is shooting a portrait. His body of work spans from fast action sports, like The World Series, The World Cup, The Stanley Cup, The Olympics, and 27 Super Bowls, to commercial or editorial work. I have had a lot of world class photographers on this show, and Damian takes that to the next level.
Damian's career is like a highlight reel. Throughout his over 25 years at Sports Illustrated magazine he worked on over 2,000 assignments and produced 72 covers. I thought that was a typo the first time I read it. Having 72 SI covers on its own puts you head and shoulders above your peers. It's no wonder his work is exhibited at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Damian is a member of the exclusive Canon "Explorers of Light" program, a group that includes some of the world's most influential photographers.
I am always fascinated by the common threads in a photographer's portfolio, and in Damian's case I am awe struck by his ability to capture the perfect moment. His sense of photographic timing is some of the best I have seen. While in the midst of a live, fast action moment, he has the ability to seemingly slow the moment down, and allow himself to freeze time with his camera at the perfect instant. It's amazing. As a live music photographer I have to capture these types of fleeting moments regularly, and yet I feel like I'd miss the majority of the same moments Damian captures, were I in that situation.
On the education side of things Damian does group and individual photo lessons, along with various speaking engagements through the Explorers of Light program.
Join photographer, educator, and Canon Explorer of Light Damian Strohmeyer and me as we explore the keys to improving your photographic timing, and discuss his image of a slide into home plate during a game between Oregon State and North Carolina, on this Behind the Shot. Connect with Damian Website: damianstrohmeyer.com Facebook: @damian.strohmeyer Instagram: @damianstroh LinkedIN: @damianstrohmeyer Damian's' Photographer Pick Atiba Jefferson: Atiba Jefferson
St. Louis wedding photographer Sal Cincotta, and his award winning studio, take photography to a level few will ever achieve. Traveling the world to document their client's most cherished moments, Sal and his team push the envelope with every shoot. Don't take my word for it... One Eyeland named Sal the #1 Wedding Photographer in the world!
When I first saw that I wanted to write more about it, but whatever I wrote seemed to fall short. Being named the top in any field is amazing, but number one in the competitive world of wedding photography? Let's just let that speak for itself.
While often referred to as a Wedding Photographer, Sal is just as well respected for his work in Fashion, Headshot, and Senior photography. Sal is a Canon Explorer of Light, putting him in an elite group of creatives. He's also a double Master of WPPI, a PPA Photographic Craftsman, and a PPA Master of Photography. Profoto named Sal a Legend of Light for his outstanding skill and contribution to the American Photographic Community.
When you have a resume like that, your clients tend to match that level. Sal's client list includes Microsoft, Proctor & Gamble, the St. Louis Cardinals, and even photographing President Obama at the White House.
Contributing to the community, as referenced in the Profoto recognition, is a key part of Sal's work. He's an author, educator, and the publisher of Shutter Magazine, a source for cutting edge technical and business insights from leading photographers.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Sal Cincotta and me as we talk about using perspective and composition to create stronger images, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Sal Website: salcincotta.com Facebook: @salcincotta Instagram: @salcincotta Twitter: @salcincotta Shutter Magazine Website: behindtheshutter.com ShutterFest: shutterfest.com Evolve Edits Website: evolveedits.com
One of the best parts of doing this podcast is the never ending inspiration I see from amazing photographic talents. Sometimes, the guests I get on the show are photographers I stumble upon while browsing the web, sometimes they are part of some bigger organization that introduces me to them, and on a rare occasion they are a suggestion from a someone that watches the show. That last one is the case today.
M L Adelman filled out my contact form and wrote: "Please consider interviewing two time Pulitzer Prize winner, Essdras M Suarez. He retired from photojournalism several years ago and is now giving back teaching others to take their photography to the next level. He is a delightful personality and a very giving photog." One look at his website and I knew I needed to get Essdras on the show.
Essdras Suarez is a two-time Pulitzer Prizewinning photojournalist, and being a photojournalist isn't what many people think. In one interview, Essdras explained that "as a newspaper photographer you were expected to wear many hats. In addition to being a photojournalist, you were expected to be a travel photographer, documentary photographer, food and product photographer, and a portrait photographer, among other things".
With that background, he can shoot pretty much anything. If you ask him though, his favorite overall subject is people. It's in that space I think his superpower lies. He has an ability to make that which is normal look extraordinary.
