June 2008 Archives

Would you like to capture the beauty of firework displays and lightning -- and other night photography? Have you been frustrated with the results? And have you ever tried taking a picture of the moon, but found that all you got was a white disk?

If so, you're in for a real treat. Discover how to solve these problems -- and much more -- as Jim Zuckerman answers 7 of the biggest questions about fireworks, twilight and night photography.

I asked Rob Sheppard what's the one lesson about adding impact he wanted our listeners to take away from this interview.

He gave us so many wonderful tips and hints and good common sense answers throughout the interview I wondered if there was one he felt was most important.

Rob Sheppard's photography is anything but dull. His photographs pop with the wow! factor. I asked him if there's an exercise our listeners can do to create that response in their own photographs.

Rob Sheppard created a new look in this photograph of the Knife River by using artificial light from different sources and different directions. He also used a camera technique we haven't discussed before.

There's a fascinating contrast of light and shadow in this photograph of waterfalls in Minnesota. Rob Sheppard explains how he used his equipment to achieve it.

This picture of sunrise over Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has stunning color. Rob Sheppard describes how he caught all the color.

This photo of a California poppy was taken in Rob Sheppard's back yard. He explains how to get in close to get a vivid shot.

This photograph of Joshua Tree National Park illustrates my belief that having photographers talk about their own images really is one of the most valuable parts of these interviews. Rob Sheppard used a fisheye lens to accentuate the roundness of the boulder in the photo.

I asked Rob Sheppard if he'd share his secrets for great photo composition with our audience. His answer -- there's only one secret. Rob shares that secret.

Using different angles in your outdoor photography to make your photos more interesting seems logical. But how do you combine the angle you shoot from with good composition? Rob Sheppard is an expert at creating exciting pictures and he shares his techniques for using different angles to get different outdoor shots.

Rob Sheppard explained that learning photography techniques to enhance color in your photography can be as simple as learning to look for color.

I asked him if there were ways to learn this because so often we think we know how the color affects the subject or we simply can't see the color to begin with.

Just a quick note for everyone who enjoy Podcast Alley:

You can now find the "7 Photography Questions" Podcast listed.

Visit the 7 Photography Questions Podcast listing here.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-e4402dafc6f41bae0f4844f610f20fc9}

There are whole books devoted to color in photography. Rob Sheppard understands how to see how color affects photos -- sometimes it's good, sometimes it just seems wrong. The background can overwhelm the subject, or the subject is washed out. Rob reiterated one of his favorite tips.

In an earlier part of this interview, Rob Sheppard mentioned that if your subjects blend into the background, it's almost impossible to create photo impact.

Rob has noticed that many beginning photographers are afraid to use backlighting. He revealed a very interesting technique he teaches his students to overcome their fears.

Photographers always talk about 'good' light or 'interesting' light. I asked Rob Sheppard how photographers learn to see good, or interesting light. And once they've found that light, how do they use it to enhance a subject and create a greater impact with their photos?

Photo composition may seem like a pretty straightforward concept, but a lot of photographs lack the wow factor. Rob Sheppard explains what's the first step amateurs should take on their quest for the wow.

Rob Sheppard's very different take on creating great photos suggests photographers rethink how they take their pictures. When I asked him what is the biggest mistake people make, he replied, "A photograph is not a subject."

Find out more about the single biggest mistake amateur photographers make...

Listen to the 7 questions I asked photographer Rob Sheppard about creating impact in your photos. Learn about his background, and how he came to be a photographer. Discover the mindset for creating dramatic photographs. Follow the links to the resources he shares. And look at the photographs Rob Sheppard uses to illustrate how he creates the wow! response in his images.

Wondering how a preeminent photographer uses composition to add the Wow! factor to his photography? Would you like to learn how to add it to yours? Listen to professional photographer, Rob Sheppard, answer seven of the biggest questions about creating the wow response.

Rob answers your key questions about making your photographs stand out.

It seems there's a how-to book for everything -- including selling stock photos. Scott Stulberg identifies the must-have resource, the "bible," that everyone attempting to get into stock photos should have.

I also asked him what is the one thing he most wanted people to remember from this interview.

Scott Stulberg mentioned earlier in the interview that you must get model releases signed by your subjects if you intend to use them in selling stock photos. I understand the need for that. Yet, approaching strangers may seem daunting to many listeners. How do I get over that? Are there any tools you can use?

