July 2008 Archives

When you're taking pictures of babies and siblings, it can oftentimes be hard to get a great pose. After all, you can't tell a newborn to tilt her head that way, put her hand this way and smile for the camera. And siblings can become bored and frustrated fast.

We asked Carrie Sandoval if she had any suggestions for poses that work especially well for babies with siblings, and she certainly did!

When it comes to baby photography ideas, Carrie Sandoval is a fountain of knowledge. We asked her for some tips for parents who wanted to take photographs with their newborns. She came up with some very helpful advice.

A newborn baby is so fragile and sensitive. Even though they're out of the womb, they're obviously at a delicate developmental stage. The last thing a parent or photographer would want to do is hurt a baby's eyes. Is it safe to use a flash?

Carrie Sandoval sheds some light on the subject... ;-)

A newborn grows and changes every day and they're so delicate and fragile, it's hard to know when it's okay to take photographs or how long you should wait. Carrie Sandoval had some very insightful information for our listeners when I asked her how soon a newborn could be photographed.

When it comes to taking photos of babies, the right camera settings can make all the difference in the world. And what about the right wardrobe?

I asked master baby photographer Carrie Sandoval what camera settings she suggests for this precious, yet challenging, task and what babies should wear when they're photographed. She gave us some very helpful pointers.

The lens you use to shoot your baby photos has a huge impact on the results you produce. The right lens can mean the difference between a stunning work of art and a less-than-stellar snapshot.

I asked Carrie Sandoval what lens she recommends for such an important task. She had an insightful answer ready to go.

Carrie Sandoval has been taking breathtaking baby photographs since 2006. Her work is definitely stunning and each shot shines with her passion and love of newborns. We asked her what the biggest mistake is that people make when shooting baby photographs.

Carrie was quite familiar with the answer to that question, as she had made the very same mistake herself when she first started out. She offered our listeners some simple and straightforward advice.

If there's anything you wanted to know about baby photography, you're in luck. I'm interviewing Carrie Sandoval, one of the country's most talented baby photographers, and she's agreed to answer our listeners' top 7 baby photography questions.

Find out the 7 questions Carrie tackles, what resources and props she recommends, and the photographs she talks about during her 7 Photography Questions interview. Join us as Carrie shares her expertise with our listeners...

When it comes to baby photography, you definitely want to get it right the first time. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.

Babies are precious - but that precious babyhood phase only lasts a short time. In the blink of an eye they're asking for the keys to the car and demanding money for gas (while refusing to tell you where they were the night before). Oh the joys of parenthood. Pretty soon, the only evidence we have of the angel our child once was is the baby photographs from the past.

Fortunately, we've got a expert who is willing to share her secrets of baby photography with you. Carrie Sandoval, a professional baby photographer who has managed to capture the essence of innocence in her work, shares some professional baby photography tips and insider secrets as she answers the top 7 questions of baby photography.

Are you looking for the photography techniques that will make your travel photos really stand out from the crowd?

Every craft has its insider secrets -- certain tips and tricks that are used by the pros. The world of photography is no different. Fortunately, Brenda Tharp is kind enough to share some of these photography secrets -- and some exercises to master them -- with us.

Brenda Tharp's photo of a Bangkok temple shows just how much depth one can get into their photographs, if they know how. Here she talks about how her techniques helped capture this breathtaking image.

When Brenda Tharp set her sights on the Gherkin Building, she was able to find the humor in the contrast of its architecture when compared to the surrounding buildings of yesteryear.

Brenda shares how she emphasized the sheer mass of this modern marvel after the actual shot was taken.

When you're photographing dozens of prayer wheels, they can all start to look the same. That's what Brenda Tharp discovered during a recent trip to Bhutan. Then she thought up a way to make her prayer wheel photographs different.

Sometimes it's more than just light that makes a picture perfect, as Brenda's candid shot of this Bhutan monk clearly proves.

Brenda used just the right mixture of lighting and candid photography to create a shot that really makes an impression

Brenda explains what a wonderful subject the Bhutan man featured in this portrait turned out to be.

