Blog
Don’t Skip Skip’s Summer School 2012
Blog, From The Studio, Out + About 
0
Mon 06.25.2012
Are you a new photographer just starting your business? Are you a seasoned veteran looking to stay current with techniques and technology? Need new friends and contacts? Then Skip’s Summer School is the place for you! This year’s schedule is expanded and better than ever. There are 7 interactive programs to select from, or if you prefer a 2 day film-making class. Class sizes are limited to 20 students to ensure a quality learning experience.
In addition to the smaller classes, there are 3 evening sessions open for all attendees:
- Skip Cohen and Melissa Ghionis talk about the sometimes forgotten skill of great Customer Service. The easiest way to solve problems is to avoid them in the first place.
- Monday evening I’ll be showing how to develop a marketing plan to meet your business goals. Photography isn’t like Field of Dreams, you can’t just set up shop and expect the masses to show up to hire you.
- Are you looking for information and tips on getting your photos published? There’s a session for that too! Resource Magazine will be on hand to relate what publishers are looking for.
- Bob and Dawn Davis, Kevin and Clare Kubota and Vicki and Jed Taufer talk about a new trend – working with your spouse. These three couples have learned how to make it work, both personally and professionally.
- Sal Cincotta wraps up with the closing program discussing the importance of remembering that your photography is a business too.
Check out the great video from last year’s School and Scott’s website for more information and registration.
I hope to see you there!
I had such a wonderful time on the live Google+ On Air Hangout Photo Talk Plus episode #25 with Thomas Hawk and Lotus Carroll. Thank you so much for making me feel at home, and inviting such a great group of panelists and chat room. I always enjoy talking photography with others who share the passion.
A few highlights:
SEE MY INTERVIEW at 53:00 MARK
FIND OUT WHY you should always get a model release at 1:34:20 MARK
Congratulations on hitting the quarter century mark on your show – I look forward to seeing many many more shows!
Tip of the Week: Use Patterns to Elevate your Photography
Blog, Tips + Tricks 0
Mon 06.11.2012
Did your eye head straight to Breaker Novogratz? It’s not the lightest or the brightest object in the image, in fact it is nearly the darkest. What draws your eye in is the shape. The rest of the photograph is dominated by vertical and horizontal lines. The grid window frames, the shadows, the railing, even the skyscrapers in the background are perpendicular or parallel to each other. Breaker and his skateboard echo the linearity but at 45 degrees to everything else. This is why your eyes probably went straight towards him.
When shooting, look for patterns in your environment. Place your subject so it repeats that pattern. It could be an urban, grid pattern like this one, or a mountain ridge, rolling hills, or an architectural detail that is repeated in a building. For a more dynamic image, place the subject at odds with the background, for a harmonious image have it echo it.
Try some of the exercises by Darren Rowse to practice looking for and emphasizing patterns. They are everywhere you look!
Thank you to the Novagratz’s for the gracious opportunity to shoot inside your home, I will never forget the experience.
“I consider myself a Hyper-realist artist. I love to paint. I use the word paint for lack of a better word. My medium is actually light. I have a passion for making things happen on the screen. Finding a new way of doing something and finding a new room in my imagination is what I love about the work.” – Bert Monroy
While not a photographer, Bert is an artist and expert with Photoshop. Bert shares many of his experiences, skills and memories of Leo in this episode. He certainly kept the chat room entranced the whole hour, not to mention Leo and myself.
Tip #1 – Think Big! This file is 6.52 Gigabytes, is 60 inches by 300 inches, consists of over 500,000 layers, and took 4 years to create. This is just one section of the entire image!
Tip#2 – Pay attention to details! Each of the photos below is a tiny section of Bert’s full size Times Square image.
Tip#3 – Sit back and Play! If you’re not sure what a tool does, play around with it and think outside the box.
Did you catch Trey Ratcliff’s last Variety Hour? Trey and his guests showed their inner secrets by emptying out their camera bags for all to see. See it here on TWiT TV
Don’t miss a chance to watch or listen to your favorite photographers – download the TWiT Photo podcast on iTunes for free :)
Have questions, suggestions or praises? Please connect with us on the TWiT Photo Forum.
Top Model Release: The Real Story
Blog, Featured Post, My Favorite Things 22
Wed 06.06.2012
Top Model Release App: Designed Exclusively for Photographers’ Peace of Mind
When I first began my career as a professional photographer, I undervalued the necessity of getting the subjects of my portraits to sign releases; I was solely focused on crafting incredible pictures to build-up my portfolio. As industry figures began to take note of my images, I quickly realized the error of my past ways: One of my first ‘big breaks’ occurred when Adobe asked to feature several of my photographs and I joyfully agreed. Finally, I thought, I will finally begin to receive the recognition for which I’ve worked so hard.
Unfortunately, no legitimate company would dare print or publish images that aren’t backed-up with a model- or property-release. It was with a heavy heart that I had to turn down Adobe’s offer–without model releases, none of the images in my portfolio were commercially valid. What a huge let-down…but also a hard-won lesson: Credible photographers take care of the details.
Top Model Release was born from this experience. The user-friendly app lets photographers quickly and easily create unlimited model and property releases on-the-go, rather than having to cart-around unwieldy stacks of paper that can get lost en route. It lets photographers electronically stamp their business’ logo on PDF versions of the release for total customization. And, in order to simplify storage and cataloguing, photographers can embed the corresponding image directly into the release. What’s more, Top Model Release is approved by one of America’s leading photography copyright lawyers, Bert Krages, and also approved by Getty Images.
Get yours today! But, before you do so, be sure your iPhone is upgraded to iOS5 here –it’s free and easy to upload. Check out Top Model Release and share your feedback here! I’d love to hear from you.
*iPhone Native / iPad Compatible available now for $8.99*
*Universal version for iPad Coming Soon – Current iTunes Store policy is complimentary upgrade for all owners of the iPhone Version*
Click below to get your copy today!!
