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Read more about the article How We Can Better the Photography Community

How We Can Better the Photography Community

If you’ve been around long enough in this industry, you know how we’ve fought to build community instead of competition. Thankfully, it has gotten a lot better lately. It is nothing like when I walked into my first local photography meeting 18 years ago. It was like walking into a boys’ club where they measured themselves by sharing how many weddings they were booked for that year. Whoever had the most won, even if he wasn’t charging very much for them.

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Read more about the article 8 Tips for the Traveling Photographer

8 Tips for the Traveling Photographer

Traveling the world doing photography is one of my favorite parts of the job. Many of us are wary of all the hassles and unexpected challenges of travel photography. It’s not always glamorous, and it takes time to learn how to manage the chaos. Here are my own hard-won Top 5 travel tips for photographers anxious to hop on a plane and cross an ocean with a bunch of gear in the overhead.

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Read more about the article Tips for Photographing in Empty & Abandoned Buildings

Tips for Photographing in Empty & Abandoned Buildings

Many photographers dream of working on location in incredible places where one might encounter the occasional giraffe or dolphin. A few years ago I was exposed to the dark side of destination shoots when I was invited by my good friend Brett to shoot inside a vast abandoned insane asylum in West Virginia erected before the Civil War. Since then, I’ve had the urge to visit destinations where I am more likely to get tetanus than to see a family of elk.

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Read more about the article Travel-Sized Equipment That Won’t Break the Bank – or Your Back

Travel-Sized Equipment That Won’t Break the Bank – or Your Back

If we are living in the Golden Age of mobile photography, 2018 has shaped up to be its best year yet, by far. New technology is turning photographers’ dreams into reality with gear that’s more advanced and less expensive than ever. Many of these items were just announced last month, and I can’t wait to share them with you. We’re talking pro quality that’s accessible to virtually anyone—and that fits in your backpack.

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Read more about the article Capturing the Perfect Shot

Capturing the Perfect Shot

What draws you to a certain photograph? What elevates a photo to outstanding? I strive for my photos to draw in the attention of my viewers, to engage them and inspire them. Once I conquered the technical aspects of my camera, I began to look for ways to improve my photography. As an amateur photographer, I always need to be on my feet because you never know when the perfect shot is going to come. I have discovered different tips and tricks to capture the perfect photo. Here are a few of them.

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Read more about the article Turning Stressful Weddings into Glamorous Experiences

Turning Stressful Weddings into Glamorous Experiences

Having photographed hundreds of weddings over almost a decade-long career, I can say that weddings are not glamorous. They’re supposed to be, right? But they just aren’t. In fact, weddings are more often marked by behind-schedule makeup artists, self-important “church ladies,” overbearing mothers, insensitive toast-makers, impatient guests, inconsiderate Uncle Bobs and clumsy electrical technicians. Here are three steps you can take before, during and after every wedding this year to give your couples a more glamorous experience.

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Read more about the article 3 Elements of Impactful Images

3 Elements of Impactful Images

We have many decisions to make during client sessions. Many of us tend to overuse clichés in our storytelling. If we’re going to call ourselves storytellers, we should be able to come up with an original vision and execute it in a way that best helps tell the story. Whether you are a wedding or portrait photographer, you have the ability to influence the mood of viewers of your work, which is the first step in creating an impactful image and a lasting connection with the viewer. There are three elements that are essential to creating this connection: light, composition and story.

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Read more about the article Capturing the Light Inside: Photographing Medically Fragile Children

Capturing the Light Inside: Photographing Medically Fragile Children

Photographing children who are medically, physically or mentally compromised is not something most photographers may think they are prepared for, but if you’re ever given the opportunity, we encourage you to try it. This demographic is underserved by our industry.

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