Not all travel photos can be considered awe-inspiring or breathtaking. Any of us who have had to sit through a friend's less-than-stellar vacation slide show understand this fact all too well.

If you want to get shots that people clamor to see, Brenda Tharp is the person to ask. Here's her advice on getting the dramatic travel photos everyone will be delighted to view.

After explaining to us how she decides which pieces of photography equipment to bring with her on a trip, Brenda went on to tell us about two items she wouldn't leave home without. I think our listeners will find her answers very interesting.

Traveling light is important, today more than ever, thanks to the tighter baggage restrictions imposed by the airlines.

What photography equipment is essential to take with you and what can safely be left behind? Brenda Tharp sheds some light on the subject.

Obviously, not every vacation photo is created equal. Some show shots of places and people, while others actually capture the mood and experience of the places being visited.

How can you be sure yours will fall into the latter category? Brenda Tharp had some great suggestions during her recent 7 Photography Questions interview.

When you're traveling with your family, it's only natural to want your kids in the shots of your photography sites.

But how do you best accomplish that feat? How do you focus on one without detracting from the other? That's exactly what one of our listeners wanted to know during our interview with Brenda Tharp. When we asked, Brenda obliged us with some very insightful answers.

It seems that many travel photographers wonder whether or not they should pay a subject of a travel photo.

You don't want to cheat a subject out of money he or she deserves, but, on the other hand, you don't want to be throwing dollars into the wind if payment is not customary.

Brenda Tharp has some great suggestions regarding how to handle payment to your travel photo subjects.

You're in Africa taking the most beautiful travel photographs. You capture a candid of a family making their way home after a day of gathering crops. It's an amazing image. The question is, do you need to get a model release from this family (who may, or may not speak the same language as you) or can you publish it without permission?

Brenda Tharp will surprise many people as she sheds some light on the answer...

When you're a stranger in a strange land, getting candid portraits of the locals isn't always easy. There are language barriers and cultural differences to consider, not to mention the anxiety of pointing a camera at someone you've never met.

Brenda Tharp gives us some helpful pointers for getting over these barriers to get some wonderful portraits.

Brenda Tharp has been perfecting travel photography for many years and has become quite the master of her craft. We asked her: what is the single biggest travel photography mistake people make when shooting their travel photos?

Brenda acknowledged that while there are quite a few pitfalls one can fall into when taking
vacation photographs, the most common -- one which almost no one thinks about, yet it has a profound impact on the quality of the photos -- is a matter of distance...

Find out what you most likely wanted to know about travel photography as I interview Brenda Tharp, asking her our listeners' top 7 travel photography questions.

Find out what 7 questions Brenda answers, a bit about her background, the resources Brenda mentions during the podcast, and view the photographs Brenda talks about during the podcast.. Join us as Brenda shares her travel photography secrets with our listeners.

Have you ever come home from a trip only to discover your travel photos hadn't captured the experience the way you had hoped? You didn't quite get the landscapes right and, even though you took dozens of snapshots, you seemed to photograph everything but the highlights?

Well, we can't get back your past travel experiences for you, but we can make sure the mistakes of history don't repeat themselves. Award-winning travel photographer Brenda Tharp shares her travel photography tips, tricks and secrets as we ask her the top seven questions about travel photography.

Roy Toft has shown us some spectacular wildlife photographs and shared many tips, techniques and secrets to help us improve our own photography skills.

I asked him what's the one thing he thinks is most important to remember from this interview when photographing wildlife. Roy reminds us to enjoy yourself, and also shares some resources you can use.

Roy Toft has generously shared tips and techniques he uses in his wildlife photography that anyone can use. I asked him if there were specific exercises our listeners could do to improve their photos. He shares two that you should have fun with.

Red eye tree frogs are almost never photographed in the wild. In this unique, tightly cropped image of a red eye tree frog, Roy Toft explains how he photographed this animal in its natural environment, and what makes it special.

Roy Toft takes the "rule of thirds" to the extreme with this photograph of a lion in a sea of grass.

Roy mentioned earlier that, when he has the opportunity, he likes to take some photographs of just the most interesting parts of an animal. This image of a brown bear is a great example.

