September 2008 Archives

When it comes to taking great fall pictures, location is everything. I asked Jim Zuckerman if he'd share a few of his favorite fall photography spots during his 7 Photography Questions interview. If you want the 4-1-1 on the best places to shoot fall photographs, this is the information you've been waiting for.

Jim had mentioned that a foggy day is one of the best times to shoot fall colors. I knew this would go against what many of our listeners thought to be true, so I asked him to elaborate on this line of thinking. His answer was very enlightening.

Autumn is one of the most gorgeous seasons and pictures of fall colors can be absolutely breathtaking. They can also be a disaster if you're just starting out in fall photography. I asked Jim Zuckerman what our listeners could do to avoid the most common mistake made when photographing autumn landscapes. If you don't want any of your fall photographs to become casualties of this common error, here's what you need to know...

Autumn photography can be one of the most rewarding types of photography to pursue, but it can also be one of the most challenging. The timing must be perfect, the location carefully chosen, the composition well considered, and the equipment and techniques must be precise.

How do you get that magic combination? That's what I was determined to find out during my interview with master photographer Jim Zuckerman. He revealed all this and more during his 7 Photography Questions interview.

Fall can be one of the most scenic times of year, so it goes without saying that photographing fall colors can produce some of the most beautiful pictures. Many people would love to know what it takes to capture the most colorful and vibrant season in a photograph. Jim Zuckerman has the answers.

If you want to know how your fall photography can really define the splendor of the season, you need the insider tricks and techniques the pros use. That's exactly what I hoped to find out when I interviewed master photographer Jim Zuckerman.

I asked Tony Sweet what exercise our listeners could do to improve their HDR photos. After all, practice makes perfect and exercises are the best way to improve your HDR skills. Tony's answer was more than helpful.

This photograph of a barn frame is the perfect example of how HDR can help you achieve a shot that would otherwise be impossible to get. While lighting controls almost all photography shots and tells you what you can and cannot shoot, HDR lets you work around some lighting challenges. Tony Sweet elaborates on this.

At first glance, this picture of a barber chair looks as though it was shot in a dilapidating environment. Tony explains exactly where this picture was taken and how he captured this shot.

This picture taken on Ellis Island isn't just about the scenery. It goes much deeper than that. This shot was taken at one of America's most significant historical sites. Tony Sweet explains where he was when he took it, and what he saw there.

Usually HDR photography involves multiple shots, but Tony Sweet only used one in this image of Justine's. What was the thought behind a one-shot HDR, and how does such a process work? Tony explained in detail the answers to both those questions.

This sage field is so beautiful; it feels almost more like a painting than a photograph. How did Tony create such an amazing shot? In his interview he explained how and why he used not just one software program, but two, for this stunning image.

Oftentimes when photographing storm clouds, the resulting image doesn't do the actual scenery justice. How did Tony Sweet manage to capture this amazing shot? He answered that question in detail during his 7 Photography Questions interview.

This sunrise image is one that truly takes the breath away. Photographs like this just don't "happen" so I asked Tony to explain how he created such a wonderful photo. His answer was very informative.

Night shots are some of the hardest to get, which is why this one of the Baltimore National Aquarium took my breath away. I asked Tony to explain how he got such a detailed shot at night.

During his 7 Photography Questions interview I couldn't help but ask Tony Sweet what he knows now, that he wishes he had known when he started out exploring high dynamic range imaging. His answer was quite surprising.

While most HDR images are attractive, not all of them are spectacular. How do you get yours from mediocre to extraordinary? Tony Sweet offered some guidance during his 7 Photography Questions interview.

Finding great subjects for your photographs isn't always an easy task, and we know that an HDR photo has more technical issues than most other types of photography. Is finding a great subject more complicated too? The answer may surprise you.

Tony had said there were a few common mistakes made when people begin exploring HDR photography, and he wasn't exaggerating. HDR photography is a bit more involved than just pointing and shooting your camera. Here he explains the other common mistake people tend to make.

When people begin exploring HDR photography, there are some common mistakes they seem to make. I asked Tony Sweet if he could explain what these mistakes were and give some tips on how to avoid them.