His career has included covering the war in Iraq, the Columbia Shuttle disaster in 2003, a U.S. backed military coup against Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide, the Indonesia Tsunami in 2004, the Gaza Strip Evacuation in 2006, the Newtown Elementary school shooting in 2012, and the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013. Essdras has seen a lot in his over 20 years in the field. He continues to work for outlets such as the Washington Post and ZUMA Press Agency, and his images have been published in publications such as Mother Jones, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Boston Globe, New York Times.
Essdras' list of awards is long, and fully reflects his talent in telling a story in a very special way. This also explains the two Pulitzers.
As a sought after speaker and educator, he now also shares his knowledge with others through his EMS Photo Adventures LLC, where he is focused on creating and leading educationally geared, on-site and virtual custom photo programs including educational webinars, and short- and long-term mentorship programs.
Join photographer, photojournalist, educator, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Essdras Suarez and me as we discuss his captivating image of Islamic Jihadists in Gaza City, and as we chat about the challenges of photojournalism today, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Essdras Website: essdras.com Facebook: @essdras.m.suarez Instagram: @essdras_001 Twitter: @essdrasmsuarez Essdras' Photographer Pick Dominic Chavez: dominicchavez.com
If you're here then I will assume you are, at a minimum, a fan of good photography. Perhaps it interests you as a craft, or an art, or more likely you are a photographer that wants to improve their skill set. That means you and I have something in common. I love the art of photography, the skill it takes to not only freeze a moment in time, but to know what moment to freeze and how best to freeze it. I am constantly trying to learn more about photography, and in that endeavor I watch a lot of videos and read a lot of articles, only to be disappointed in the quality of both the content and the person delivering it. So, when you find someone that consistently delivers fantastic content, and delivers it in a way that it can be understood by photographers of every skill level, that is special. That is Ant Pruitt.
It seems like a recurring theme that an I.T. Pro gets into photography. That describes me, and so many others I know, and I am not entirely sure why it happens. Still, I have an idea. As a geek myself, I often say that if I'd known photography was geeky when I was younger I would have gotten into it way sooner in life - and I wish I had. Photography is tech, and if you don't believe me just check out my friend Don Komarechka's Photo Geek Weekly podcast.
I met Ant because I am a fan of podcasts. The first podcasts I every subscribed to, and some of the ones I still never miss, were This Week in Tech, or TWiT, and MacBreak Weekly. In fact, when I started podcasting my dream was always to be on tech podcasts like those. These are two of the many podcasts on the TWiT network created by 'The Tech Guy' Leo Laporte. Early on it was obvious Leo was into photography. He has a photo segment on his radio show, and when I started taking pictures I used to join in the weekly challenges. Years later the TWiT network started a show called Focus on Photography, and knowing the network I had to check it out. The host was Ant Pruitt, a technology professional-turned photographer, videographer, and content creator. Immediately there was something different, a calmness in the storm that is photography education in the tech age. Over time that show was retired to make way for TWiT's current photography show Hands on Photography, where Ant shares tips, tricks, and techniques that can help creatives at every level. Again, it's hard to describe a show beyond the content, but if I could explain the brilliance of this show it would go to Ant's ability to share knowledge in a way that can be absorbed.
Ant was born and raised in South Carolina, and was an enterprise I.T. pro for more than ten years in North Carolina, where he spent most of his adult life. I don't know if his ability is tied to his Southern Charm, but everything about Ant feels like home, like family. Eventually, he turned his creativity into a small business, providing writing, photography, video, and post-production services. He handled a range of assignments, including portraits, event photography, social media marketing, and interview videos. He also worked as a freelance writer for TechRepublic, covering consumer tech, enterprise IT, and tips for beginner content creators.
A few weeks ago I was editing a show and, having recently had Ant on a Behind the Shot critique show as a panelist, started thinking about the normal Behind the Shot episode he had been on.... except there wasn't one. I emailed him about 30 seconds later to correct that mistake, and here we go...
Join photographer, I.T. pro, writer, blogger, YouTuber, educator and all around creative Ant Pruitt and me as we dive into one of his long exposure images, and the life of being a creative, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Ant Website: antpruitt.com Instagram: @ant_pruitt Twitter: @ant_pruitt YouTube: @antpruitt Hands on Photography Podcast Website: twit.tv Wanderers Photographic Cultural Experiences Workshops - New Orleans Website: wanderersphoto.com
Join Scott Kelby and me on this episode of the Behind the Shot Podcast as we discuss his approach to Travel Photography, and as he shares some tips that can help you improve your photos, no matter what genre you photograph
Join award winning sports photographer, and Canon Explorer of Light Simon Bruty and me as discuss photographing without being heard, and as we take a deep dive into his photograph from the 2020 Master Golf Tournament, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join nautical photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Onne van der Wal and me as we discuss his amazing career photographing out on the ocean, and as we take a closer look behind one of his iconic images, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
I normally start these posts with some lofty statement about my guest's accomplishments, or some other overly deep setup. Not today. Today may be the easiest opening I have ever written...