Here Roy explains his thinking behind this photograph.

This next photograph of a chameleon uses a wide angle fish-eye lens to create a very interesting effect. By shooting very close to the chameleon using this lens, it has an almost other-worldly appearance.

This photograph of an African wild dog is one of Roy Toft's favorite images he's ever taken. It won the BBC Endangered Species Award this year.

This photograph illustrates how panning at a slow shutter speed creates great backgrounds and very interesting wildlife photographs.

Roy Toft shared some of the how-to on switching the auto focus away from the shutter button on your digital camera in the previous post.

Here he goes into further detail about how to use this auto focus function, and why this will improve your digital photography.

A secret about autofocus? Roy Toft has talked about shutter speeds, panning, using a tripod and investing in a good long lens as ways to improve your wildlife photography. His tip to get eye-to-eye with your subject, and to see the parts of your subject as potential photographs are great.

Now Roy shares a secret for isolating the autofocus function of your camera, which has personally transformed how I take photographs -- it's an amazing tip.

Roy Toft says his tips for photographing wildlife aren't really secrets -- but he's definitely touched on ideas our listeners probably have not thought of.

He continues to explain how to improve your photography, including getting eye-to-eye with wildlife, and figuring out what makes a photograph interesting.

Earlier, Roy Toft shared one of his tips for shooting great wildlife photographs. He talked about panning and using a slow shutter speed to show movement and create a mood. Here he explains this in greater detail.

Roy Toft takes stunning wildlife pictures. In Part 1 of our first podcast with Roy, we discussed equipment and working in the field.

To continue, I asked him if he would share a couple of his secrets. Roy shared 4 great tips, and the techniques he uses.

Wildlife photographer Roy Toft concludes his interview with host Dr. Audri Lanford by answering the remaining questions our listeners submitted. Here are the questions, as well as the 5 wildlife photographs Roy talks about during the interview.

You can also learn about Roy's background, find the resources Roy mentions, and more.

Master wildlife photographer Roy Toft continues offering more great tips on how to take better wildlife photographs in Part 2 of this podcast. Roy also tells the story behind five of his own photographs.

And if you haven't listened to Part 1 of Roy's interview on wildlife photography, you can do so here.

Roy's answer to question #6 is my favorite part of this podcast.

Roy Toft has emphasized the need to remain in a setting and work it. A listener wanted to know how many pictures Roy usually takes of a specific animal in a situation he was working. Roy gives some rules of thumb.

Since Roy Toft is a professional wildlife photographer, he is frequently on assignment. One of our listeners wondered if he goes to a certain area with the intention of photographing a specific animal or if he picks a place and photographs anything and everything that seems interesting.

One of our listeners is going on a photo safari in Africa this summer, and wants to be able to take the best photos possible.

Since the listener has a good camera and a good telephoto lens, he asked Roy Toft what suggestions Roy could give us to get great photos in a unique location like an African photo safari. Roy gives several great tips, and explains how important catching the right light is.

Earlier, Roy Toft gave us his recommendations on lenses, and mentioned that our photography would improve with the use of a tripod. I asked him if there was any other gear we needed to give our wildlife photos a little something extra, and whether this gear is affordable. Roy covers his list of basics.

Our next question is about what equipment you need to take on a on a wildlife photography trip.

What gear is most important? What lenses and other paraphernalia do you really need for (amateur) wildlife photography? Is it very expensive -- or can I get started on a budget? Roy Toft offers general guidelines, as well as some specific tips.

I asked Roy Toft if he had any tips for our listeners who want to travel to these two locations -- Yellowstone and Denali -- to photograph wildlife. His simple, sound advice will make your trip more successful, and help you save time and money in the process.

One of our listeners asked: "What photography sites are there for capturing images of wildlife that aren't exotic? I'm interested in photographing a large variety of animals from moose to wolves to bears, but I'm not so interested in birds. Where in the United States would you recommend I visit -- and at what times of year? Any tips you can offer?"

Roy suggests several of the best places to photograph wildlife in the US...

Roy Toft's wildlife photographs are exceptional in their portrayal of animals in their natural elements. I asked him: what is the single biggest mistake people make when they photograph wildlife?