So if you want to pass by the most common HDR pitfalls, you're going to need this information...

Tony Sweet mentioned tone mapping more than once or twice during his 7 Photography Questions interview. I knew some of our listeners would be thrown by this technical term, so I asked him to elaborate on what it was and how it applies to HDR photography.

When it comes to HDR software, there are quite a few options to choose from. You don't want to invest in software only to discover you made the wrong choice.

Tony Sweet told us which HDR software he prefers for his HDR photography, and why so many pros use it.

Whenever the topic has come up, all of the pros I've spoken with in these interviews have suggested shooting in RAW format rather than JPEG or TIFF. A subscriber asked if Tony Sweet felt the same. We got to the bottom of whether or not RAW was right for HDR, and why.

A point and shoot digital camera is so easy to use, but is it capable of handling HDR photography? That's exactly what I asked Tony Sweet during his 7 Photography Questions interview. Here's what he had to say...

Everyone knows that photography isn't a cheap hobby or profession, and HDR high dynamic range photography is no exception to that rule. We asked Tony Sweet what equipment is essential for doing HDR. The shopping list he provided wasn't as long as you might think.

Many people have heard about high dynamic range photography, but so many amateur photographers have no idea what it really is. So if you're not sure what HDR means or what it entails, you're certainly not alone. I asked Tony Sweet to explain the technology and techniques behind HDR during his 7 Photography Questions interview.

High dynamic range photography treads where our cameras (and sometimes even the human eye) cannot. Dramatic images can be achieved, and the weaknesses caused by the limitations of equipment and exposure can become a thing of the past.

We begin with what (exactly) high dynamic range photography is and how it works. We then explore the important questions, along with the secrets and techniques that set apart the pros from the beginners. Tony Sweet has the answers and he reveals it all during this 7 Photography Questions interview.

HDR photography can take photographers beyond the limitations of their cameras. Exposure and light can be manipulated like never before to create images that used to be impossible.

The problem is, not everyone truly understands what High Dynamic Range or HDR photography is and how it can be used to create amazing photographs.

If you want to learn to manipulate your exposures and create breathtaking photographs with details in the shadows, midtones and highlights (instead of just one or the other), then you need to learn about HDR, and that's exactly what Tony Sweet's 7 Photography Questions interview will teach you.

Bill Neill covered quite a bit of information during his landscape photography interview. I asked him what was the single most important thing he wanted our listeners to remember. Here is his answer...

It's always great to get advice from an expert, so I asked Bill to recommend a few landscape photography tips and exercises to help improve our landscape photographs. He was happy to oblige and provided some very helpful information.

What makes this photograph of the green meadow so special? It is a great example of how one of Bill Neill's favorite techniques works so well for landscape photography.

Bill Neill's picture of a Carmel beach has a feeling of mystery and an interesting texture. How did he create the mood? He explained his technique during his 7 Photography Questions interview.

How did Bill Neill get this beautiful shot of a winter forest? Great photographs aren't just a matter of composition or technique, but rather a mixture of both. Bill demonstrates that as he explains what went into creating this unique photograph.

This shot of giant sequoias looks like it was planned. After all, you'd have to scout out such a wonderful photo opportunity, wouldn't you? According to Bill Neill, that's the furthest thing from what happened here.

We've heard of impressionistic art, but how exactly did Bill Neill get this impressionistic green fields photograph? He explained the technique during his 7 Photography Questions interview.

Sometimes simplicity is what makes up the best landscape photographs, as evidenced in this beautiful shot of King's Pond. Bill Neill explains how he got this amazing shot, the concept behind it and the equipment he used.

This shot of Half Dome was taken on a day that many other photographers were shooting. How can multiple photographers be shooting the same thing, with the outcomes of the photographs being so different? Bill Neill explains...

This image of dawn at Lake Louise is one of Bill Neill's most successful photographs, not to mention his favorite. You'd think he'd remember having taken it!

Here he explains how instinct played a part in this amazing photograph.

