If everything went to plan, I’m currently in the bush on the Zambezi River, probably just settling in for the evening by the campfire with a whisky in my hand and a blanket of stars above me. Behind me, a forest of winterthorn trees, and around me, the song of frogs. In the distance, splashing and the deep guttural noises …
Seeing Takes Time
I spent yesterday morning with a cup of coffee at the local marina, staring at the boats and the light and breathing it in, my deep pleasure at doing nothing at all spoiled only by an apple croissant that was, in fact, filled with marzipan. A nice surprise if you like marzipan, but I think it tastes like the inside …
Do Your Photographs Matter?
Your photographs probably don’t matter that much, and neither do mine. The one that just took home the blue ribbon at the state fair? It’s (probably) not going to change the world. The one that just made the cover of that magazine you’ve always hoped might publish your work? In a couple of years, you’ll likely look back on it …
An Elephant at My Tent
Not 20 minutes after my arrival at Kutali Camp on the Zambezi River in Zambia, a large bull elephant strode through camp, walked up to the lunch table, and sampled—then summarily rejected—the cucumber salad that was due to be my lunch. Two mornings later, I woke to find him outside my tent at 4 am, walking right past the tent door …
Find Your “Hey, Look at That!”
I have an early memory of going photographing with my dad on a morning after a big ice storm came through. It was just after Christmas, the storm had knocked out power to much of the area, and the streets were thick with ice, impossible to drive on. I finally had my first “real” camera, an SLR with interchangeable lenses, …
Don’t Start Perfect. Just Start. Period
Starting has always been tough. They don’t tell you that when you buy a camera. Or the new lens you get so excited to use. “This,” we think, “is going to change everything!” Except it doesn’t. At least not yet, because you’re (to misquote Julia Roberts in Notting Hill) still just a girl standing in front of a boy asking …
Are Your Shoulds Hurting Your Creativity?
I ask myself a lot of questions as I make my photographs. What’s this scene really about? What do I include, and what do I leave out? What possessed me to get up at 5 am and sit in the rain? Those kinds of questions. Like you, I also ask myself what I might do with my exposure, how I …
It’s Enough to Know Enough
Put the coffee on, maybe pour a glass of wine. This will take you about eight minutes to read, but it might be a great way to recalibrate for the year ahead. If you’re looking for the winners of the Gura Gear Giveaway, you can find those towards the bottom of this piece. My first camera was relatively easy to use. A …
The Problem with Mood
A couple years ago I was doing a little moonlighting for a small computer and imaging company that rhymes with Snapple. They were under the mistaken impression that my nearly 40 years behind the camera meant I know what I’m talking about. But what a fun gig! One of my first tasks as their Creative Storytelling Specialist (yeah, I still …
The Power of Mood
Photography can be many things. For some, it’s about capturing scenes. For me, it’s about conveying emotions and suggesting narratives that resonate deeply, first with me and then with the viewers who might experience the image. I’m not so much after eyes as I am hearts and minds. Mood does that. The mood of a photograph is its emotional tone—a …