Vanessa Joy is a joy to work with.
Every email I have received during the planning stages of this show has made me smile because of her email signature. She ends her emails.... "enJoy life". That sums up what you are in for on this episode.
In doing some research on Vanessa another thing stood out to me, her website's About page starts off that page by saying: "Hello! First off, I’m just glad you’re here. Thank you. I could go on about the "history" of me, my awards and publications and my 20+ years in photography, but the truth is I just love marriage and being a part of one of the most important times in my couples’ lives." That is awesome. I owned a DJ business for 18 years, and I was on some of the top referral lists in So Cal. That is to say that I have worked a lot of weddings, with a lot of wedding photographers. That opening statement perfectly says what I always felt when I did a wedding, and what I rarely - if ever - heard from a photographer I worked with. Still, if Vanessa won't list her accomplishments perhaps I can.
There are only five Canon Explorers of Light in the field of Wedding Photography, just five. Vanessa is one of them. On it's own, that's enough of a list, but let me continue...
Vanessa Joy photographs weddings from Austin and Dallas, TX, to New Jersey, New York City, and Manhattan, and of course is sought after for destination weddings. Her style is photojournalistic, and has led to multiple awards. Her work has been seen in The Knot, RangeFinder, Grace Ormonde, Brides, and more. Last time I counted she has 11 classes on CreativeLive, and you can even buy her preset packs. And yes, she's an author, with her book "The Off-Camera Flash Handbook: 32 Scenarios for Creating Beautiful Light and Stunning Photographs" available now.
Let's just say that Vanessa Joy is at the top of the wedding photography game, and I am so glad to have her on the show.
Please join Canon Explorer of Light Vanessa Joy and me as we jump head first into the wonderful world of Wedding Photography, while discussing this beautiful image of a bride framed by her veil, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Vanessa Website: vanessajoy.com Website for Photographers: breatheyourpassion.com Blog: vanessajoyphotographyblog.com Twitter: @vanessa__joy Instagram: @vanessajoy Facebook: @VJoyPhoto YouTube: @vanessajoy Vanessa's Book Amazon: The Off-Camera Flash Handbook: 32 Scenarios for Creating Beautiful Light and Stunning Photographs Vanessa's Secrets To Perfect Poses Speed Posing Course: speedposing.com Free Guide: Posing Inspiration Guide Vanessa's Photographer Picks Steven Kramer: kramerportraits.net Seth Miranda: lastxwitness.com
Please join Lensrentals Founder Roger Cicala, co-owner Drew Cicala, and me as we chat about all things gear rental. We'll discuss the process, benefits, misconceptions, use cases for renting gear and more. We even take a look at some of the strange things they have found inside returned lenses, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Please join Canon Explorer of Light, headshot specialist, PsyPhotologist, author, and entrepreneur Peter Hurley, his guest (and the subject of today's photo) actor and singer Marina Pires, and me as we talk about all things headshots, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
On occasion I have a guest on Behind the Shot I find hard to describe. With SanDisk Extreme Team members Jonathan and Angela Scott that is not the case. In fact I have so much I want to say that I'm worried I will end up with a novel.
I first learned of Jonathan and Angela through Rick Sammon, and in fact Rick has sent me a number of emails over the years telling me I need to get The Big Cat People on the show. Well, it's finally happened, and I couldn't be more excited to have Jonathan join me on this show.
Jonathan and Angela Scott are award-winning wildlife photographers and authors who have made their name documenting the lives of lions, leopards and cheetahs in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Over the past 40 years, they have recorded every aspect of their existence and their travels through their stunning wildlife photography.
The only couple to have won the Overall Award in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition as individuals, Jonathan and Angela are two of the best wildlife photographer working today. They have written and illustrated 34 books, including their Sacred Nature: Life’s Eternal Dance (HPH) that won the Gold Award for Photography in the prestigious Independent Publishers Book Awards, 2017. They hope to publish the second volume, titled Sacred Nature Volume 2: Reconnecting People to Our Planet, in early 2021.
Jonathan is the presenter of the popular BBC/Animal Planet wildlife television program Big Cat Diary and has been featured in many other documentaries including two series of Elephant Diaries, and Big Bear Diary. He presented The Truth About Lions for BBC2 in 2011. Their latest TV show, currently on Animal Planet and Discovery, is Big Cat Tales.