Every master photographer has their secrets, so I asked Bill Neill what his were for getting such amazing landscape photographs. While some pros would be wary of sharing the secrets that set them apart from the rest, Bill was more than happy to offer his up to our listeners.

One of our listeners wanted to know the best way to handle white balance, shutter and aperture settings in snowy environments for her trip to Yellowstone. When we handed the question over to expert Bill Neill, he offered some excellent tips and pointers.

What goes into the creation of great landscape photos? That's exactly what I asked Bill Neill during his 7 Photography Questions interview. Here's what he said...

Sometimes capturing unique landscape images is easier said than done, especially when you're dealing with scenery that's commonly photographed. I asked Bill Neill how to go about creating new shots of familiar places -- places that have been photographed a million times before. He provided some very creative advice...

Bill had mentioned a tilt shift lens earlier on in the interview. I asked him to elaborate on what a tilt shift lens was for the listeners who didn't know. He did a great job of explaining it.

After Bill had explained his camera, tripod and lens preferences, I asked him if there was additional equipment he felt was essential to great landscape photography. His answer was very helpful.

Not all cameras are created equal, and many of our listeners wanted to know which camera Bill Neill uses when photographing landscapes. He was generous enough to let us in on his secret.

Many of our listeners wanted to ask Bill Neill about fall colors. We all know fall is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. We had quite a few people ask how to capture the vibrant colors of the season in landscape photographs. Bill's answer was quite helpful.

When people set out to take landscape photographs, there are common mistake they frequently make. I asked Bill what the biggest mistake was and how landscape photographers can avoid it. His answer offered some excellent tips and advice.

Landscape photography definitely isn't just a matter of looking at the scenery and snapping a few shots. There has to be passion -- an appreciation for the beauty and majesty of the scenery surrounding you.

Of course, skill and technique do play their part as well. That's where world class landscape photographer Bill Neill comes in.

I talked with Bill and asked him seven of the top questions about landscape photography. Find out which questions Bill answers, how he composes his amazing landscape shots, which landscape photography rules he lives by the equipment he can't live without during this 7 Photography Questions interview.

Landscape photography is one of the most inspiring of photography pursuits. Capturing the splendor of the ocean, the majesty of the mountains, the ambiance of a sunset -- it's truly an art.

Photographing the beauty of a landscape does not come without challenges, however.

If you want to do your landscapes justice, it helps to follow the advice of an expert, and we have just the expert to turn to. Award-winning photographer William Neill was kind enough to "drop in" and answer our listeners' top 7 photography questions.

Bobbi Lane had shared so much valuable information during her portrait photography interview that I was reluctant to let her go. I asked her to reflect on the one thing she wanted people to remember about what she had said. Her answer was rather enlightening.

What's the best way to improve your natural light portraits? What are some exercises that can help increase your experience and skill? That's exactly what I asked Bobbi Lane during her 7 Photography Questions interview. She offered some great advice.

Shooting a natural light portrait can be more challenging than shooting the typical studio head shot. Without the use of diffusers, reflectors and flash you have to work with what light is available.

Bobbi Lane explains how she did just that when shooting this beautiful natural light portrait.

How did Bobbi Lane capture this heartwarming photo of a family in New Mexico? Even the pets posed for the shot! Bobbi took the time to explain the elements that went into capturing this beautiful moment in time.

How did Bobbi Lane get this tranquil photograph of a Shoshone Bannock tribe member -- especially when there was chaos all around? Sometimes we want the concept of our photo to be the exact opposite of the environment we're actually photographing in. Bobbie explains how she did just that.

How did Bobbi Lane get this amazing photo of a man in a Dubai souk? During her 7 Photography Questions interview, she explained how, in a foreign land where she didn't speak the language, she was able to break barriers (and rules) to get this one-in-a-million shot.

Why doesn't Bobbi Lane's portrait of this Saudi man capture his eyes? While it's true that the eyes are usually an important part of a portrait, in some cases hiding them gets the point of the picture across better. Bobbi Lane explained this line of thinking during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

Sometimes rules need to be broken, and Bobbi Lane understood that all too well when she took this photograph of a New Mexico weaver. Here she explains how she actually used direct sunlight in the composition of this shot.

