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TWiT Photo Guest Quest Winners!
Don’t miss a chance to watch or listen to your favorite photographers – download the TWiT Photo podcast on iTunes for free :)
The question on everyone’s mind must be: what hasn’t David Bergman done? With 11 covers for Sports Illustrated, including the coveted 2010 Super Bowl, and his distinction as official tour photographer for Bon Jovi, David gets a lot of game. He joins us live in the TWiT studio to discuss his now-famous GigaPan shot of Obama’s inauguration and shows viewers how he processes 600 frames of a GigaPan shot in a live software demo. Also, the music geek shares inside secrets on being a successful music tour photographer, and you won’t want to miss the moment he shocks Leo and Catherine with his gigantic, $10G+ bazooka 600mm F4 Nikon lens.
Here are Dave’s top tips:
1. Visualize the photo you want to make.
2. Shoot details.
3. Learn how to light a portrait.
Find out more by watching the video here or on iTunes. Next week: TWiT Photo Guest Quest winner Robby Cavanaugh, along with a surprise! Have questions, suggestions or praises? Please email photo@twit.tv.
Excellence Is In The Margins
Guest Posts 
2
Wed 02.01.2012
Photographer and writer Guy Tal rises above the white-noise chatter of the blogosphere with his deeply subtle, radically humane reflections on artistic inspiration. Guy approaches life with a unique-order joie de vivre, and as a photographer, his landscape images lend vibrant and fresh energy into the medium. As a writer about the craft of photography, his profoundly philosophical and measured meditations stir my soul. It’s with great excitement that I present to you Guy’s guest contribution — in this moving, incisive essay, he explores why artists create and, alternatively, why we create excuses for our perceived imperfections. Ego and insecurity have no place in our lives, they are but self-fabricated delusions that only interfere with what’s really important in life: quality experiences endowed with truth and meaning.
Follow Guy Tal on Twitter.
Post by Guy Tal. Image by David Fantle
The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.
–Emile Zola
Ever wonder what makes one image “better” than another? In some cases it may be obvious – one may have more compelling subject matter, another might suffer from poor technique, some benefit from fortuitous circumstances (“same place, but with a rainbow on top”) etc. Still, most of these can be canceled out through practice or luck. There is still that “something,” though — that elusive “je ne sais quoi” — that sets off great from good. It is why some can produce great work more consistently than others, even working in the same medium and with the same subjects and using the same tools.
More often than not, the difference comes to something very basic: excellence requires hard work. Those who choose the comfort of motorized access will never have the same selection of locations as those willing to trek on and off the trails. Those who prefer automation to manual control will always be at the mercy of little electronic brains. Those who prefer to work light and fast will rarely produce the same compositional balance and attention to nuances as those who take their time to study, consider, and experiment. Those who are naive enough to believe that clicking the shutter button in the right place at the right time is all it takes to make a great photograph will not benefit from the same versatility of those willing to spend the time studying, and fine-tuning every last pixel in post-processing.
As Thomas Edison put it: genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. In practically every case the better image is a result of more hard labor: more sore muscles, more heavy lifting, more shivering, more sweating, more bleeding, more discomfort, and yes – more posterior-numbing time spent staring at a screen. Better images are almost always the result of commitment and an obsessive drive, of a self-critical state of mind that just won’t settle for “good enough”.
As with so many other things, the law of diminishing returns is very much at play. With some practice, the vast majority of people can consistently make good images. The jump from “good” to “very good” is a steep one, and the one from “very good” to “great” a hundred times so. When you’re close to the edge even small gains come at great cost. That tiny margin at the very height of the game is what excellence is made of. Equipment will only get you so far, even opportunity and vision will only get you so far. That last percentage point is all about you and how far you’re willing to push yourself.
There may come a day when technology allows for visualization, or seeing the finished image in one’s “mind’s eye,” to translate instantly into a great work of art, bypassing laborious trekking, camera controls, and post-processing. Until then, take a long hard look at just how far you’re willing to go for your art. Just how passionate you are, and how much you’re willing to sacrifice.
Call me cynical but when someone protests about the “other guy” having better gear, or using Photoshop, or having more time, I hear excuses. Most of us are fortunate to live in times of opportunity, where our basic needs are met, where information and education are readily available, where almost anyone can do almost anything if they want it badly enough.
Want to explore and experience wild natural beauty but are not comfortable hiking, backpacking, or camping? Get comfortable!
Think your images don’t live up to their potential because you’re not good with Photoshop? Get good!
Want to spend more time outdoors but can’t because of work, or because of where you live? Don’t take the time – make the time!
