Have you ever been thrown off by composition? Or more exactly, been challenged by use of the same composition that you’ve used in dozens (if not 1000s) of images? Another way of putting it is, how can you avoid plagiarizing yourself and come up with fresh images?
How do you process images to achieve deep and stunning black and white photographs? I recently interviewed Dotan Saguy, a very talented street and documentary photographer to learn his tips and approach to creating his images. During the interview, he gave us a demonstration using Silver Efex Pro from the NIK Software Collection made by DxO labs. I’ve been using their collection for years and recommended it for black and white processing in my book Advancing Your Photography. He showed us his workflow along with his tips and advice for fine-tuning images:
Editing Steps
- Look at the exposure of the image in Lightroom using the histogram to make sure nothing is under or over exposed that needs correction. With black and white images he often underexposes to preserve details and corrects this in Lightroom. …
Ed Kashi has long used his photography to help advocacy groups around the world. If you want tell better stories and create change with your own images as he does, then apply these photojournalism tips:
Find Your Passion
One of Ed’s the most important tips is to find out the passion behind your photography. Find out what drives you to pick up your camera. Go out there, be curious and learn about the world. Find out what you truly care about and what stirs your passion. …
As a photographer, it’s very important to develop your own philosophy. Having the best gear in the world might feel awesome but it’s not an end all, by any stretch. What you see and how you present your visual story through your lens is more important. It’s how you capture a viewer’s attention in terms of lighting and composition and how those images will interact and come across to others. …
What I want to talk to you about are some of the remedies that you can use to counteract the confusion and instability that we’re facing as a society, not the physical side, since that information is readily available. I’m giving you four ways to stay grounded and present during any tumultuous time such as this. I’m passing along some of the tools that I have found have been extremely workable from my book Create: Tools from Seriously Talented People to Unleash Your Creative Life.
1. “Walking is man’s best medicine.” Hippocrates gave this advice 2,400 years ago. Much later, philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) wrote about the curative power of…
What are the benefits to being an active photographer?
You are a photographer. How do you approach your photos? Do you insert yourself with your subject to get the shot you want? Do you want for the “right photo” to come to you?
Our good friend, Bob Holmes and myself had the exact discussion recently. We discussed the importance of being an active photographer.
Photography isn’t a spectator sport; you won’t get much by sitting in the bleachers. You need to be on the field, in the action to get the type of photographs you want.
Being Active
A personal story from my own life is from when I was a teenager. I was on a class trip and directed my friends to jump from the sand dunes. …
Deanne Fitzmaurice is a Pulitzer prize-winning photographer and photojournalist known for capturing intimate and emotional stories through images.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Deanne to discuss her methods for taking intimate and emotional photographs.
She was kind enough to walk us through her thought process of photojournalism photography as well as portrait photography. We were able to discuss the mental switch between the two.
In the Beginning
Deanne shared that in the beginning of her career she would walk into a situation with the expectation that everyone would be natural, comfortable and reveal themselves to her.
She discovered quickly that that was not the case. …
How do you enjoy your vacation but stay true to your photographic creativity?
If you’re a photographer and you’re on vacation, how do you go on vacation and not drive the rest of your family crazy but still walk away with something good photographically?
This is the exact question discussed by our good friend, Dan Milnor.
Milnor has traveled to Maine many times over the years and he stated how he always feels like he needs to walk away from a trip with something in hand.
Dan provided us with tips as to how you can enjoy your vacation but still feel like you captured something. Something that’ll help you build on something you’ve started or continuing something that you’ve started. …
How do you want to create your story?
Not too long ago, I sat down with photographer Dan Milnor, we discussed finding the purpose of your work and deciding what the story is you want to project to your audience.
Finding the purpose of your photographs is the first step you want to take. You answer the why and the what of your project: why are you taking these photos and what you want them to say. With the world as your canvas and your camera as your tool, become the storyteller you are.
If you missed it, read the first installment of Telling Stories with Your Camera.
I had the pleasure of catching up with Dan once again to discuss more about how to tell a story with your photos. …
CREATIVITY
Seriously creative people give their hard-won advice
When you are a creator of any sort, there are barriers that you face every day. At the beginning of creative journeys, these barriers can discourage you from persisting with your creativity.
How many people have told you that you can’t? How many people have told you that you’re not good enough to make a career out of your art? It isn’t practical. Blah blah blah.
More importantly, how many times have you said it to yourself?
You may be thinking, well if I have all these negative thoughts about my own work, what’s everyone else going to say?
That’s the first step: move past your own self- criticism. …
About