This head shot of the girl with beautiful eyes is a perfect example of how natural light can create dramatic effects in photography. Bobbi Lane explains how she got this amazing shot without the use of flash or reflectors.

How did Bobbi Lane capture this stunning portrait of the dark haired girl? How did she get the lighting to fall so dramatically upon her face? During Bobbi's 7 Photography Questions interview, she explained how she used natural lighting to get this amazing portrait.

All master photographers have "secrets" for getting amazing shots, and I asked Bobbi Lane what hers were for getting such great natural light portraits. Here's her answer...

Shooting portraits in natural sunlight presents several important challenges. Is it possible to get great candids using natural sunlight? Bobbi Lane offered some great advice during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

Capturing a natural light portrait when your light keeps on moving and changing can present quite a challenge, and one of our listeners wanted to know how to overcome that problem. Bobbi Lane offers up some advice...

During her interview Bobbi Lane referred to terms such as butterfly lighting, split lighting and Rembrandt lighting. I asked her to explain using reflectors and these lighting types and what these types of lighting really mean.

When shooting portrait photography, shadows can be your best friend or your worst enemy. How do you use them to your advantage? Bobbi Lane had some tips to offer during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

It may seem that portable flash and fill flash are the ultimate sacrilege of portrait photography. I couldn't help but ask Bobbi if she ever uses them. Her answer was very insightful.

Many of us have heard of light diffusers, but we don't really understand what they are, what they look like and how they work. I asked Bobbi to shed some light on the subject during her 7 Photography Questions interview. Here's what she had to say...

Good photographers know that the camera and lens aren't the only important pieces of digital camera gear they need for a shoot. I asked Bobbi Lane what other equipment she recommends, and she offered some great advice.

When it comes to portrait photography, the right lens can make all the difference in the world. I asked Bobbi what lens she uses the most. She was more than happy to share that information with our listeners.

Bobbi Lane says that using natural light in photography is crucial if you want to take great portraits. Many assume this means the time of day in which she can shoot her portraits is limited. Here Bobbi explains how, counter-intuitively, she uses natural light at any time of the day.

Making mistakes when taking photography portraits can be a nightmare. Not only does it effect the outcome of the portraits themselves, but it can also effect the way your subjects feel about you as a photographer.

I asked Bobbi Lane what is the single most common mistake people make when taking photography portraits. Not surprisingly, her answer was very insightful.

Portrait photography can be one of the most difficult forms of photography to master. It's your job to make your subject look their best. The lighting, shadows and poses must all work together.

You have to know what equipment to use, how to use it and how to put together a shot that brings out the best in your subject. Fortunately, master portrait photographer Bobbi Lane was more than willing to share helpful tips and advice during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

Find out which questions Bobbi answers, what she does to put her subjects in the best light, what equipment she uses and how she creates such stunning portrait shots in this 7 Photography Questions interview.

Many people feel that portrait photography is one of the most difficult areas of photography to master. After all, people want their portraits to look good (and they can become quite irate if you don't show them at their best). If you want to bring out the best in your subjects, you have to know what you're doing.

Fortunately, professional photographer Bobbi Lane is a master at using natural light to create amazing portraits. She was more than willing to share some portrait photography tips during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

As the interview drew to a close, I asked Jenni what was the single most important thing she wanted our listeners to take away from her 7 Photography Questions interview. Her answer was very enlightening.

At the conclusion of my interview with Jenni Bidner I asked her if she could share some of her secrets for getting such amazing photographs of dogs. She was more than willing to share some advice with our listeners.

After studying wolves for quite some time and working with search and rescue dogs, Jenni Bidner knows that dogs and wolves are very similar... yet very different. These pictures show the similarities between the two.

How did Jenni Bidner capture this captivating photo of her German Shorthaired Pointer? Here she explains why timing is so important and how proper panning can have a dramatic effect on photographs of your dog in motion.

This picture of a wolf puppy pouncing is the perfect example of a moment in time that must be captured quickly. In a blink, it's over and if you're not ready, the shot is gone forever.