Passion and hard work and risk and personal sacrifice transform into results. Excuses remain excuses.
Wolfie, a teenage basketball buff and the son of famed NYC-based interior architects Cortney and Robert Novogratz, of Sixx Design and popular reality show Home By Novogratz on HGTV. Last year, I did a 3-day East Coast residency with the family, documenting behind-the-scenes images of this very-cosmopolitan, 10-person clan.
With Wolfie, as with any athlete, the linchpin of capturing a striking, catch-you-off-guard image is the use of dramatic lighting. It accentuates the musculature of the human form, with light wrapping around the limbs to create eye-riveting shadow. Photographer Rick Sammon puts it best: “Light illuminates and shadows define.” For this particular portrait, I began the shoot with lots of complicated light rigging, and then completely cast-off the set-up as ultimately needless. In the end, the simplest set-up – in this case, a Profoto head with medium Chimera softbox was placed at a 45-degree angle on the right side and a white reflector on his left side –produced the Rembrandt-like effect you see here.
TWiT Photo Ep. 41: On the Front Lines with Ron Haviv
TWiT Photo 0
Fri 01.27.2012
Don’t miss a chance to watch or listen to your favorite photographers – download the TWiT Photo podcast on iTunes for free :)
All of us, in our own small way, carry out heroic acts in our daily lives – sometimes, even just waking up in the morning and venturing forth into the world takes courage. Photojournalist Ron Haviv, this week’s TWiT Photo guest, however operates on a completely different playing field than most of us. From his exclusive coverage of the civil war in Yugoslavia to the genocide in Darfur, Ron has made it his life’s work to document conflict zones — often in areas of the world that are despicably brutal and violent — in order to educate others about social inequity and abuses of human rights. Watch the video to hear Ron discuss gaining access into conflict zones, being taken prisoner 3 times in the line of duty, and decompressing after an intense assignment.
Here are Ron’s top tips:
1. Research your stories.
2. Prepare for a multi-platform end result.
3. Use your aesthetics to create a bond with the viewer and the image.
Find out more by watching the video here or on iTunes. Next week: Action photographer David Bergman.
Have questions, suggestions or praises? Please email photo@twit.tv.
One of Martha Stewart’s favorite bridal blogs loves this adventurous wedding couple as much as I do. Brooklyn Bride is one of the online community’s leading bridal blogs, not to mention one of 7 members of the exclusive Martha’s Circle. When I learned that the blog selected my San Francisco engagement-session portraits of Texas residents Gaby & Ryan to be featured on their website, I was truly honored. Check out this dreamy pair’s smoking-hot images on Brooklyn Bride.
10 Tips to Incredibly Successful Public Speaking
Guest Posts 0
Wed 01.25.2012
Everybody has that go-to text that they consider indispensable to their personal or professional growth and game. For some, it might be a pop-psychology self-help title or a favorite French cookbook. For me, David Meerman Scott’s most recent book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, is my latest marketing bible. It is no small honor, then, to have this global leader in web public relations and marketing strategy guest blog for my site. He is not only the author of seven books, but also a highly sought-after public speaker. With a wealth of experience delivering addresses to international audiences, he has developed a power-packed, ten-point toolbox for sharpening your public speaking skills. Here, he shares with you everything you need to know (and then some) about how to maximize your impact when you stand up behind the mic.
Follow David Meerman Scott on Twitter.
Photo of me presenting in Istanbul, Turkey, courtesy of MediaCat.
Post by David Meerman Scott
I’ve been to something like one hundred conferences and corporate events in the past several years as I travel the world delivering keynotes and running seminars. I’ve seen a few great speeches. Sadly, most speeches I see are not very good. Some are downright terrible.
I’ve been collecting some observations on what makes a good presentation and also drawing from my own experience.
Most of us have an opportunity to speak, perhaps at your industry event, or your company’s sales conference, or to a local club.
Make the most of your opportunity.
Take it seriously
If 200 people are in a room and you speak for a half hour, you are taking up 100 hours of people’s time. I see many speakers “wing it” and it makes me feel sorry for the audience. Don’t look bad.
Know the conference organizer’s goals
When I speak, I work with organizers to deliver three goals in equal proportion: Education, entertainment, and motivation. Since I am a paid speaker, I must deliver on all three so the conference organizer is happy they invited me. You need to know the goals for being on the podium too. Why were you invited? How would the organizer define success?
Tell stories
When someone says: “Let me tell you a story…,” you’re interested, right? When someone says: “Let me tell you about my company…,” is your reaction the same? It doesn’t sound like a way you want to spend your valuable time, does it? Stories are exciting. Most presentations are dry. Open with a story. Tell stories to illustrate your point. It’s fascinating to see an audience sit up and pay attention when you start to tell a story on the stage.
