106 Monday Message - Finding Your Style
Finding your style is simple if you stay on track and refuse to Compare yourself to others. Ignore the competition; know your competition but use them for inspiration. I like to say "Don’t compare your middle to someone else’s end" and for those of you in the early stages of finding your style "Don’t compare your start to someone else’s middle". If you emulate, mimic, or copy others it is all a waste. Rather find the gaps and fill them; find something new to develop a solution. In this search you will happen upon a style and develop your look and feel along the way. I love to tell my students and you Photo World to shoot, shoot, shoot… NOW! & often; try every day to start. Same goes for editing; we need to continually practice and better our skills. Try studying light more than anything else, ANYTHING. Seeing the light can really change the game. Study the things you don’t yet have a good answer to. It is already out there and you can make it your own just by finding a good staring point.
Mistakes are not part of the art, they are part of learning. Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it will move you closer in that direction. In short - your experience will set you apart naturally over time. What makes you happy about your work? We struggle with the ideas about doing what we love for a living and the reality is we rarely do what we love, but all the owrk we do for making a living allows for us to do what we love. If you enjoy the work you produce (your style), others will as well. The one thing people seem to never consider when they are finding their style is: your style already exists. It is the part of you that is placed in each photograph you take; fine tune it, expect it to change, steer toward the changes you want, and run with it.
Happy Shooting!
Be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter
Today’s featured guest is Brian Adams
Brian is a wedding photographer based in Orlando, Florida and for half the year you will find him doing weddings throughout the North Eastern States as well. His Studio consists of 4 photographers with a combined 50 years of experience and the team has photographed over 400 weddings. Brian has been showcased on Oprah, Dr. Oz, and Good Morning America not to mention the many publications where his work has been featured.
Brian began photographing weddings in 2002. Troy joined him in 2003, Lori joined them in 2007, and Scott joined the team in 2012. Supported by their assistants Taylor, Sky, and Kristy, and their editors Rooz and Rick, they have photographed more than 350 weddings in 22 states and 8 countries. Brian and his associate photographers photograph weddings year-round all over Florida, including: Clearwater, Jacksonville, Key West, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, and Winter Park.
See some of Brian, Troy, Lori, and Scott's complete wedding albums here.
Brian also photographs weddings April through October in these New England locations: Boston, Bristol, New Haven, Newport, Ogunquit, Portland, and all over Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Brian has recently been lucky enough to photograph weddings and engagement sessions Internationally in Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand, Hong Kong, The Bahamas, Tunisia, and Canada.
Brian travels more than 50,000 miles a year and constantly gleans inspiration from the people he meets, art deco and mid-century architecture, design (graphic, industrial, and interior) and cinema. He loves New York and Boston, dogs and cats, beer and wine, and he secretly wants to direct a movie.
His work has been featured in Connecticut Magazine, People Magazine, Professional Photographer, and Town & Country and has also been seen on Oprah, The Dr. Oz Show, and Good Morning America. The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts presented Brian with two awards for his photography in 2007 and in 2012.
In 2009, Brian moved his Winter Park, Florida office to a boutique-style studio in downtown Orlando. In 2010, Brian led the world's first iPhone photo and video team to shoot a complete wedding, which has since received over 175,000 hits on YouTube. In 2012, Brian Adams PhotoGraphics was thankful to celebrate 10 great years of wedding photography.
Today’s featured guest is Erik Stensland
Erik is a landscape photographer based in Estes Park Colorado. His business consists of two main parts: Morning Light Photography, his images focusing on the American Southwest Desert, the Pacific North West, and Lanscapes throughout the United Kingdom. Images of RMNP or Rocky Mountain National Park depicts aspects of the park through every light and weather condition imaginable. Some early mornings Erik devotes to a long hike for the perfect view as the sun peaks over the horizon.
Erik Stensland was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but it was after his family moved to Montana that he developed his deep love for the wilderness, often hiking alone in the mountains from an early age. Later Erik moved back to Minnesota, where he attended high school and college. After graduating, Erik followed his other passion—that of making a difference in some of the world's impoverished countries. For twelve years he lived in the Balkans, where he led nonprofit initiatives working to help those in need. It was there he met his wife, Joanna, who is from England.
After a decade working together in Bulgaria, Albania, and Kosovo, Erik and Joanna returned to the States and settled in Colorado to be close to the mountains. Their son, Luke, was born during their first year in Colorado and soon after Erik opened his first gallery in downtown Estes Park. Erik quickly became one of the premier photographers of Rocky Mountain National Park. He has an intimate knowledge of the park, having hiked every trail and visited nearly every nook and cranny.
