Shutterbug Life Podcast

Dave didn't want to hear what I had to say. He struck up a conversation at the PhotoPlus Expo that ended with him asking me which camera he should buy. "How much do you want to spend?" I asked. "Maybe a few hundred dollars," he responded. "You need to move a decimal point over. For what you just told me about yourself Dave, you should plan to spend at least $2,000." His mouth almost hit the floor. That's not what he wanted to hear. In many instances, I might tell you that you don't need the most expensive camera to create great photos. But not in all instances. There are times when you really should plan to buy the more expensive camera. Here's why and when.

In episode 2, Top Photographer challenged contestants to create a fashion photography image. How did they do? Let's talk about how each photographer interpreted the challenge and what we might learn from this episode.

Photographers have officially arrived. Photographers join cops, lawyers, and doctors as professions who can see themselves on the big screen. With Top Photographer, we have our own glitzy reality TV show, even if it isn’t technically on TV. I watched the first episode a few times to dissect it for you. Is it worth your time? And if so, what will you learn?

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her friends embark on a magical journey to the Wizard of Oz, searching for qualities they thought they lacked. As it turns out, they had them all along.   This weekend, photographers will journey to a big camera show in New York City and camera stores all around the world, searching for abilities they think the lack. Just like the crew searching for Oz, many of the photographers already have the potential they seek.   If you want to improve your images, you don't need the magical powers of new cameras or lenses. Here are 10 ways to improve your photography with the gear you already own.    

When I ambled onto the Tidal Basin one fall day, I faced what many photographers confront every day — a view that millions of people will recognize immediately and the challenge of how I could make it look interesting. In photography, as in life, the results we get are often a result of the decisions we make. At the Tidal Basin, or wherever you happen to be shooting, your decisions make the difference. Try these 12 composition decisions can help you improve your odds of capturing more interesting photos. Listen to the podcast

What will you really see, photograph and learn at the Fall Photography Weekend in the Big Apple? How is it different from the photo tours and Meetups we have been doing in New York City? Steve Rosenbach and I recently chatted by Skype call to talk about the workshops in detail. If you have been wondering about the details of this weekend workshop, just listen in. Listen to the podcast

When I was growing up, you could always find stacks of photo albums under our coffee table. You know the albums where you stuck your photos under that thin film of plastic? We had more than 20 of them, full of photos that documented every facet of our lives. Today’s photographer has a more sophisticated option — a finished book that goes on top the coffee table.  Is it time for you to publish your own photo book for your coffee table? Here are the many options you should consider.  Listen to the podcast

If you want to get the low down on latest new cameras hitting the shelves, you need to find your way to a launch event. Launch events are where camera stores invite reps from the camera manufacturers to come out and answer your questions while you play with the store models. I got an invite to a launch event for the Canon 5D Mark IV and Fujifilm X-T2, and I decided to take you along. While we are in launch mode, I'll share some new photo tours as well. Listen to the podcast

If you want to have your photography stand out from the millions of picture takers flooding the internet, Levar Burton has a message for you.  You will have to do more than be the artist and creator. You will have to be your own advocate. You will have to learn how to promote and distribute your work. You will have to hustle. And only when you are willing to hustle, will you demonstrate your commitment to getting the job done. That's what Levar says. What will that mean for you? We unpack the quote in this episode. Listen to the podcast.

What should you be doing now if you are trying to get to the next level with your photography? That depends on what stage you are currently in.  Stages of Platform Growth and share some details of the first stage. Listen to the podcast

When 6-year-old Desiree took my microphone to sing a song, she unwittingly belted out the theme of the day. "You are so beautiful to me..." she sang out with all the emotion she could muster. I couldn't help but think that was the theme of the day. We assembled 21 volunteer photographers and photo editors to create portraits of homeless families in Washington, DC. More than that, we wanted to share Desiree's message. You are beautiful and special to us. You don't have to take my word for it. I share interviews with our volunteers and the Edgewood Brookland Family Support Collaborative staff. Listen to the podcast.

Have you ever tried to make sense of the Auto Focus alphabet soup on the back of your camera? You aren’t alone. This frustrates so many DSLR shooters, yet it is something we need to master. Very often, the right setting here is the difference between getting blurry images and sharp images.  Listen to the recording.

It's time to talk gear again. Where were some of the most interesting industry announcements in the past month or two? Let's talk about the new gear and technology and what we think about them. Listen to the podcast

You'd think that storytelling is natural and obvious skill. We all grow up listening to stories and even falling asleep to them. You might have even been wrapped up in the dramatic stories of the big screen. Storytelling with your camera can be just as engaging and can be an effective way to create images with impact. Not all great photographs need to tell a story, but the ones that do tell a story often stand out. Listen to the podcast

So you decided to create your photography blog, but something still isn't right. Maybe you only hear crickets when you post. Maybe you aren't getting the feedback you'd hoped from your visitors. You're not sure exactly what is going wrong, but something needs to change. Here are 13 common mistakes photographers make when starting blogs. Let's see where we all measure up with our efforts. Listen to the podcast.

I was catching up with an old friend in a crowded coffee shop in Washington, DC, when she asked a question many of us wonder privately but don't say out loud. "Why do you think one person will get so many likes and great comments on a photo when another person with photos just as good gets nothing? How do some people get so popular and others don't? "Seriously? I don't get it." I know it can seem arbitrary, but often it can come down to your personal branding choices.  Listen to the podcast

By her own admission, Emily Carter Mitchell was just a girl with a camera who loved to go shoot. "I got my new DSLR about six years ago, and I was trying to find out what was going to be my passion," she said. "It took a couple years to start down the road I'm on now, which is nature and wildlife photography." Emily's journey of self-discovery took her down the path of creating a photography blog, Bella Remy Photography. "Short of putting my photos on my computer or maybe on Facebook, I wanted to have a platform where I could share your experiences. That's where the idea of starting a blog came from. It gave me a creative way to share my work when I'm out exploring." Along the way, Emily's blog has opened many doors — to get published, create a Meetup, and lead workshops. Oh yeah, it helped her find who she was as an artist. Listen to the podcast

Let's start with the end first. When I asked Parish Kohanim what advice he would give to a photographer who aspires to make a real impact, his advice was succinct. "Listen to your own voice... Don't listen to people. They will give you a hundred different opinions that don't speak your voice." That might seem like easy advice to dispense from a photographer with a resume like Parish has — a commercial photographer for more than 30 years and a Canon Explorer of Light, one of only 40 people in the world with that designation.   But there were other voices — a famous fashion designer who told him to give up photography because he had no future in it. And his first college instructors who never liked anything he created.  That kind of feedback could give even the most confident photographers second thoughts. You know how the story ends. He proved them all wrong, but how did he get there? Now let's take the journey. Listen to the podcast

Like so many photographers, I was introduced to photography in a home where cameras were commonplace. Credit it to nature or nurture, when a child grows up in a home of a photographer, it seems photography comes naturally. For Father's Day weekend, I wanted to tell the stories of photographers and their fathers. In part II, I interview Emily Carter, a nature photographer in our community. Emily's dad was a Latin American anthropologist who used his camera to document the lives of Indians in the Andes Mountains. I share the story of Sheldon Katz, who remembers his early life with his dad. Finally, I interview my three boys to see how the third generation of photographers is faring. Listen to part II.

Like so many photographers, I was introduced to photography in a home where cameras were commonplace. Credit it to nature or nurture, when a child grows up in a home of a photographer, it seems photography comes naturally. For Father's Day weekend, I wanted to tell the stories of photographers and their fathers. My selfish reason, of course, is that I get to interview my dad and share his story. Listen to Part I