How to turn your street shots into monochrome masterpieces
Text & Photography Brian Matiash
Converting your images to black and white can add depth and soul to your street photos. In this shot, I’m especially fond of the way the treatment brings out the swirls of the steam from the vat of hot soup.
Whenever I hear the term “Street Photography,” I have an almost Pavlovian response: In my mind, I conjure up a series of photos that have...
Read more
This New York City-based photographer uses patience and knowledge of art history to shed new light on the challenging genre of night photography
By Jill Waterman / Photography Lynn Saville
“This image is from my ‘Acquainted with the Night’ series and is shot in the Roof Garden at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City,” says Saville. “A sculpture by Gaston Lachaise looms against the sky over Central Park.”
Growing up in North Carolina during the 1960s, Lynn Saville was more attuned to fashion than photography. “I honestly...
Read more
Whether you travel great distances or just to the next town to see and shoot your favorite bands, use these tips to improve your photos of musicians
Text & Photography by Terry Sullivan
I captured this photo of Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth singing at Nassau Coliseum in 1980 on film using a long telephoto lens that lacked image stabilization on a Minolta SLR. Today’s technology would have allowed me to get a lot more detail and better color accuracy. Yet I accurately captured the right moment, when the singer connected with his...
Read more
Learn how to capture exceptional shots in the Middle Eastern land of Jordan
Text & Photography by Mark Edward Harris
Bedouins with their camels make their way across Wadi Rum.
E. Lawrence, known for his heroic actions during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, was immortalized as “Lawrence of Arabia,” the title of an epic 1962 film based on his wartime activities described in his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I channeled both...
Read more
Use these techniques to make the most of shooting after dusk and before dawn
Text & Photography by Brian Matiash
While I’ve always found sunrises and sunsets picturesque, what truly fascinates me is when all of that radiant light is gone, and I’m left with a gigantic sky full of stars or the moon. It just fills me with awe, especially when I’m lucky enough to be in an area with little to no light pollution from cities or even a densely populated suburban...
Read more
Focus on these subjects, tips and techniques to create stunning travel images
Text & Photography By Tom Bol
I shot this incredible sunrise behind a church near Ljubliana, Slovenia.
Not long ago, I visited a friend who was ecstatic about his recent trip to Europe. Brimming with excitement, he grabbed his iPad and started quickly flipping through images. Now, I do want to point out that my friend isn’t a professional photographer. He’s just really enthusiastic...
Read more
A whimsical photographic technique creates surprising works of symbolic allusion
Text & Photography By Ron Palmere And George D. Lepp
“My first SLR camera was a Canon film body,” says Ron Palmere, who created this composite photo, “which had a feature that allowed me to capture up to nine exposures on one frame. One day, while photographing a Bird of Paradise specimen with its distinctive design, I took multiple exposures using a 200-400mm lens with a lens collar. Years later,...
Read more
How photographer and educator Bobbi Lane determines the best way to shoot a portrait
Text By Jill Waterman, Photography By Bobbi Lane
“This one is my favorite because of the subtlety of lighting,” says Lane, noting that it was actually a “grab shot,” since the model was sitting and stood up to take a break. “As he looked away, I saw the possibilities. I guided the position of his face to get the light in the eye. But I love the edge lighting and the softness of the glow...
Read more
You don’t have to rely on the latest tech to shoot inventive selfies
Terry Sullivan
In the February 3, 2014, edition of New York magazine, Jerry Saltz, the publication’s insightful and prolific fine-art critic, ran a compelling article titled “Art at Arm’s Length: A History of the Selfie.” In it, the critic presents four points on what these days seem to be everyone’s favorite pastime.
I found many aspects of this article...
Read more
Photographers generally get three chances to ensure their portraits have beautiful color: Create accurate white balance, be deliberate about lighting and bring it all together in post
Text & Photography By William Sawalich
Accurate color management is crucial for ensuring portrait subjects look their best, highlighting beautiful hair and lovely skin tones.
Color is simple, right? For many shots, as long as the white balance is somewhat close to correct, your picture will be fine, right?
Well, not necessarily, especially when it comes to portraits. What might pass as good...
Read more