Roy says that there are certainly many mistakes amateur photographer make, and he explains how to get the most out of each photographic situation to make interesting wildlife photos...

As I mentioned, Wildlife photographer Roy Toft told me that about 99% of the wildlife photographs are taken of animals held in captivity: wildlife parks, zoos, and at other places where photographers can easily go and photograph them.

Roy, on the other hand, travels into the field to photograph wildlife in their natural habitat. He describes the three reasons he spends so much time in the field.

Wildlife photographer Roy Toft answered 7 of the biggest questions our viewers submitted. Discover what those questions were and how he answered them.

Learn about Roy's background, and how he came to be a wildlife photographer. View the terrific wildlife images he shared with us and listen to his instructions on becoming a successful photographer. Come behind the scenes as Roy Toft reveals how to photograph wildlife -- in the wild.

Have you ever wanted to photograph wildlife in the wild? Find out what you need to know about wildlife photography from Roy Toft as he answers 7 of the biggest questions about photographing animals in their natural habitat.

It turns out that about 99% of the photographs of say, tigers, are of animals held in captivity. These tigers are at wildlife parks, zoos, and other places where photographers can easily go and photograph them. That's NOT what Roy focuses on.

Jim Zuckerman has shared some great techniques for night photography. I asked him what's the best way for our audience to learn more about the resources he recommends.

Night photography has some difficult components, most notably the lack of light. Jim Zuckerman suggests exercises that our listeners can do to improve their twilight and night photography.

This is a terrific photo of a Saguaro cactus with lightning behind it. Jim Zuckerman explains how he created it. He also gives his recommendations for the best places in the United States to photograph lightning.

There's lots of detail in this photo of a full moon -- it's much more dramatic than a simple white disk! Jim Zuckerman experimented with a telephoto lens to create this image.

Jim Zuckerman explains how this photo of the pre-9/11 New York skyline might be improved by having a picture of the moon inserted.

The perspective is exaggerated in this dramatic shot of the Eiffel Tower during foggy weather. Jim Zuckerman explains how this effect was created.

Jim Zuckerman illustrates how you can capture contrast, even when it's hazy, with this exceptional photograph of the Baha'i Temple in New Delhi.

Jim Zuckerman shared his method for taking this aerial photograph of Vernazza.

One of the most valuable parts of the 7 Photography Questions podcasts has turned out to be having the photographers talk about their photographs, and share examples with us. Jim Zuckerman starts with this stunning photograph of Manarola at twilight.

Some of my favorite answers from photographers arise when I ask them if they can share a couple of their secrets. I asked Jim Zuckerman to let us in on his secrets for great twilight and night photography.

Another subscriber wrote: I love photographing cities at twilight. Can you give some suggestions to make my pictures more dramatic and creative? Jim Zuckerman shares his counterintuitive methods.

I asked Jim Zuckerman if he had any other tips for photographing the moon. He shared his techniques, and divulged the one shot he'd love to take, but will never be able to.

Another subscriber said he's an astronomy buff, but whenever he tries to photograph the moon, it just comes out as a white disk.

What's he doing wrong, and what can he do to get interesting shots of the moon? Jim Zuckerman explains how to handle this special situation.

One of our subscribers asked: How in the world do you capture lightning in a photograph? Lightning happens so quickly. Jim Zuckerman shared his techniques.

Another part of the night photography equation seems to be whether or not to use flash. I asked Jim Zuckerman to talk about using, or not using, a flash. He explained why it's not a good idea.

With the Fourth of July coming up, there's a lot of interest in how to take good photos of fireworks. What's the single biggest mistake people make that leads to poor photographs of fireworks?

If you can't use your light meter for your night photography, and you can't use flash if it's something far away, what do you do?

Jim Zuckerman explains how to use the exposure compensation dial on your camera.

Jim Zuckerman shows three examples of fireworks photographs and explains how to photograph fireworks without creating a muddled mess.

This simple photo of the Statue of Liberty was enhanced by the addition of fireworks. Jim Zuckerman gives step-by-step instructions on how it's done.

Jim starts off the