When hiring a photographer, the cost often comes down to one thing: experience. But what exactly are you paying for, and why does it matter? Money! Experience is built over years of practice, study, and problem-solving. A seasoned professional doesn’t just know how to make great images, they know how to do it quickly and … Read more
From the start, photography struggled to be taken seriously as art. In 1822, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce captured the first permanent image, one that didn’t fade in light. Yet it wasn’t until 1906, thanks to the work of Alfred Stieglitz, that photography gained recognition as a fine art. Stieglitz also helped legitimise abstract art in America. … Read more
Imagine this: You contact me to photograph your managing director for a media release. We discuss the job, agree on a fee, exchange contracts. We work out the style, location, date, and time. Everything’s locked in. Only, on the day, I show up an hour late. On the wrong day. You try to call me, … Read more
Sebastiao Salgado, one of the world’s foremost documentary photographers, passed away in Paris earlier this week. His legacy is enormous on many fronts. His powerful black & white images are displayed in galleries around the world, and celebrated inside his monumental books that document the struggle of humanity. Salgado and his wife also established Instituto … Read more
Myths, facts, and best practices When it comes to digital photography, discussions around file formats can sometimes create more confusion than clarity. One such myth I sometimes encounter is that TIFF is always superior to JPEG. Similar to the misconception on what defines “high resolution”. After nearly 30 years working directly on digital photography standards, … Read more
In my youth, I had a book titled Knight Mine of Useless Information by Richard Gregory. It was packed with peculiar facts — useless yet fascinating tidbits that only a teenager would find entertaining. I remember using it at Toastmasters to create Table Topics, a form of impromptu speaking where participants respond spontaneously to a … Read more
In a civilised (business) world, I believe we treat one another with respect, no matter who we are. This includes clients, colleagues, suppliers, and other photographers. People naturally want to do good. When I moved back to Sydney after studying photography in South Australia, I worked for a short while in a camera store. I … Read more
Amateur or professional Elliott Erwitt described himself as “a professional photographer by trade and an amateur photographer by vocation.” Nearly every professional photographer starts out as an amateur. The word “amateur” itself is rooted in the Latin word “amator”, which means “lover.” Amateurs are driven by a passion and love for photography, taking pictures for … Read more
End of the year is a good time to back up your images. Of course you should regularly back up, and not just once a year! Did you know most pros back up as they photograph? Cameras offer two card slots, and be set up to copy images to each card simultaneously. This offers redundancy … Read more
Twenty-five years ago, I invested in a Nikon D1, the first “affordable” professional digital camera. Before owning the D1, I would occasionally rent Kodak digital cameras when their benefits outweighed the cost of shooting on film. As we entered the new millennium, digital photography started to surpass film in practicality for my corporate and editorial … Read more