Erik has authored several books, including: Images of Rocky Mountain National Park, Getting Started in Landscape Photography and The Landscape Photographer's Guide to: Photographing Rocky Mountain National Park. To help celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Rocky Mountain National Park, he released a new hardcover book called “Wild Light: A Celebration of Rocky Mountain National Park” which is available at the bookstore upstairs. Besides his gallery in Estes Park, he also sells his work at the Grand Lake Art Gallery and the Trail Ridge Store. Erik also has a gallery outside of Abiquiu, New Mexico, where he displays his growing Desert Southwest collection.
103 Monday Message - Niche Down
I don't know about you Photo World but once I decided to start a photography business I was pumped and thought I could conquer the industry in no time. The truth is we usually start and bite off way more than we can chew. Understanding a business, the market in your area, our value, contracts, marketing, strict posting schedule on social media, and delivering the product or service successfully is overwhelming. Learning as you go will work over time, however, most throw in the towel before overcoming all the issues that may arise. I wouldn't say if you Niche Down you will be on a fast track to success but you will be on a more guided path. Click here to download this free check list from Rob to layout your Niche Down path to a better business.
Happy Shooting!
102 Guy Tal - Artist Working with Photography
Today’s featured guest is Guy Tal
Guy is a landscape photographer, artist, educator, and public speaker. He does not consider himself a photographer who makes art but rather an artists working in the medium of photography. Guy conducts several workshops throughout the western United States and educates through talks along with the 7 books he has published; furthermore his work has been featured in publications such as LensWork Magazine, Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, and many others.
“Photography is an adventure just as life is an adventure and if man wishes to express himself photographically he must understand, surly to a certain extent, his relationship to life.” – Harry Callahan
I am a professional artist, author, photographer, educator and public speaker. I believe that the practice of creative pursuits manifests not only in the making of art, but also has the ability to transform and enrich life, facilitate meaningful and rewarding experiences, and foster contentment and satisfaction through life-long discovery and learning.
In photography I strive to create images that speak to wildness – the quality of being attuned to, and inspired by, the wild. Many of my images also articulate my intimate connection with the natural landscape, particularly that of my home, and the friendship I found with certain places. Rather than glimpses of superficial beauty, I wish for my work to speak to a deep familiarity with my subjects, revealing something of the role they play in my life – a relationship as intricate as any I have had with another person. The things I photograph are not just attractive models to me, they are temples and sanctuaries and multi-dimensional characters in my own story, as I am in theirs.
I do not photograph for the sake of photography, and not to simply document the external appearance of things, no matter how objectively appealing. Instead, I photograph as a means of exploring and expressing things that I cannot express in any other way, and because it is important to me to share them. I do not photograph things; I photograph my love for them, and sometimes I photograph my love through them.
I do not consider myself a photographer who creates art, but rather an artist working in the medium of photography. Where some photographers take a representational approach to the landscape, I wish instead to use visual elements and natural aesthetics as evocative metaphors, creating images that are not merely of, but about places and things that have become personally meaningful to me.
101 Jack Graham - Be You
Today’s featured guest is Jack Graham
Jack is a nature and landscape photographer based Puyallup, Washington. His work has appeared in Outdoor Photography, Nature’s Best Photography, The Luminous Landscape, and countless other publications. Jack is a featured contributor for large online European magazine, Landscape photography Magazine. For the past 20 years Jack has been conducting his “Photo Classroom in the Field®” workshops throughout the US and Iceland.
Jack Graham is a professional photographer with over 23 years of experience. Jack resides near Seattle, Washington, in the heart of the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Jack leads photo workshops throughout the United States as well as Iceland, Greenland and Canada. Jack’s international Workshops can be found on the website ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS.COM. Along with Bill Forney, Jack conducts workshops dedicated for Fuji “X” camera users. These events can be found on the FUJI “X” PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTO WORKSHOPS Website. Jack also conducts workshops for the Pacific Northwest Art School located on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, Washington. Finally, also offers single day, workshops for extensive one on one instruction. Jack’s workshops are sponsored by Really Right Stuff, Singh-Ray Filters, Gura Gear, Magna Chrome (Metal Prints), www.outdoorphotogear.com, Digital Foci and the Photograph America Newsletter.