Nobody cares about your products (except you)
Yes, it’s just like what I say about Web marketing. What people do care about are themselves and ways to solve their problems. A speech is not about you; it is about your audience. You must resist the urge to hype your products and services. Even if you’re asked to speak about your company or your products, make it about your customers or the problem you solve instead.
Prepare and practice
Run through your presentation as many times as required so that you are completely comfortable with the material. You should know the presentation so well that you could do it without PowerPoint and without notes.
Don’t use PowerPoint as a TelePrompTer
Slides are great for showing images, charts, and the like. Consider showing a short video. But definitely don’t use slides to show bulleted lists of text. Yawn! Way too many people just read off their slides. Don’t! PowerPoint is not a speaker’s crutch; it is a way to illustrate your spoken point. By the way, some of the best speakers don’t use slides at all.
Arrive early
There is nothing worse than a presenter fumbling with technology on a stage. Everyone becomes uncomfortable and it is nearly impossible to make up that bad first impression. You should plan to arrive at the venue with plenty of time to spare and go to the room at least one hour prior to when you go on. You may need to arrive much earlier if there are sessions before yours because you will want to set up and test your equipment and stand on the stage to get a feel of the room. Use the microphone to hear your voice. Get as comfortable as possible with the venue before people arrive (or when they are on a break). The conference organizer and the A/V people will love you for arriving early! And when you are comfortable with logistics, you will deliver a better speech.
Bring an electronic copy of your presentation
I always carry my presentation on a memory stick and wear it around my neck from the moment I step out of my house until after I have presented. I wear it on the plane and in the hotel. I wear it out to dinner. You never know what may happen to your computer (I spilled water on my computer in Brussels once and fried it), so having that backup is comforting.
Don’t go long
When you build a speech and deliver it for the first time, it almost always runs long. Don’t go over time! It’s okay to end short because you can take a few questions, but running long makes the entire event schedule get out of whack. Worse, they may pull you off the stage, which looks awful.
Be aware of body language
My friend Nick Morgan, author of Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma says: “When words and body language are in conflict, body language wins every time.” If you are nervous, it shows. If you don’t believe what you’re saying, it shows. If you aren’t having fun, it shows. And your audience will always react to your body language instead of your words.
After years of snubbing the iPhoneography explosion, my perspective has changed – thanks to my TWiT Photo co-host Leo. I explained to him that I felt the restrictions and limitations of an iPhone limited its use as a creative tool. I am a tech geek and obsessed with gear, and the fluid ease with which I can snap on a wide-angle lens or create a shallow field are at the core of my photography. Leo responded by saying something interesting: “Catherine, don’t limitations prompt growth and a novel approach to a known situation? Think about it,” he said.
His words challenged and inspired me to shrug off my former prejudices about iPhoneography and to figure out how to use their inherently limited capabilities to approach my craft from a fresh angle. This weekend, at a concert with DJ Morgan Page in San Francisco, I took a series of images with Leo’s words in mind. I guess the “Great Resistance” is finally over.
Photographers – Mind Your Manners
Tips + Tricks 2
Mon 01.23.2012
My mom is a typical Southern belle from North Carolina – and she always carries herself with impeccable grace and greets everyone with genuine warmth and a smile. And like every Southern lady worth her salt, she never stands for poor manners – and my siblings and I would get a serious tongue-lashing if we ever misbehaved. Her ability to maintain grace, empathize and stay above it all has greatly influenced how I run my photography business.
I love the latest gadgets – and strive to learn more about the fast-changing photography world daily. When running my business, however, I prefer not to forget old-fashioned values. The world might have changed, but people’s desire for high quality and a trustworthy service provider remains the same. Here are a few old-school values that have helped me in my life and my business:
Build long-term relationships
When you build relationships for the long term, you build a reputable brand and the client base to support it. Too many businesses worry more about profit margins than the people they serve. If you take care of your clients, they will recommend you to friends and family and support the growth of your business. I firmly believe that the real proof of a successful business is when you consistently exceed client expectations creating outspoken “evangelists” for your company. A referral truly is the greatest compliment and strongest marketing tool.
Make something that lasts forever
My mom has an exquisite jewelry box that she’s had on her dresser for as long as I can remember. I love new things and I’m not big on nostalgia. But I do miss craftsmanship, where every item was a work of art and a result of dedication and conscientious effort. A lot of photographers are influenced by current trends of retouching, which seem really cool at the time of production, but your clients end up with images that might not stand the test of time. Be conscious of the difference between innovative advancements and passing trends to create timeless art that you can be proud of – 2, 5, 30 years on.
