Another year is over and it is that time of the new year when many of us go back and assess our personal successes and failures of the past year. While 2016 was surely an eventful year, we should be grateful to be alive and well, as many were not...
Essays and Inspiration Category Archive - Page 15
Every Road Tells a Story
If you're like me the ending of one year and the beginning of another is a special time of transition. We have the opportunity to leave the past behind and move forward in new directions to discover what the future holds for us. Every life - like every road - tells a...
Replacing GAS with SAS
Three anniversaries of 'firsts' have been in a state of convergence for me this fall. Number one is my daughter's first wedding anniversary. The next is the fourth anniversary of my first visit to Utah. And, the last one is the third anniversary of my first article being published here at Photography Life. Each...
The Decisive Moment in Landscape Photography
The name Henri Cartier-Bresson does not immediately remind most people of landscape photography. It shouldn’t; he wasn’t a landscape photographer! Instead, of course, Henri Cartier-Bresson was a street photographer — arguably the founding father of the genre. However, although he rarely took photos of nature, his intimate approach to street...
Letting Your Personal Style Find You
I think that so many of us love photography because of its inherently dichotomous nature. On one hand photography is an art form which allows each of us incredible creative latitude for visual expression. That is counterbalanced by the complexity of the technical considerations that can come into play when creating...
Wildlife Photography at Your Doorstep
I am an amateur photographer and have had a DSLR for approximately 10 years. It is only in the last 2 years that I have started to get seriously interested in wildlife photography. I feel like I am in the early days of building a portfolio of images. Living in...
Street Photography With A Telephoto Lens
Or at least a longer focal length than conventional wisdom suggests. I’m always reading that so-called street photography is best undertaken with a prime lens within the 35mm to 50mm range and I understand the merits of this range for reasons I will elaborate on further down. But convention is...
Aliens Among Us
Photographers have the power to reveal the origins of alien life on earth. All we need do is grab a camera, lens and some extension tubes (or a macro lens or close focusing filter) and 'the truth' will be revealed! From what part of the solar system did this creature evolve? Perhaps those...
Stop Taking Crappy Pictures!
Hi. My name is Elliot Madriss and I teach a successful class at the continuing education facility as part of the University of New Mexico called "Stop Taking Crappy Pictures!". This class was created as a direct result of my reaction to the very poor quality of images being posted...
A Little Practice Never Hurts
I decided to take a small break from my client video work this week and went to Bird Kingdom for a few hours to take a few practice images. Like most photographers I've found that a little practice never hurts, especially when one is getting used to handling new gear....