In addition to their artistry, Jonathan & Angela have also committed their lives to fighting for wildlife conservation. They are currently founding their own non-profit organization, The Sacred Nature Initiative (SNI). This initiative aims to Inspire, Educate, and Conserve, by forging meaningful partnerships with educators and local conservation organizations worldwide to address the loss of wilderness and plight of endangered species.
There is a Kickstarter campaign running from February 2 to February 28, 2021 for the new book, Sacred Nature Volume 2: Reconnecting People to Our Planet, that will also help benefit The Sacred Nature Initiative. I have seen some previews of this book, and at 14" x 11", with 288 pages and 140 images, this is going to be pretty awesome.
Join The Big Cat Man, Jonathan Scott, and me as we chat about photographing in the Maasai Mara, the ethical considerations related to wildlife photography, and more, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Jonathan and Angela Website: bigcatpeople.com Instagram: @thebigcatpeople Facebook: @JonathanAngelaScott YouTube: @thebigcatpeople Kickstarter Sacred Nature Volume 2: Reconnecting People to Our Planet The Sacred Nature Initiative bigcatpeople.com/sacred-nature Jonathan & Angela's Photo Safaris c4photosafaris.com Fine Art Prints bigcatpeople.com/prints Jonathan's Photographer Pick Vincent Munier
Join Canon Explorer of Light Rick Sammon and me as we take a closer look at one of his iconic portraits, taken in Death Valley, and as we explore his inspiring world of Sammonisms, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join wildlife photographer, and Canon Explorer of Light, Charles Glatzer and me as chat about how you can improve your wildlife photography, and as we do a deep dive into his "once in a lifetime" image of a bobcat dragging it's prey through the snow, on the episode of Behind the Shot.
A photographer whose publication credits include National Geographic Books, Time, Life Magazine, National Wildlife Federation, Audubon, Sierra Club, and Disney is someone I want to learn from, and in this case, that's Adam Jones.
Adam is a photographer that has been internationally recognized for his nature, travel, and wildlife images. Jones’s award-winning photography has been widely published in magazines, posters, calendars, and books, including nine coffee-table books. With images used in national advertising campaigns for clients such as Canon, Ford, Eddie Bauer, Miller Beer and Honda, it's no wonder Adam is in the rare group of artists known as Canon Explorers of Light.
Adam is also recognized worldwide as an outstanding stock photographer, with his images represented by Getty Images, and Danita Delimont Stock Photography. His work has sold for editorial and commercial uses in over 30 countries.
In 1995 the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest selected Adam’s image, from over 19,000 entries, as the winner in the “In Praise of Plants” category.
All of this experience, combined with Adam's enthusiasm for photography, has led to Adam being a popular and highly respected workshop leader and speaker at photography workshops around the world, helping students reach their full potential in the exciting world of digital photography.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Adam Jones and me as we take a deep dive into how he made this amazing landscape, and discuss ways to improve your reflection photos, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Adam Website: adamjonesphoto.com Workshops: adamjonesphoto.com Instagram: @adam_jones_photo Facebook: facebook.com Twitter: @AdamsCamera Adam's Photographer Picks Art Wolfe: artwolfe.com John Shaw: johnshawphoto.com
Join photographer, voice, and purveyor of awesomeness Karen Hutton and me as we chat about how she made her image "Forest of Enlightenment", and explore her world of creativity, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join photographer, educator, speaker, and mentor Ron Clifford and me as discuss his beautiful B&W portrait, that he calls "The Baptism", on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join retired Navy SEAL, motivational speaker, author, and photographer, Darren McBurnett and me as we discuss his book "Uncommon Grit", his photographic style, and one of the amazing images from the book on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Canon Explorer of Light, and master of capturing the perfect moment, Atiba Jefferson and me as we discuss moment, style, and more on this episode of Behind the Shot.