Listen
This seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes, we allow our ego or impatience to get the best of ourselves. You might not understand the specific needs of your client so take the time to listen. Then, reflect on what they are saying so you can understand things from their perspective. The key is communication and finding a solution that works for both your business and the client.
Honesty – still the best policy
We live in an age where people are fed so much data and so many sales pitches that in many ways, they’ve become jaded and skeptical. Be honest and completely transparent in all client communication (or all communication for that matter). Communicate your style of photography and pricing to the client, and you will attract the right people. You should not compromise on your style of photography or the value of your work for the sake of gaining a new client.
All these old-fashioned values require you to treat people with respect and recognize that you have to take time to nurture client relationships. Treat your client the way you wish to be treated – and you will not only build better and long-lasting client relationships, you will also build a better public perception of your brand.
This article is originally published on GoingPro2010.com.
TWiT Photo 40: Design & Photography with Khoi Vinh
TWiT Photo 0
Fri 01.20.2012
Don’t miss a chance to watch or listen to your favorite photographers – download the TWiT Photo podcast on iTunes for free :)
Fast forward 12 years through art school by learning excellent design lessons from former NYTimes.com Design Director Khoi Vinh. Named one of “The 50 Most Influential Designers in America,” Khoi discusses how learning to see through a camera is a great way to sharpen your design eye. Always wondered about compositional rules, space and geometry in a frame? Watch this episode to learn how to maximize the graphics and colors occurring in nature to create dynamic, complex imagery. Also, Khoi introduces his social collage app, Mixel. Here are Khoi’s top tips (for both photographers and designers):
1. Learning to see through a camera is a great way to sharpen your design eye.
2. The language of photography is an important part of design literacy.
3. Photography is an essential part of social media now; understanding photography as a social element is essential for any UX designer.
Find out more by watching the video here or on iTunes. Next week: Award-winning photojournalist Ron Haviv.
Have questions, suggestions or praises? Please email photo@twit.tv.
Nancy exudes the cool magnetism of a native California girl, while her storied adventures abroad – residing in locations as diverse as Italy and China, New York and Hawaii – lend her a cosmopolitan sensibility that’s irresistible. She’s not only a knock-out, but also a key professional figure in Arcata Associates, an aerospace defense firm founded by her father; a lovely mother to her daughter, Maya; and an avid adventurer who has trekked through Nepal and Peru. Such an accomplished woman doubtless needs an equally passionate and driven partner. And Nancy found him.
Her union with the Colonel Steve, whose own life’s narrative is no less storied, is the stuff of a modern-day fairy tale, with a globe-trotting twist. Steve is a consummate gentleman, whose formative years in Texas, Missouri and Florida instilled in him a love for water sports like scuba diving and a keen desire to venture forth into the world. For 28 years, he served in the Air Force as an F-15C Fighter pilot, and his career allowed him to travel extensively and learn important lessons from other cultures.
It was an immense honor to photograph the elegant, resplendent wedding of Nancy and Steve, and to witness the bond between the bride and her daughter, as well as between the groom and his sons. Below, the always well-spoken bride puts into her own words the story of how it all came to pass:
“Although we first met at a holiday party in 2006, it wasn’t until Steve invited me to his farewell dinner before relocating to Saudi Arabia to lead the USAF military advisors to the Royal Saudi Air Force in July 2008 that we knew it wasn’t the last time we wanted to see one another. We spent that year coordinating phone calls with a time-zone difference of 13 hours, exchanging lots of emails, and even sharing four joyous reunions when Steve would visit the States to visit me and my daughter, Maya.
On February 12, 2010, just before the Year of the Tiger began, Steve proposed in Las Vegas. He executed an elaborate plan that included red roses, champagne, limousine rides, a suite at the JW Marriott, manicures and pedicures for my daughter, my mother and me, as a fantastic dinner at Smith and Wollensky. He really surprised me when he presented a ring box at the dinner table and inside was a ring with Pandora charm in it – what?! After giving me his personal copy of The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, he got down on one knee and proposed with the real ring!”
Wedding Coordinator: Jean Marks Weddings | Videographer: Weddings on Film | Floral/Event Designer: Atelier Joya | Invitation Designer: Bella Figura | Ceremony Venue: Stanford Memorial Church | Reception Venue: Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club | Wedding Gown Designer: Enzoani from Jin Wang | Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Amsale | Make Up/Hair Stylist: Clifford Hashimoto | Any special jewelry: Tacori Wedding band; Pearl bracelet and hair comb by Haute Bride; Chinese jewelry worn at tea ceremony are family heirlooms