Jack has been successful in publication and stock photography as well. Photo and writing credits include Outdoor Photography, Landscape Photography Magazine ( www.landscapephotographymagazine.com, www.extraordinary-vision.com , Nature’s Best Photography, NANPA”S Expressions, California Wild, Current’s (NANPA) and many DNR publications, Audubon, The Luminous Landscape, CNET, Popular Photography, The Nature Conservancy, Chicago Wilderness and Sierra Club publications as well as many calendar credits. Corporate work includes prints and stock applications for internal as well as publication use.
Jack’s three successful E Books are available on his website.
Jack uses exclusively Fuji “X” series cameras and Fujinon Lenses. Jack has been named as an “X” Photographer by the Fuji Corporation. Jack’s images have been used extensively by Fuji for commercial and promotional purposes.
Jack is a member of the Board of Directors of NANPA ( North American Nature Photographers Association),; FNAWS (Federation for North American Wild Sheep, Mono Lake Committee, & SUWA (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance).
Jack can be contacted for workshop as well as speaking engagements via E-Mail at jack@jackgrahamphotography.com Visit Jack’s Blog for photo tips and informative information
Recommended Resource:
Art and Fear – TakeTalkBook.com
Blog: jackgrahamphoto.blog
Workshops: fujixphotoworkshops.com
100!
100 Episodes here on Take & Talk Pics with Rob Krueger
Thank you Photo World for the continued support and helping me rise to new heights with each new episode. The fact that there are thousands of you throughout the world listening keeps me moving forward and I couldn’t have done any of it without your support.
Favorite quote: “Keep failing until one day you do something different.” – Andreea Radutoiu
Learning photographer’s biggest fear: We don’t want to fail. – Kenny Pang
You can’t wait for things to happen. If you want something, you need to go out and get it! Go for it, Do it, don’t wait, and make it happen. – JP Teutonico
Throw your energy into the project you are doing at that time. Our creative juices flow when we are in action and action upon an idea. – Jim Harmer
Don’t “Should” on yourself! – Skip Cohen
Jim Harmer – Improve photography
Skip Cohen – Skip Cohen University
Mike Boening and Jamie MacDonald – Mirrorless Minutes
Levi Sim – Writer for Photofocus
Bryan Peterson - Bryan Peterson School of Photography
Ibarionex Perello – The Candid Frame
Thank you Photo World for making this possible!
Happy Shooting!
Fundamental Fridays - Wireless Flash Sync
With so many wireless triggers out there how do we choose the right one. Well simply list out the needs you have a the ideal budget and you will have about 100 answers. Even better is just about any one of those Wireless Flash Sync options will do the trick. The biggest concern people have is if the need TTL triggers or not. I have never really had a use for them however I did purchase a set to have the option. I am a manual shooter 99.9% of the time so I carry that same strategy over to my off camera flashes.
You get to a point with knowing your gear that you have an idea about the proper settings as you walk into a situation. Over time this becomes easier and easier but it does take time to become that proficient. Using Wireless Flash Sync Triggers is to get the flash off camera and use directional lighting for more denominational images.
Take this sample image here... I have a great texture in the sky, dramatic trees, colorful but muted flowers, and a perfectly lit bride. This is on location, her actual wedding day, all done in camera, and only possible because of off camera flash and those lovely Wireless Flash Sync options out there. To do this with all natural light would be impossible; at least in one shot. With the magic of RAW one could create something with this effect in photoshop but highly unlikely.
Happy Shooting!
Be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter!
Rob Blair - Find Something New
Today’s featured guest is Rob Blair
In 2012 Rob ventured into photography with a more dedicated focus. It is still something he practices part time but has already been gaining traction in the medium. Rob won the Fine Art America National TV Photo Contest in 2015 which is where I learned about Rob. He specializes in landscape, wildlife, and macro photography. While he has an eye for the still media, Rob is visually trained with his professional career as a videographer.
Rob is a professional videographer having recently developed a passion for still photography. He has always enjoyed exploring the beauty of creation and finding fresh ways to share the experiences he encounters. Rob won the Fine Art America National TV Photo Contest in 2015 when one of his recent works titled "Beside Still Waters" was chosen for this highly prized award by the world renowned photographer, Anne Geddes.
Rob was born and raised in northeastern Ohio and he comes from a long line of artists on both sides of his family. Still photography emerged to become his most prominent artistic frontier by the Spring of 2012 and he has been snapping countless photos ever since. He specializes in Landscapes, Wildlife and Macro Photography, though he occasionally does events and portrait work.