I am so honored to have the talented self-portrait artist Lizzy Gadd join me to discuss how she made this image, which my wife calls "Reflections in Beauty", on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join toy photographer extraordinaire Mitchel Wu and me as we take a deep dive into his playful image "Duke and Forky" on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Joel Grimes and me as we chat about how you can elevate you lighting skillset, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join photographer and podcaster Jeff Harmon and me as we dive deep into how captured this 40 image stack of the Milky Way, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join the amazing pet photographer Kaylee Greer and me as we dive into her image of Dobby in the Pemigewasset River, and as we discuss creating pet photos that make a splash, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join SmugMug and Flickr Global Marketing Manager & Head of Ambassador Relations, and wonderful photographer, Alastair Jolly and me as we discuss the current state of online photo sharing, and as we take a look at his amazing use of light for his photo of Loch Achtriochtan, Glencoe, Scotland on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join me and Drew MacCallum, Advisor, Technical Information at Canon USA, as we try to answer some of the common questions related the new Canon EOS R5 and R6, along with the new RF lenses, following the announcement on July 9th, 2020.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Rick Sammon and me as we take a closer look at some of his images taken with the new Canon EOS R6 and new Canon lenses, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Terrell Lloyd and me as we chat about how he gets the unique angles he does while shooting under the high pressure of an NFL football game, on this Behind the Shot.
Join photographer Pia Parolin and me as we chat about her image The Orange Cap, and discuss how to add color, contrast, and motion to your street photography on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join world renowned fashion photographer Lindsay Adler and me as we discuss what it takes to create an amazing commercial fashion image, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Canon Explorer of Light Bob Davis and me as we examine his image of a mother cheetah in pursuit of a steenbok to feed her four cubs, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join me as I chat with one of the most accomplished sports photographers working today about how he captured an amazing image of the a ski jumper, with Olympic Rings as the back drop, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join beauty photographer Erin Holmstead and me as we discuss lightening up your photos with amazing creativity, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
I have never had a photographer like Colin Finlay on this show. I have read his bio so many times today, and yet I am having trouble writing this post because describing him is not easy.
Colin Finlay is one of the foremost documentary photographers and filmmakers in the world. He has has chronicled the human condition with compassion, empathy, and dignity. He has covered war and conflict, disappearing traditions, the environment in both its glory and its devastation, genocide, famine, religious pilgrimage and global cultures. He has circled the globe twenty-seven times, reaching as far as Antarctica, the Arctic Circle and 95 incredible countries in-between.
As far as recognition, Colin has been blessed with many awards and accolades, from Tiffany Crystal Eagles, and Emmy nods to a Knighthood.
As you would expect, when someone is as talented as Colin in one area of creativity they are also gifted in other areas. Colin Finlay is also a multi-instrumental musician, and he uses his photography to create amazing mixed media art pieces. That's where we travel today.
Join photographer and artist Colin Finlay and me as we discuss his amazing career, and how he made this amazing image, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Colin Website: colinfinlay.com Instagram: @colinfinlay Facebook: @colinfinlayphotographer
Join world renowned wedding photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Roberto Valenzuela and me as we discuss his process for creating such amazing artistic wedding images, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join me on this special Behind the Shot as I look back at the 2020 WPPI Conference and Expo, and talk to a few of the attendees.
Join Nikon Ambassador Deborah Sandidge and me as we journey to the Valensole Plateau area of France to talk about long exposures and how to improve your travel photography, and this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Long Exposure, Night Sky, and Abandoned Site photographer and author Ken Lee to discuss the multi-shot image that graces the cover of his new book, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join the amazing photographer Glyn Dewis and me as explore how he made his image of WW II veteran, and MBE recipient Harry Billinge, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join all around creative Jefferson Graham and me as we discuss the benefits of doing a photowalk, and get a few tips, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join food and beverage photographer Freddy Clark and me as we take a deep dive into his photo of an Apple Tarte Tartin, and discuss how to make tastier photos, on this edition of Behind the Shot.
Join renowned travel photographer Dave Williams and me as we chat about capturing not only the Aurora Borealis, but the night sky too, and this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Twyla Jones and me as we jump into the world of family and couples photography, while examining her amazing minimalist portrait of a couple going to bed.
Join world renowned photographer Chris Rainier and me as we discuss documenting other cultures and one of the images from his new book MASK, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join legendary Sports Illustrated photographer Peter Read Miller and me as we take a deep dive into his iconic shot of a flaming arrow lighting the Olympic Cauldron at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.
Join Wedding Photographer Denis Reggie and me as we discuss wedding photojournalism, and take a close look at his iconic image of John Kennedy, Jr. kissing the hand of his bride Carolyn Bessette, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join photographer, writer, educator and podcaster Ibarionex Perello and me as we take a look at how he captures such fun portraits, like the one we discuss in this episode of the wonderful Dick Van Dyke, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join the immensely creative photographer, artist, and photoshop wizard Aaron Nace and me as we discuss the keys to a great composite, how to find your own artistic voice, and how he made his wonderful image "Baxter".