Scott Stulberg suggests some exercises you can do and provides some great tips to help you be more successful.

In another part of this interview, Scott Stulberg explained that photographs of people with a laptop are sure sellers. This picture of Samburu warriors dressed in traditional garb with a laptop seems like a great example. Scott talks about how much thinking ahead was required to get images like this.

This photograph of a Samburu warrior tells a great story. He seems completely unaware of the photographer. Scott Stulberg describes how he made this all seem so natural.

This photograph of lions is quite unusual - there are four of them in a tree. Scott Stulberg explains why he finds it important to look for the unusual to create stock photographs that sell.

Anyone who has traveled to Paris has photographed the Eiffel Tower. This photograph by Scott Stulberg is different. The twilight and the use of a wide angle lens make for a very interesting picture. Scott explains how he created such an unusual -- and stunning -- image of an iconic landmark.

The face of the child in this photo from Burma is interesting, and this is a best-selling stock photograph. She's wearing traditional makeup, but she's facing away from the camera. Scott Stulberg explains the story behind this photograph.

The next of Scott Stulberg's images is a gorgeous shot of horses. Scott reveals how he uses animals like horses in photo shoots, and what he does to get great, natural-looking results.

Photographing lightning isn't easy. I guess I should say that taking good photographs of lightning isn't easy. Scott Stulberg explains how he managed to get this photo of lightning over downtown Los Angeles.

This photograph of Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur is really something. It's truly awe-inspiring. Scott Stulberg explains how he encountered something that was so beautiful it made his jaw drop.

I'm looking at a really fun photograph of a sea lion. He seems so calm, and disinterested in the photographer. Did Scott Stulberg have any trouble getting the sea lion to "pose?"

This is a charming photograph of a Mexican girl in a mall. Her hair and clothing are just right. Scott Stulberg explained why this is the perfect shot for a stock agency.

I'm looking at a wonderful image of a beach sunset, with a young man playing football. He's in silhouette, and it's just amazing.

Did Scott Stulberg capture this shot with just one exposure?

Scott Stulberg is a master of stock photography, and he brought examples of his work to share with our audience. The first one is an unusual shot of a woman in water. I asked Scott to explain how he managed this stunning photograph.

Successful stock photographers must have some secrets that set them head and shoulders above the rest of us. Selling stock photography isn't easy, as Scott Stulberg has pointed out.

I asked Scott how he became successful. He was generous enough to share his secrets.

I asked Scott Stulberg what exactly is the ideal stock image for an agency. Even if I'm a great photographer, if I take pictures that no one wants to see in advertisements, then I know I'm not going to be successful at taking a stock image. So what should I take pictures of?

I asked Scott Stulberg what subjects agencies buy. And I asked him if listeners should beef up their travel budgets so they can travel to exotic locations to find those subjects. Here's what Scott had to say...

It seems pretty clear you have to be a good photographer to be successful at selling stock photos. Scott has also taught us about the benefits of hard work and good equipment.

But there must be ways to go that one step farther -- to be a great stock photographer.

I asked Scott Stulberg what would be the one thing our listeners should work on more than anything else to be successful.

We've heard Scott Stulberg say that selling to a stock agency isn't easy. Not only do you have to work hard and be relentless, but you also have to be talented. How do you figure out if you're good enough?

Are there ways to compare your photographs to the sort of photographs the agency typically buys? Should you stick with the bigger stock agencies? Does the kind of camera gear you own make a difference?

I asked Scott Stulberg to explore the question of 'good enough.'

I asked Scott Stulberg what mistakes people make when they want to get into stock photography, and if it's possible to make a living selling microstock. He talked about how the business is changing and explained that the big agencies aren't the only players in the game any more.

I asked him how much money one could make selling to microstock agencies, and if he thinks it's worth it.

The allure of selling stock photos to the big agencies obscures the fact you have to be a great photographer to be successful. Agencies aren't just buying anything that comes over the transom.

I asked Scott Stulberg how to avoid the biggest mistake people make when they consider getting into stock photography.

Find out what Scott Stulberg believes is the single biggest people make when they want to earn money selling stock photos.

Low-end microstock agencies have changed the stock photography world. They have made selling stock more accessible to more photographers, but they've also changed the way the great photographers work.

We asked Scott Stulberg if he's felt the effects of the move away from the big agency policies to the less exclusive policies of the microstock agencies.