Please feel free to browse his photos and experience God's beautiful Creation through his eyes. You can do this by browsing the gallery on this site, subscribing to Rob's daily posts on facebook, or by browsing his work on FineArtAmerica.com.
I came across a feature story about a photographer by the name of Vincent Laforet. I didn’t recognize the name but after a few minutes I recognized the work. Hearing just a small overview of his story had me inspired and interested in what new things I could do with my own photography. We need those reminders; the things we hear or see that relaunch our passion. I think most days I feel lucky to be a full time photographer and pursue my passion while making a living, but there are days when I lose sight of why I am doing this. I don’t really know if I was feeling down about my photography career or anything but when I came across this story it got me thinking about those times when I have trouble staying motivated. Vincent Laforet said something that resonated with me: “As a photographer and visual communicators you try to find images no one has ever seen before.”
We need to remember our place as photographers. We love what we do and enjoy a lot of what comes with that, but to be reminded of our duty as “visual communicators” is so important. Think about those pictures you see every day that do little for you. You view, understand, and move on in one swift motion, as if it were a reflex. Those types of images are damaging to our purpose as image makers. We need to communicate visually. With all the social media, TV, and internet we are numb to the vast majority of images so we need to find our voice and begin making worthwhile images.
Keep up the motivation and please send your photography and business questions to me through the contact page.
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/high-art-photography-from-the-heavens/
http://www.vincentlaforet.com/
Happy Shooting!
-Rob
Fundamental Friday's - Fill Flash
Fill flash is where I shed the light on today's episode. Understanding fill flash is simple. Get a solid ambient reading of your exposure and add a small amount of flash to enhance the shadow areas within your frame. Truly easier said than done. Listen to, or more importantly, watch this weeks Fundamental Friday's episode. Photo World I wish I could have done a video out on location so you could see the effects of fill flash in action but my injury on my hand is giving me trouble. only 8 more weeks to go with the healing process. Maybe I need to share my story as a BONUS episode soon. Photo World do you use fill flash or have thoughts about why we shouldn't use it? Toss your comments down below on the good or bad with fill flash. Some people love it while others despise flash all together and feel natural light is the only true light. I have herd debates in my classroom on this exact subject and it always seemed like the die hard natural light users were more or less afraid to use flash. Flash can be a solution but I totally get how it feels like a hindrance especially early on in your trials with a speedlight. I found it interesting when I first started with flash so I pressed on. Past the countless horrible images I took while acting like I knew what was going on, I knew there would be an overwhelming amount of benefits with understanding speedlights and especially fill flash.
Happy Shooting!
Be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter!
Ibarionex Perello - The Candid Frame
Today’s featured guest is Ibarionex Perello
Ibarionex is a street and portrait photographer based out of LA California. With over 25 years of experience in the industry he has become a well-known figure among modern photographers. He has authored 5 booked on photography and has been published in several blogs and magazines. You may know Ibarionex from his podcast The Candid Frame which started in 2006 and you can tune in for a new episode each week.
Ibarionex Perello is a Los Angeles-based photographer, writer and host & producer of The Candid Frame photography podcast. He has over 25 years of experience in the photographic industry and his work has appeared in numerous publications including Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, Rangefinder, Popular Photography and Photoshop User magazines. He has authored over 5 books including Chasing the Light: Improving Your Photography Using Available Light. For the last 9 years has been hosting and producing The Candid Frame, a popular interview podcast which has featured conversations with photographs including Elliot Erwitt, Dan Winters , Mary Ellen Mark and others. He has served as an adjunct professor at the Art Center College of Design. He currently is a production fellow for MaximumFun, which produces NPR’s Bullseye with Jesse Thorne.
Monday Message - Success
Photo World I have had a word picking at me the past few months and it seems like everywhere I go and much of what I do I have been presented with a questions. The question of Success. What is it? How do I achieve it? Am I doing everything necessary for it? Am I even ready for it? So many thoughts about this one ideas; this one simple Noun. Yeah, a Noun; Success is a Noun. At least the dictionary says that or an internet search will show that, but I have never thought of Success as a person, place, thing, or even an idea. I always felt it was something more. In today's episode I expand upon my thoughts about Success and hopefully get the gears turning for you as well. I find a simple shift in perspective is all it takes to drastically change your situation for the better.
Happy Shooting Photo World!