See the Light – Capture the LightJuly 28th, 2010 by Rick Sammon
Here is a very quick tip: See the light. Look for the direction of light (above: back light), the contrast range in a scene (above: medium), and the color of light (above: warm). In the opening shot for this post, back light, which created beautiful rim light, makes the shot more than snapshot. The back light also adds a sense of depth to the image, much like a background light adds a sense of depth to a portrait. South Texas Songbird Shoot VideoJuly 26th, 2010 by Alan MurphyCheck out this nice video of a morning shoot that Alan Murphy and I did together in South Texas. Still images from the shoot are interspersed with the video of the birds' activity. It makes me want to go back right now! More information about Alan's workshop where this video was shot is here: I'll also be assisting Alan in two workshops in Roma, TX as I have been for the past few years. For details, click here. Beginners Guide: Basic Photoshop shortcuts [video]July 23rd, 2010 by Richard PetersIf there is one thing I like, it’s to spend more time taking my photo’s than editing them. Of course some degree of processing IS part of the workflow that can’t be avoided…but…you can decrease your time sat in front of the PC by using a few keyboard shortcuts to speed up your Photoshop operation. And what better way to fully show these in operation than a video tutorial! Less Is More Further down you can see a brief list of what is covered in the video for quick reference. However do check out the video to see examples of them in action, as well as a couple of extra tips that show examples of how you can really use them to your advantage. In a nutshell B to select the paintbrush Photographer Spotlight – Rick SammonJuly 16th, 2010 by Chris Klapheke
When we talked to Rick for this article, his opening comment to us was “I never thought, in 1969, when I was 19 and dancing naked in the mud at Woodstock, I’d have 36 books and a bunch of iPhone and iPad apps”. We knew we were in for a good story. After Woodstock, Rick attended the famous Berklee College of Music in Boston, receiving his formal education in Arrangement and Composition. He wanted to play jazz, and play he did. Late night shows and jam sessions over the next few years left him plenty of free day time, so to stir his creative juices, he began shooting images and submitting them to publications.
In 1978 Rick submitted an image and article to Studio Photography Magazine. On this first submission, the magazine invited him to be their editor. Rick traded in one keyboard for another, and entered the publication world. The Dumb Luck ShotJuly 15th, 2010 by Rick Sammon
Much as been written on the web about waiting years and years for all the elements in a scene to come together for a “once-in-a-lifetime shot.” That’s all well and good, and sometimes it’s true. But sometimes a good shot is just dumb luck. Here is an example. In the above photograph, the five subjects are completely isolated, the side lighting is wonderful, the reflection is perfect, the background is effective in adding to the “sense of place” of the image, the dog adds an extra element of interest, and the exposure is good. |
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From books, to iPhone apps, to podcasts, Facebook and Twitter, Rick Sammon is everywhere. A Canon Explorer of Light, Rick is also everyman’s photographer. One of Rick’s basic photography tenets is that he “Specializes in not specializing”. 
Is there a future for the solo nature photographer or photojournalist?
July 29th, 2010 by Jerry MonkmanA couple rock climbing near the top of Cathedral Ledge. Echo Lake State Park in North Conway, New Hampshire. White Mountains.
This last April I attended the American Society of Picture Professionals’ reinvention weekend in Boston, and the major theme was finding ways for those working in the picture industry to keep working while the landscape of the industry is rapidly changing. Both stock and assignment prices have been deteriorating for years, if not decades, challenging both stock agencies and photographers to change business tactics in order to survive. It’s no secret what is causing the decline in prices – digital technology. To some extent, digital cameras have leveled the playing field on the content creation side of things. More importantly, digital distribution has drastically reduced the cost of selling images. On the stock side of the business, digital distribution (first in the form of royalty-free CDs, then with the advent of microstock) has enabled stock companies to be profitable without charging large rights-managed fees as the administrative costs of managing a large stock library have been drastically reduced due to digital image management and distribution. Lower stock prices have also led to lower assignment fees, both on the commercial and editorial side of the business, though to a greater extent in the editorial world, as newspapers and magazines are downsizing and going out of business.
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