Read on to find out more about microstock agencies...

Question: As an amateur, I have no idea how to get started in selling stock photos. I know they're the beautiful pictures I see in magazines, but how do they get from my camera into the publication? Do I need to use a stock agency to do this? How do I find one? What am I forgetting to ask?

Scott Stulberg has mastered the art of stock photography. I asked him to explain the world of stock photography and how to get started in it.

This week I interview Scott Stulberg, a very successful stock photographer who is represented by five of the top stock photography agencies. Hear the questions you asked and he answered.

Learn a little about his background and what made him become a stock photographer. We'll give you links to the resources we discuss during the interview, and you can view the stunning photographs Scott describes during the show.

Ever thought you could make your fortune in stock photography? Do you think you're good enough? Do you have any idea how to get started? Listen to master photographer, Scott Stulberg, as he answers seven of your biggest questions about stock photography.

Scott's expert answers will teach you what stock photography is, give you insight into whether or not your photos are good enough to sell to the best stock photography agencies, and he'll instruct you on the nuts and bolts of how to earn money by selling your photographs as stock. He'll demystify the process and show you how to become a successful stock photographer.

How we picked the 7 stock questions to answer...

Lewis Kemper is a nature photography star. I wondered if there was one exercise he'd recommend to help our listeners improve their images of nature, and I asked him for specific techniques that create better photographs.

This is a very interesting effect -- the glow of the Tufa Towers at Mono Lake. I think new technology is changing photography. Purists might argue that we rely too much on it. Lewis Kemper tells us why he's enthusiastic about it.

Pointing your camera at the sun seems counterintuitive -- won't all that light wash out the image? Lewis Kemper aimed his camera right into the sun at Mono Lake and got this incredible shot. He tells us how he did it.

I remember taking photo after photo after photo of snowstorms -- there's something alluring about the freshness of it.

This photograph of snowfall at sunrise is truly amazing -- the blue and pink coloration is quite wonderful. Lewis Kemper tells us how he created it.

This is a remarkable photograph of a roseate spoonbill at the moment of landing on a tree branch. There's so much magic and emotion in the photo. Lewis Kemper tells us what equipment and techniques he used to capture it.

Frequently the shadows in a forest make it difficult to capture distinct images of individual trees. The redwood trees in this picture are so crisp. Lewis Kemper explains how he overcame the problems he'd ever had photographing under these conditions.

This unforgettable photograph of a lake in Iceland owes some of its beauty to luck, some to preparation, and some to nature. Lewis Kemper tells us how he captured such lovely color in this sunrise shot.

This photograph of Old Faithful is absolutely spectacular. Lewis Kemper has spent a lot of his career photographing nature in Yosemite National Park. He explains how he captured this fantastic combination of light and dark.

Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana was a prime subject for Lewis Kemper's use of light and shadow in his nature photography. He explains how he discovered the plantation, and what preparations he made to capture this dramatic shot.

Lewis Kemper is such an accomplished nature photographer that he must have not just tips and hints for making great nature photographs -- he must also have insight and secrets. I asked him what the secrets are of taking spectacular nature photographs.

Lots of our listeners have questions about exposure, and this gave Lewis the opportunity to talk about HDR -- High Dynamic Range.

How does a photographer best handle photographing a very desirable subject where there are extreme contrasts of light?

I asked Lewis Kemper how he visualized a familiar landscape and then made it something new. I wondered how I could inject some life and interest into a subject I know so well? Which aspects of the landscape should I focus on?

In other words, how do you approach a familiar subject (someplace you've been many times or where you live) with a fresh eye?

I asked Lewis Kemper how he prepared ahead of time if he was going to be taking landscape photographs in unfamiliar territory. With the Internet, and all the photography books that have been published, I wondered what resources he used to prepare himself for a unique shot.

More specifically, I asked: When you're traveling through a new scenic area that you are unfamiliar with, what thought process do you use to get the best possible perspective to set up and capture a landscape shot?

The third question is: What are your most tried-and-true methods for achieving absolutely spot-on focus in nature pictures when your subjects are always, unpredictably, moving -- and often into and out of different light?

Find out a great tip on how to deal with light and focus...

A lot of our listeners are concerned about how to be ready to take candid shots. With so much equipment, and the vagaries of light and weather, is it possible to capture a moment without the photograph seeming to be staged?

