HT0819 - A World Full of Opinions

There are more than a few people out there — on the Internet and in particular YouTube — who are more than happy to be your authority. Not me. Any ideas you pick up from the so-called experts should undergo verification to see if the authority knows what they are talking about or not. The importance of testing for yourself.

HT0820 - Seven Grand

Let's pretend that you are a novice who has just been introduced to photography and you want to jump in. You'll need a camera and you decide to outfit it with a holy trinity of lenses. If you buy new, there goes a quick $7,000. Add a computer, printer, and software and you are well over S10 ,000. Now that you've spent all that money, what capabilities have you purchased?

HT0821 - 8K Video in a YouTube World

There is no question that YouTube is the largest platform in the world for video content delivery. So why again are we all supposed to need 8k capable video cameras? A similar train of thought for you still photographers: 50 megapixels in an Instagram world.

HT0822 - Managing the Trade-offs

Every decision we make is a trade-off between benefits and complications. The Diffraction Bogeyman is a good example. Of course diffraction exists, and in mystical ways that no human being fully understands. If you listen to most discussions of diffraction, the advice is always to avoid small apertures at all costs or you will ruin your pictures. But like all choices in life, it's simply a question of managing the trade-offs. I'm more than happy to lose a little sharpness if it means I get the depth of field required by the content of the composition.

HT0823 - Damn, Reciprocity Success

Those of you who remember or are currently using analog materials know about "reciprocity failure" and the consequences for long exposures. Strangely enough, I sometimes miss those innocent days.

HT0827 - Oliver Gagliani's Passion

I once visited Gagliano to discuss his photography and was introduced to Brahms. Passion for human expression is not limited to our chosen medium.

HT0828 - When You Least Expect It

Photographic opportunities can pop up anywhere, and often when we least expect it. Our job is to be open and sensitive so we can leap into action when the opportunity presents itself.

HT0829 - Letting It Simmer

In today's Instagram world (as well as all the other social media), there is precious little time between image capture and image distribution. I'm not sure this is the best way for an image to mature and present its entire potential.

HT0830 - Where You Least Expect It, Part 2

Being out in the landscape is a great way to find landscapes to photograph. Funny thing is, being out in the landscape can also put you in touch with non-landscapes that excite your creative juices. Being out there. Yup, just being out there is the most important thing you can do.

HT0834 - Enough

There is an old saying that "enough is as good as a feast." But how do we know when we've pushed beyond enough into absurdity? For example, a micro 4/3 sensor is better than 1" sensor, full frame sensors are better than micro 4/3, and medium format sensors are better than full frame. Well, why not have 8 by 10 sensors or 11 by 14 sensors? At some point, we all draw the line that says this is enough and get on with the prospect of art making.

HT0835 - When It's Different

Words are symbols that point to things. But the things they point to are based on our experiences and our experiences might be different and lead us astray.

HT0836 - Our Lovely Little Computers

If you are not comfortable in the world of computers, photography today is maybe not for you. Although there are strictly analog processes that might be worth exploring.

HT0837 - Photographic Lies

A couple of years ago, I visited Yosemite and tried, like everyone else, to enjoy nature's splendor and photograph its beauty. Unfortunately, there were so many people, so many cars, so much activity in the valley floor that pristine nature was just about the last thing I experienced.

HT0841 - The Formality of a Gallery Exhibition

The fact that a group of photographs is displayed in a gallery brings with it a certain dignity that is that is missing from online presentations. There is an implied importance and significance in a gallery presentation that is important. This is yet another reason why I prefer PDFs over alternatives like Instagram or website slide shows.

HT0842 - Seven Billion Voices

There are some 7.8 billion of us on this planet, and I believe every one of us has a story to tell. This is why it's important that photography is an art medium. For a lot of us, It is the best way available to us for sharing our story and adding our voice to the Great Conversation.

HT0843 - Controlling the Background

Composition in photography is almost always a matter of isolating the subject we want our viewers to pay attention to. But isolation always takes place in relationship to a background. As photographers, it's tempting to focus our concentration on the subject, but in actuality it's the background that makes a picture not just possible, but even visible.

HT0844 - Promotional Assets

An important part of completing a project is preparing the necessary promotional assets. If even if you can't see an immediate need for them, someday you might If need things like cover artwork for a postcard or other promotional announcement, a website sample of your work, or some other form of publicity. Make those hi-res promotional masters now so that they are readily available when and if you need them. Your own "clipart" folder.

HT0848 - Thought Always Precedes Photographing

Intentions may direct our goals, but we need to cultivate our thoughts with delicacy and not let them interfere with the happy accident and unexpected luck.