Back in August the Photoshop World Conference hit Las Vegas again for a week of fun, games, workshops and classes. I am really glad I went this year.
For the last few years Photoshop World had called Mandalay Bay home, and this year that changed to The Mirage. The event center there is much more fitting for Photoshop World, with the classes and expo area much closer together.
Starting with the Orientation, presented by Larry Becker this year was a blast. The Keynote was an unexpected special event, as Scott Kelby was surprised by being inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame. He seemed wonderfully surprised, and as moved as can be. My question was "wait.... Scott Kelby wasn't already in the Hall of Fame"? This was well deserved, and way overdue.
The classes hit home for me this year. I have heard people say in the past that felt the classes were not complex, or advanced enough. This year I found the advanced classes I attended, like the masking class from Kristina Sherk, very good. The Lightroom Printing class, taught by Scott Kelby, was exactly what I'd hoped for too. Overall, the education side of this conference was right where it should be, and in this episode I interview a few attendees that seemed to agree with me. One of them had an interesting suggestion for the conference moving forward too.
The expo area was big enough, and well lit, but did feel much smaller this year, which was too bad. I have spent entire days just wander the expo floor talking to people, but that didn't work so well with the smaller booth and vender setups. Still, some of my favorite companies were there, like B&H Photo, Platypod, and more. There were some pretty cool booths setup specifically for photo opportunities too, like Gilmar Smith's prison cells, which were a big hit.
The best of any conference is the networking, and PSW is no exception. I had the opportunity to run into to old friends, hang out with some great talent, and make new friends. If for no other reason go to PSW for the social aspect. Speaking of friends, a big congrats to my buddy Dustin Jack on the Photoshop Guru Award win.
If you have not been to a Photoshop World Conference before, I can recommend it. I had a lot of fun this year, and plan on going back as often as it hits Vegas.,
Join me on this special Behind the Shot as I take a look back at the 2019 Photoshop World Conference in Las Vegas. Links from the Show Photoshop World: photoshopworld.com KelbyOne: kelbyone.com Platypod: platypod.com A few memories from Photoshop World
Join nature and wildlife photographer Juan Pons and me as we discuss photographing wildlife in less than friendly elements, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join adventure sports photographer, educator, and author Andy Day and me as we discuss how he captures the relationship between urban climber and architecture, along with the power of long term photo projects, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Please join me as we try to get a better understanding of printers and paper, along with a review of the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000.
Join photographer David Dewhurst and me as we look at how he captures amazing car images, while they are moving, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join documentary photographer Cheney Orr and me as we take a look at how to tell better visual stories, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join the amazingly talented Trey Ratcliff and me on this episode of Behind the Shot as we discuss documenting Burning Man.
Join wildlife photographer and educator Scott Bourne and me as we take a deep dive into his bird photography by taking a close look how he captured a once-in-a-lifetime Cardinal image, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join "The Godfather of Photography" Rick Sammon and me as we take a photography road trip on the coast of Oregon, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Photographer, artist, and elite retoucher Kelly Robitaille I me as we take a deep dive into her image "Fork You”, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join PhotoshopCAFE's founder, drone photography artist, and educator Colin Smith and me as we venture into HDR drone panos, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join macro photographer Don Komarechka and me as we explore his image "Essence of Reverie", a water droplet refraction image using a small wildflower seed and a flower, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join one of the most talented creators I know, Renee Robyn, and me as we discuss all things compositing, and take a deep dive into one of her amazing images, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join me on this special Behind the Shot as I look back at the 2019 WPPI Conference and Expo, and talk to a few of the key companies.
Join photographer Marco Larousse and me as we take a look at how sometimes a shot you can see in your mind may take a while to find in the camera, and how persistence can pay off.
Join Fine Art Fashion photographer Loise Eisenhart and me as we take a look at her path through photography education and dissect her wonderful abstract image of a fashion model, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join photographer and educator Ian Spanier and me as we take a deep dive into his portrait of actor Jeff Bridges, and talk about classic portrait lighting.
Join acclaimed wildlife photographer Moose Peterson and me as we dive into one of his amazing images of moose roaming in Alaska, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join businessman and photographer Dr. Larry Tiefenbrunn and me as we explore his product photography, and discuss the success and future of Platypod, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Jaz Meadows does some amazing imagery, so join me as I sit down with him to dissect his image of the band AFI (A Fire Inside) entitled "The Wind That Carries Me Away" on this episode of Behind the Shot.
On this episode of Behind the Shot join photographer Karl Erik Vasslag and me as we breakdown his wonderful seaside portrait of Norway - with a replica of Noah's Arc replica in there for fun.