With so much gear -- not just the camera but also tripod, perhaps flash, etc. -- and choosing the timing for natural light, moon, animals, etc., how do you get the nature shot to look so spontaneous and pristine?

How can you be prepared? Do the same techniques apply to both animal and landscape photos? In other words, how do you bring everything together?

What's the biggest mistake beginners make when they make the leap into nature photography and try to capture the moment? Do they choose the wrong subject? Ignore the light?

Lewis Kemper explains the two vital components to great nature photographs.

Discover the 7 questions nature photographer, Lewis Kemper, answered. Learn a little about his background, and get links to all the resources we discuss during the interview. You'll also be able to view all of the photographs that Lewis uses to illustrate how to capture the moment in nature photography during the interview.

Wondering how to capture the beauty of nature? Listen to world class photographer, Lewis Kemper, answer seven of the biggest questions about capturing the moment in nature photography.

Lewis answers important questions about taking magnificent photographs of the wonder that surrounds us with a focus on how to capture that special moment.

Many of our subscribers wanted to know if there are specific exercises, or learning tools, they can use to improve their flower photography. I asked Tony Sweet if he has any favorites.

Tony's reply...

Tony Sweet discusses the combination of colors in the background and foreground in this beautiful photograph of a flowering dogwood tree.

Tony explained ...

This photograph of an iris is spectacular. I asked Tony Sweet if he used a Lensbaby to create it. The colors and the changes in focus are wonderful.

Tony Sweet answered ...

Tony Sweet's artistry, technique and special equipment allow him to create a spectacular flowering dogwood photo. I asked him how he achieved this great image of a dogwood flower.

Here's Tony's answer...

The dandelion??? A lot of our listeners and readers have asked me to get the inside information from master photographers -- not just their tips and tricks, but their secrets.

Tony Sweet focuses on a common weed, the dandelion, to share some of his principles...

Is the flower the only important part of a photograph? Should you include a background when you're photographing flowers? Should you even think about it? These might not be questions you've considered. Our expert has a fascinating insight on backgrounds.

Read Tony Sweet's answers...

A lot of our listener-submitted questions have been about depth of field, especially in macro photography. Tony Sweet shares a way to use software to achieve things you normally can't using only your camera.

Read Tony's thoughts on how to get more with your macro lens here ...

We've gotten so many questions about macro flower photography -- about taking macro close ups of flowers -- and personally that's generally my favorite approach to taking photographs of flowers.

One subscriber asked, "When shooting macro close-ups of flowers, depth of field becomes critical. Can you give some tips on what to have in sharp focus, what's a blur and is there a way to extend the depth of field to include the entire bloom and still show the minute details of the flower, but still have the background blurred?"

Read Tony's answer here...

Audri Lanford: I'll just take this one step further because we got a lot of questions about what to do when it's breezy or windy. Is this just a simple situation: you can't photograph in wind? Or what can you do?

Do you have any tips for taking a picture of flowers outdoors if there is some wind?

When you're trying to capture the detail and clarity in flower photography, what's the best time of day -- and in what weather -- do you get the best flower photos? And what do you do when the weather doesn't cooperate?

When you're photographing flowers, do you pick the flower first? According to Tony Sweet, that's not the best way to pick your subject.

Audri Lanford: Let's now talk a little bit about choosing your subject. What do you look for when you choose flowers to photograph? In other words, are there special criteria you use to choose the flower, like their shape or their color?

And what is the most striking feature of a flower that makes it a good subject for being photographed?

Read Tony's answer here...

Here's Tony Sweet's answer to the single biggest mistake people make when they take pictures of flowers...

My special guest this week is master flower photographer Tony Sweet. Find out the questions he answered, a little about Tony's background, and get links to all the resources we discuss during the interview. You'll also be able to view all of Tony's photographs that he describes towards the end of the interview.

Want to take your photographs of flowers to the next level? Listen to master photographer, Tony Sweet, answer seven of the biggest questions about photographing flowers.

Tony is going to be answering important questions about taking wonderful photographs of flowers.

You might be wondering...

If you've been following my posts on this site, you've now discovered 9 other reasons to listen to the "7 Photography Questions" Podcast. Today, I want to talk about the most important reason...

Join Dr. Audri Lanford as she explains what you'll gain each week by listening to the "7 Photography Questions" Podcast.