*Photographs: March 2009 Archives

In Bert Monroy's first panorama painting, he set out to capture Damen Station on the Blue Line of Chicago in all its glory . From the tiniest detail of the buildings in the background to his own hidden "easter eggs," Bert explains where this painting comes from.

Bert Monroy's painting of a New York oyster bar is a perfect example of how technology and painting can sometimes trump photography, taking vivid realism to the next level -- in other words, beyond the real.

The key to this late afternoon painting? Detail, both in the objects themselves and the shadows they cast.

This Photoshop painting of an old red truck brings out the best combination of technology and photography imaginable: you won't believe your eyes, especially once you learn all the little tricks that went into creating the effect.

In this painting of an old chair, Bert Monroy demonstrates the surprising versatility of modern technology. You won't believe you're not looking at a photograph!

You'd think the time commitment Bert Monroy made with creating all the various patterns of the beans in his "Bean Bins" Photoshop painting would be enormous. Come to find out, that's not the case at all...

Bert Monroy's "Objects on Cloth" is a stunning example of Photoshop painting, a perfect balance of light, color and shadow created entirely on the computer.

David explains how the use of proper lighting transfers this shot of a corporate executive into sometime a bit more interesting than your average annual report shot.

In this photo of a singing man, David Tejada demonstrates what happens when an ideal subject meets a fantastic photographer.

Anyone can take a shot of a person standing by a plane, so what exactly makes this flight crew shot stand out the way it does?

In an environment where even the spark of static electricity from a hair comb could create an inferno, David Tejada creates art from a series of natural gas tanks.

You might not think of a picture of oil and gas pipelines when you consider dramatic photography, but if you're David Tejada, you know exactly how to use the lighting, the time of day, and the people at your disposal to make an ordinary shot spectacular.

Commercial photography is all about the staging, but sometimes -- as in this photograph of a Myanmar monk -- it's sometimes a snatch and grab that just all comes together for you.

Depth should come naturally to any shot of a rotunda, but as David Tejada explains, part of photography lies in knowing when to shift the image around and get the shot you want.

These days, black and white photography is in everyone's reach, allowing anyone to create fantastic shots like these of the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado -- but, as David Tejada explains, losing something in the process itself.

David Tejada's stone garden pathway is a shot that makes you look twice -- and then again, and again, and again. Here he explains how he captured this intriguing effect with the light.

As much as we all love to grab that perfect shot, David Tejada explains why, in this shot of coal miners, planning is more important than opportunity.

There's nothing quite as adorable -- or as difficult to photograph -- as a smiley baby. Somehow, though, Vik Orenstein manages to catch those tricky but magnificent shots.

Is it the boy's age or his expression that makes his Mom tattoo so completely adorable? In her recent interview, Vik Orenstein explained how she used face paint to create such an impressive visual.