Join Music Photographer Steve Brazill as he takes us on a walkthrough of his Photo Copyright Registration Workflow on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join me as I sit down to chat with Southern California photographer and educator Josh Santeri about one of his creative portraits of the band Fun, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
On this episode of Behind the Shot, I talk with photographer Christie Goodwin about her new book Ed Sheeran: Memories We Made, and discuss how she made this amazing image of Ed at Wembley Stadium.
Join me on this special episode of Behind the Shot as I spend some more time with The Copyright Zone guys, Ed Greenberg and Jack Reznicki to talk about Copyright for Photographers.
I am so happy that legendary photographer Rick Sammon was able to join me for a third time, to discuss some of his travel portraiture on this, my 50th episode, of Behind the Shot.
Join photographer Terry Jack and me as we look into the world of High School sports photography by examining his image from an Edison vs Mater Dei football game.
Join photographer David Bergman and me as we take a deep dive into his portrait of a swimmer for a Canon ad campaign, and as we discuss creativity, cropping, composition, and workflow on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join digital artist Gilmar Smith and me as we take a deep dive into her image Master Chef Kids, an image of her kids cooking with fire, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join creative photographer Kirk Marsh & me on this episode of Behind the Shot as we discuss his image Choosing Emotions, which won him the Photoshop World Best of Show Guru Award of 2018.
Join tech journalist and photographer Andy Ihnatko and me as we take a look at how mobile photography is changing what happens Behind the Shot.
Join photographer and podcaster Frederick Van Johnson and me on this episode of Behind the Shot as we discuss stretching your creativity while examining his image Lorena Banna.
Join Don Komarechka and me as we explore his image "Lady in Green", a macro image of a sweet bee on a cornflower, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Rocket Photographer (that is so cool to say) Erik Kuna and me on this episode of Behind the Shot as we examine one of his amazing launch images.
Join landscape photographer Bryan Hansel and me on this episode of Behind the Shot as we discuss his beautiful image of a cold Minnesota sunrise.
Join me on this episode as we take a look at landscape photography through the eyes of the award-winning cinematographer James Neihouse. Wait until you hear who he teaches cinematography to.
Join photographer, educator, and businessman Chris Smith and me as we discuss the Out of Chicago conference, and his wonderful black & white image “Above the L”, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Join Photographer and Composite Artist James Popsys and me as we discuss his image “Zone 334” – a wonderful composite of the London Underground in the wild. It’s a ride on the Tube on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Erika Thornes is a family portrait, underwater, and event photographer. Today we examine one of her most well know images to get a better sense of how she mastered the art photographing the silhouettes.
Join me on this special Behind the Shot as I look back at the 2018 WPPI Conference and Expo, and talk to a few of the key companies.
Kenna Klosterman is a Seattle-based travel photographer you may know as the host over at CreativeLive. Join Kenna and me as we discuss one of her Cuba images, and explore how to interact with your subjects when traveling.
When I first saw Don Komarechka’s work I felt like I was seeing something special, something I had never seen before. Today he shares his tips with you. It's extreme taco photography on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Valérie Jardin is one of today’s top Street Photographers, and that is saying a lot. Join us on this episode as we discuss the joy of Street Photography, as well as what makes a Street Photography photo great.
I have watched Scott Kelby's videos, read his blog posts, and those on his Guest Blog Wednesdays, and absorbed as much as I could from him. Today we discuss his approach to Fashion Photography, and some tips to help you improve your craft.
In this episode we revisit some of the key moments from the first year of the Behind the Shot podcast, and if you see a show you missed originally be sure to visit the show page and watch the whole episode.
Ben Horne is a Large Format Landscape Photographer... yup, as in as in 8 x 10 film. Join us as we discuss the key elements of a great landscape photo, and explore the challenges of large format color film photography.
I have been testing the Think Tank Photo Spectral 10 shoulder bag for the past few months, and in this video I run through the features I like, along with a few things I would change.
On this episode 'm joined by entertainment, editorial, and advertising photographer Robby Klein is to dissect one of the shots he did of The Band Perry during a Billboard Magazine cover story shoot.
Join Combat Sports photographer Scott Hirano and me as we discuss one of his behind the scenes shots of Conor McGregor following his loss to Floyd Mayweather in what many saw as the Biggest Fight in Combat Sports History.
Join Nashville based music, entertainment, and commercial photographer Brad Moore and I as discuss his image of the band Underoath, and what it's like photographing with tough lighting and extremely limited time.
