Tips and Techniques | Photocrati

Fixers, Field Recorders & the iTouch

Having been photographing Theyyams, the religious rituals indigenous to Northern Kerala in India a couple of weeks ago, I thought it’d be timely to share my approach when I photograph such public (and possibly sensitive) events such as those I witnessed.

The most important tip is a no-brainer. Employ the best fixer you can find and afford. I’m not talking of tourist guides who trawl tourists in their wake, but of fixers who are adept in solving problems, who can get you to where you need to be in less time with less hassle than you can on your own, and who have the requisite connections. Good fixers are not easy to find, and must develop a personal connection with the photographer. If you don’t like your fixer, chances are that he or she won’t do a good job. (more…)

Book Review: “Mountain Light” by Galen Rowell

Galen Rowell’s ::amazon(“0871563673”, “Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape”):: might seem an odd first choice for a book for teaching photography, not because of Rowell’s talent (which is undeniable) but because of the age of the book, first published in 1986, long before the digital revolution. And yet when students in my photo workshops ask for a first recommendation for a book that will teach them something beyond basic photographic mechanics, Mountain Light is always my first suggestion: It provides, more than any other book on color nature photography, a clear and holistic view into the inner workings of Rowell’s photographic process. (more…)

Why People take Nature Photography Workshops

Over years of first taking and then giving photographic workshops, I’ve come to realize that there are a number of reasons people attend. Understanding and responding to those reasons is critical both for marketing my workshops but also for creating the best experience for my workshop participants. (more…)

Splash and pour shots

One of the most fun types of shoots we get asked to do regularly is the pour shot. I personally like the pour shot because it’s technically challenging, visually arresting and sometimes unpredictable. (more…)

Scheduling the Oregon Workshop

One of the more mundane aspects of giving a photographic workshop is scheduling what days it’ll be given. Usually several considerations, both logistical and artistic play into the decision, and the workshop I’m currently giving in the Bandon, Oregon area is no exception.

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Scouting the Oregon Workshop

(This is the first of a series of posts I’ll be making from the road during a workshop I’m giving along the Southern Oregon coast. It’s my hope that this series will be of interest both to photographers looking to take workshops in the future, as well as photographers giving workshops.)

For me, one of the most important parts of giving a photo workshop is the scouting, spending (depending on the workshop) one or more days scouting. (more…)

What clients want.

Photography from the clients’ point of view.
by Jen Buchanan, Design Partner of Buchanan Studios, Inc.

I’m not a photographer, but I do work with them. I’m a Graphic Designer and I occasionally get the chance to hire photographers. It doesn’t happen very often, usually due to budgets. In my time as a designer I’ve learned several things about creative professionals and how they work. I’ve got a few tips for photographers on how to make the whole process run more smoothly and help ensure repeat business. True, I’ve dealt mostly with commercial photographers, but I think these tips will work for most anyone. (more…)

Kathakali: Kerala’s Dance-Drama

I’ve just returned from Kerala, India where I’ve been leading a 2 weeks photo-expedition, and I’m already suffering from acute withdrawal symptoms. No matter how many times I travel to photograph in South and South-East Asia, I still feel such symptoms when I return home, and I realize that the intensity of my photography, whether during festivals and rituals or just plain-vanilla street photography, is drug-like. (more…)

Who’s in charge?

If you’re new to the wedding game you’ll soon discover that there is someone in charge at every wedding. You may think you know who that person is, they signed a contract, they paid you money, they are picking out the products… but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are in charge. No, the person that you’re working for is, to quote the movie “Swingers” the guy, behind the guy, behind the guy. 99% of the time it’s the mother of the bride. (more…)

The Thursday Composition: On Learning Composition

This is the first in a series of regular weekly posts I’ll make each Thursday on the subject of photographic composition. Before I start digging into the “rules” of composition, though, I’d like to start with a general discussion about composition and, more importantly, how one learns the skill of seeing, composing, and capturing effective compositions. (more…)