photography
How to be Critiqued
Over the past two years, many photographers have written to me asking for a critique of their work. Flickr groups abound for crowd-sourced critiques. Magazines run regular features for reader critiques. Some pros even charge for their critiquing services. It’s only natural to want to know what other think
The following photographs are no longer needed
* Sunsets * Fireworks * Waterfalls * Trails * Breakfast, lunch, dinner * Lattes * Leaves on branches (even in autumn) * Dew-covered flowers * Anyplace with a gift shop * Anything with its own postcard rack * Portraits of wrinkly faces (just because they’re wrinkly) * Concerts with more than 25 attendees * Rain on windows * Celebrities * Area 51 * Anything that’
Every Day...
There’s always a reason not to go out and shoot. There’s always a reason to go out a shoot. The weather isn’t perfect and the lighting stinks. The weather and lighting helps make the photographs unique. It seems like everything’s been done. It seems like no
We Need New Specs
Speed shouldn’t just be measured in the 100ths of seconds it takes to expose an image, but in the time it takes to get your camera out and capture the moment. Exposure shouldn’t just be measured in a histogram. It should be evaluated in the ease by which
A Glimmer of Hope
I used to [http://www.alesserphotographer.com/post/7474460141/the-ultimate-list-of-the-most-essential-iphone-photo] place all iPhone camera apps (and really all camera phone apps) into two categories: useful and distracting. The useful camp was usually a lonely place, population one: the basic image capture tool that came with the phone. The distraction camp
Declare Independence
Independent thought is the most scarce resource in photography today. Not talent. Not money. Not technical ability. Blogs, books, magazines and even workshops parrot each other - and always have. Which photographers have remained interesting throughout? The ones who were doing what the others hadn’t considered. It’s, by
Be Honest, Not Truthful
Photography may be at its most powerful when it tells a story [http://www.alesserphotographer.com/post/585498262/tell-a-story]. But is that story more powerful when it’s a truthful story? I think that’s a false pursuit. Erin Feldman [http://twitter.com/#!/ErinMFeldman], of Write Right [http://www.writerightwords.
Pass It Along
Often, the best way to learn more about something you’ve been practicing for years, is to teach it to someone else. Most of us have something we’ve learned about photography that’s unique. A lot of us have blogs. Putting the two together could make photography a lot
Mikes on Mics Podcast
I recently went on the Mikes on Mics podcast to debate this article [http://thislifeofleisure.com/post/18831141588/rethinking-productivity-for-creatives] I wrote about productivity for creatives. The podcast came out today, so download it here [http://www.70decibels.com/mikesonmics/2012/5/7/episode-14-clashing-on-creativity-with-cj-chilvers.html] and join the debate (you’ll
"I only really shoot family photos."
My inbox is filled with email that includes some variation on the quote above. Honestly, I can’t imagine a more important subject.