Jenni Bidner explains how she was prepared to capture this adorable wolf puppy picture.

Dogs don't always kiss on command and getting them to do it long enough for a photo isn't easy, which is why this heartwarming shot of a dog kissing a boy is so impressive.

How did Jenni Bidner manage to capture it? She shared her secrets during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

How did Jenni get such a remarkable difference in the before and after shots of this blue eyed dog? She shared her secrets during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

Jennifer Bidner tells us how she captured this amusing shot of a dog in the window, even though this particular pooch hates having her photograph taken.

Where you stand when taking a photograph can make a big difference, as Jenni Bidner proves in this Border Collie photo comparison. Here she explains how she got the two different shots.

How can one German Shepherd picture look so different from another -- if it's the very same dog? Jenni Bidner explains as she discusses these before and after shots.

Jenni Bidner's books have some of her most captivating photographs on their covers. She shared those and several of her other wonderful photographs with us during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

How do you improve your dog photography skills? Jenni Bidner's answers might surprise you. She offers two excellent suggestions that will help you take your dog photography to the next level...

Capturing your pet's personality in dog photographs isn't always easy. It's a breeze to get a picture of how your dog looks, but how do you capture the true essence of who he or she really is? Jenni Bidner offered some very insightful advice.

Most dogs have dark eyes, so red eye correction often becomes an important aspect of pet photography. We asked Jenni Bidner how she prevents red eye and green eye in her dog photographs. She had some helpful advice to offer.

Plus, Jenni offered an important -- but little known -- dog health tip as well...

When you're doing black dog photography, there are quite a few obstacles to overcome. It's easy to lose the details of the dog in all that darkness. I asked Jenni Bidner if she had any advice to offer. Once again, she came through with some very insightful answers.

Every craft has its "tools of the trade" and professional pet photography is no different. I asked Jenni Bidner what must-have equipment she recommends for pet photographers. She was more than willing to give us some pointers.

Every good photographer knows that not all lenses are created equal, so I asked Jenni Bidner which lens was her favorite for use in professional pet photography. She was more than willing to share that information with our listeners.

Jenni Bidner was more than happy to share the techniques she uses to keep her subjects' noses out of the camera when she's photographing dogs. She went on to give even more great advice.

We've all been there -- we want to get a great dog photo of our beloved pooch but the moment we raise the camera and try to get the dog to look at us, Fido is all up in our face. Oftentimes dog's are interested in what we're doing and are not interested in the least in posing for a pic.

How do you overcome this obstacle? Jenni Bidner offered some advice...

When it comes to taking dog photographs, there are common mistakes and pitfalls you want to avoid. Fortunately, you don't have to tread into this territory blindly. Jenni Bidner was more than willing to share some tips on how to avoid the most common dog photography mistakes during her 7 Photography Questions interview.

Dog photography is an art, and it takes the right mix of skill and experience to get it right. While many of us may have raw talent, there are few who have the years of experience necessary to truly bring out the best in man's best friend. Fortunately, Jenni Bidner was more than willing to share some tips and advice.

Discover which questions Jenni provides the answers to, what equipment she recommends, how she gets her subjects to cooperate and the best way to tackle your dog photography projects in this 7 Photography Questions interview.

Dog photography can be quite a challenging undertaking. After all, not many photographers can say they work with subjects who don't speak their language, let alone subjects who may bite if not kept happy.

Fortunately, we have just the expert to turn to for dog photography advice. Renowned dog photographer Jenni Bidner was more than willing to share her knowledge and expertise during our 7 Photography Questions interview.

I asked Vik what was the one single-most important thing she wanted people to remember from her interview about kids photography. Her answer was both insightful and intriguing.

Practice makes perfect, and if you really want to improve your photography of children, there are things you'll want to do on a regular basis. Vik Orenstein had some advice on how our listeners could improve their photography skills.

Sometimes the subjects of your photographs just do not want to cooperate, which is exactly what happened to Vik Orenstein when she was trying to take pictures of a puppy and a dog.

How did she get them to cooperate with the shoot? The tale is quite interesting...