Episode 45 of Vision Is Better encourages you to look at your work, even if you have no intention of printing it this way, in Black & White. We can learn a lot about the strengths, and the weaknesses, of our work when we look at it critically without the seductive pull of colour. (RSS and email viewers, I’m sorry …
Death Valley Migration
Nikon D3s. 1.0s @ f/4.5. ISO 200. 24mm (24mm Tilt-Shift) – Readers of this article on RSS or email can view the image here. It’s not easy getting to the Racetrack Playa in California’s Death Valley. I arrived after a couple bone-jarring hours in my Land Rover Defender, just in time to do some scouting, set up camp, and grab …
The Power of Failure
I wrote this just before what I’ve come to call “The Italian Incident” 5 years ago, just after writing a different article, Choose Your Risk, which you can read here. It remains true, if not truer now than ever to me. After beginning the discussion on risk, my brain started churning through some of the responses and push-back left in …
Receptive & Observant
There’s something magic about the light in Italy, even at it’s highest and hottest it seems beautiful and the shadows it creates seem to have a life of their own, like Peter Pan’s shadow, which is what I thought about when I made this, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I was in Italy again for a workshop of sorts, …
Vision Is Better, Episode 43
I’ve just posted the latest episode of Vision Is Better (email subscribers can watch that episode on YouTube here). I write a lot of books and do a lot of teaching, and there is no end of the books and tutorials and tips and tricks out there. And NONE of them will teach you to take this next step. Want …
Collaborations & Connections
Old Delhi, India, is one of my favourite places to wander with a camera. It’s a sensually overwhelming place, busy with people and motorcycles, the honking of horns and calls to prayer, the air rich with the too-fragrant smells of thousands of humans, chai stalls, and spice markets. It’s alive and vital and, for the most part, incredibly welcoming to …
Vision Is Better, Episodes 39 & 40
I’m just back from an intense weekend in the Toronto area, giving two days of lectures (man, can this guy talk if you let him!) at the Art Gallery of Burlington. Met some wonderful people and had a blast. This week I’m studying for courses – Emergency First Response, Emergency Oxygen Provider, and PADI Rescue Diver – it’s going to …
Vision Is Better, Ep. 38
This week I indulge in a passionate rant about what it takes to be a so-called Professional Photographer. Join me as I discuss value and the need to serve an audience. Is it realistic to expect to make a living as a professional photographer? It is. But you better enjoy the struggle and you better be willing to become an …
More Than Wow.
I used to be a magician. An honest-to-God, I-do-this-for-a-living Magician. And a juggler too. And a comedian. But let’s talk about the magic part. I spent a lot of time by myself, learning how to hide coins and cards and make birds appear from nowhere. I had an illusion built that allowed me to cut myself in half on stage. …
Tell Me a Story
I just finished reading a book about the power of story. Another one. I keep coming back to this topic because I can’t escape the feeling that photographers are missing something. Sure, we acknowledge that some of the best photographs tell, or imply, a story. But it usually ends there. I think we can do better. The book, The Storytelling …