Brett Stanley is an internationally recognized Australian photographer that specializes in underwater portrait and fine art photography. On this episode we discuss underwater photography, and examine his image “Starlight”.
On this episode of Behind the Shot, viation photographer Scott Dworkin and I take a look at one of his crazy aerial shots, and discuss how he captures all this action while flying.
Join the amazing Trey Ratcliff and me as we discuss his image of the Museum of Evolution in Paris, France entitled “Where Jules Verne would perform experiments on animalkind”. This one is good...
Join music and travel photographer Anthony D’Angio and I as we discuss the difficulties of shooting in the elements of altitude and weather, as we examine his amazing image of the Tengboche Monastery, located at 13,000 feet in the Himalaya.
Join celebrity and entertainment photographer Noam Galai and me on this episode of Behind the Shot as we take a look at how a simple social media post of a selfie made Noam a household face around the world.
Workshops are only as good as the instructor, and the worst guest. Join Rick and me on this episode as we discuss his recent China Workshop, and how you can get the most out of your next workshop.
Jack Reznicki is an internationally renowned commercial people and children photographer that gets travel photos like few others. Join us as we chat his image Indonesia Kids.
Matthias Hombauer finished his Ph.D. in molecular biology, and then he decided to pursue music photography. On this show we discuss what it’s like to be onstage photographing Vintage Trouble in front of 120,000 people!
Join me on this very special episode of Behind the Shot as I spend some time (a lot of time) with The Copyright Zone guys Ed Greenberg and Jack Reznicki discussing copyright for photographers.
PhotoJoseph does it all, podcasts, live YouTube streaming, education, and photography. Join Joseph and I on this show as we discus his image of a Bread Baker in Tbilisi.
Alan Hess is someone I have long looked up to. He literally wrote the book on Concert Photography, but today Alan joins me to discuss an image from the PBR Velocity Tour.
Cole Thompson is a Fine Art photographer that has found his voice. On this show we discuss an image he says is “significant to me for three reasons”. It’s “The Angel Gabriel”, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Recently I had the opportunity to test out the MindShift GearBacklight 26L backpack. In this video I run through the features I liked, along with a few things I’d change.
Paul Ernest is a Visual Storyteller like you may have never seen before. - his tagline is “Every Soul Has a Purpose and Every Purpose Has a Story”. Join Paul and I on this episode of Behind the Shot as we examine his image Onto Your Shore.
Christopher Berry is a Tucson Arizona based creative person, with an out-of-control obsession with technology. On this episode of Behind the Shot as we discuss the difficulties of photographing at Burning Man.
Anya Anti is a self-taught digital artist from Ukraine that creates new worlds with photography. Join us on this episode of Behind the Shot as we discuss her image Moon Thief.
Peter Levshin goes places to photograph I may never go, but and I on this episode of Behind the Shot as we take a look at the making of his image of a Burmese Monk entitled “Praying for the Dead”.
Join award winning photographer Craig Colvin and I on this episode of Behind the Shot as we discuss his fine art nude image “Rainbow Hills”.
On this show I sit down with live music and celebrity portrait photographer Dustin Jack about his studio work with Tommy Lee, of Motley Crüe fame, and what it takes to get a great portrait with all the pressure of a celebrity subject.
Rick Sammon has more tips in his memory that could ever remember. On this show Rick discusses his HDR image "Sunrise at the Blue Swallow", and passes on some great tips.
On this episode of Behind the Shot I am joined by Dana McMullen to take a look Out Of This World, and behind one of his amazing Milky Way shots, taken out at Joshua Tree National Park.
On this episode I am joined by live music tour photographer Adam Elmakias, one of the most giving photographers you'll meet, about photographing Travis Barker of Black-182.
Join me as I chat with award winning Wedding Photographer Troy Miller about his image "Stormy Kiss". Troy shares some tips and even has a great app suggestion for those times you need to know when the rain will stop.
Join me as I talk to nature and wildlife photographer Martin Bailey about his beautiful image of Dancing Cranes. Martin some insight into what it takes to capture such difficult subjects, in very difficult weather.
Join me as I sit down with photographer Ken Sklute to discuss one of his shots of the Aurora Borealis. Ken discusses how he captures these types of shots, and shares so many great tips that I didn’t want the conversation to stop!
Join acclaimed live music photographer Christie Goodwin and I as we chat about her work, and how this shot was made – and the story is as amazing as the shot!
Join Frederick Van Johnson and I as he shares how he made this incredible Cinemagraph shot, including the location, gear, props, light, software and more.