Know Your Gear, Save Your Shot!

I vividly remember my very first maternity session, which I shot for friends. It was so exciting to capture a special time in their lives, but even though they were friends I wanted to execute the session perfectly to make them happy and begin a new portion of my portfolio. Well, we did capture images that I adore, but there was a moment when my "oh crap" poker face came in handy. Finger on the shutter button, I pressed down and nothing happened. Nothing. My screen showed a dreaded error, but I'd not yet learned everything I should have about my camera body. FEE kept flashing at me, taunting me when all I wanted was the shot below with my 85mm. Luckily for me and my friends, I also had my 70-200mm on my other camera body for nicely compressed portraits. It only took a few seconds to switch cameras, but my heart was beating so quickly with the thought that my expensive lens or camera might be broken. A quick Google search when I got home relieved my worries, but I couldn't help but wonder what I would have captured if I'd only known I had to simply move the aperture ring on the lens and reattach it.


Being a student allows you the freedom to experiment and push your gear to the limits. To get the most out of it, though, you need to learn everything it's capable of. Read your manuals, look at reviews to learn how each piece excels or falls flat, and definitely memorize those error codes so you don't end up in a situation like I did!

Do you have any anecdotes about times when you wish you'd known your gear a bit better? Leave them in the comments so we can learn from one another.

Top 5 Publications to Further Your Education

My current stack of magazines -
I'll go through them in one sitting!

Once you graduate from the Photography program, your schooling may be complete but your education certainly isn't! Flipping through industry magazines will introduce you to new techniques and inspirational artists, provide opportunities for discounts on advertised products, and keep you abreast of industry news and contests. Joining a professional organization can give you the benefit of certain publications and online resources, and there are several unaffiliated options as well. Here are my top 5 that I look forward to reading:

1. Professional Photographer. A membership to Professional Photographers of America, Inc. (PPA) includes a subscription to my favorite photography magazine, which is full of business tips, gear reviews, and gorgeous images!

2. Photo District News (PDN). Joining Wedding and Portrait Photographers International will snag you a subscription to PDN.

3. Rangefinder. Along with PDN, a membership to WPPI will get you a subscription to Rangefinder. Though the two are published by the same company, each magazine features unique content.

4. Popular Photography. I remember reading this way back when I was into photography as a hobby. It is an established publication with a great reputation that continues to deliver quality content online and in print.

5. Photoshop User Magazine. Digital photography does not end with the click of the shutter. Check out Scott Kelby's publication to help hone your editing skills.

Which magazines do you look to for inspiration and furthering your education? Add to the list by commenting below!

-Friday Ambassador

Works Cited:

"Magazine - KelbyOne." Photoshop User Magazine. KelbyOne, LLC, 2014. Web. 07 Aug. 2014.

"PDN." PDN - Photo District News. Emerald Expositions, 2014. Web. 7 Aug. 2014.

"PopPhoto." Digital Camera Reviews, Photography Tips and More. Bonnier Corp., 2014. Web. 07 Aug. 2014.

"Professional Photographer Magazine: Weddings." Professional Photographer Magazine. Professional Photographer Magazine, 2014. Web. 07 Aug. 2014.

"Rangefinder - Imaging and Photography Magazine." Rangefinder Magazine. Emerald Expositions, 2014. Web. 07 Aug. 2014.

Learning How to See Without a Camera

"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera." -Dorothea Lange.

This week, I was thinking of topics to blog about and stumbled across the above quote (and will be reading the biography discussed in the NPR article soon!). It got me thinking about how my perceptions have changed since starting the Photography program. Though I've had a camera within arm's reach for as long as I can remember, the program has helped teach me how to see differently. Now I notice changes in light temperature, city lights that would create gorgeous starbursts at a narrow aperture, and moments around me in my daily life that would previously have gone ignored. Early on in the program I would struggle to think of a subject to photograph. Now, it's incredibly rare for a day to go by on which I do not photograph something that strikes my eye!

Enough about my journey. How have your camera and your classes changed the way you see the world around you? Have you been inspired by an historic photographer's style or a genre you previously took for granted? Share your story in the comments, and happy shooting (and seeing)!

-Friday Ambassador

Work Cited:

NPR Staff. "Dorothea Lange: Drawing Beauty Out of Desolation." NPR Author Interviews. NPR, 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 May 2014.

Making the Most of an Online Education

There are plenty of reasons to choose an online school. Many of us have full-time jobs, families, live overseas, or simply do not have the means to travel for an education in the arts. Now that you are part of the program, it’s helpful to have a plan of attack to really get the most out of it that you can. I know there are things I could have done differently, but overall I fell that I found success pursuing my photography degree and want to share some tips on how you can do the same.

Manage Your Time

The single most important thing that can help you successfully navigate your online duties is learning how to manage your time. It took me a few sessions to find a system that worked for me, but once I did life got so much easier! The first thing I always do is read through the assignments to get an idea of the type of work each class will entail. Shooting assignments, especially those that involve models, take much more forethought than something like a discussion question response.

What worked for me was creating to-do lists for each week, separated by class. When I created each list I’d have my personal calendar in front of me so I would know if I needed to account for a birthday or hockey game. Maybe a combined calendar would work better for you, or simply a printout of assignments with due dates highlighted. Whatever makes most sense for your workflow, stick to your routine so you get used to it quickly.

Find Balance

Many students I’ve met throughout my years in the program are wearing multiple hats: student, employee, mother/father, caregiver… While it may sometimes seem like there’s just too much to do, don’t give up! Setting aside specific times each day to work on school and leaving the rest of your free time for family and other duties will get you on the right track to succeed. Do your best not to let one push out the other. Family is everything, but your education can help contribute to that family in new and exciting ways. Keep that in mind when you budget your time!

Make time for family, school, and volunteer work or personal projects to keep you sane!  This is a shot I did of an adoptable dog for a Chicagoland rescue, Peace for Pits. Volunteering your talents is quite rewarding.

Have a Back-Up Plan

Most of your instructors will want to know that you have a plan in case your gear fails or you lose Internet access in your home. It is so important to know where there is a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi or who has a computer you can use in case your hard drive gets corrupted, because the classes move really quickly and missing a couple days will leave you far behind. With good time management, you’ll be able to incorporate back-up days for shooting in case there is bad weather, and have back-up models on hand in case the ones you booked bail on you (trust me, it happens!). The small amount of effort you put into booking your back-ups will save you a great deal more work (not to mention frustration) if you have to deal with last-minute changes and aren’t prepared.

Participate

When it comes to an online education, you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Because the online classroom does not exactly facilitate friendships and study groups like a brick-and-mortar classroom does, it’s really up to you to keep up with others on the class boards. Make good use of your fellow students and instructors by pointing out certain results you’re hoping to achieve to get feedback on how best to do so. Follow your peers as their projects progress to encourage them and help them polish their work. Active participation will keep you invested in your classes and help you build bonds with others, and networking is always a great idea.

Ask for Help

As our Saturday ambassador pointed out, talking with your instructor can help you “smash through the confusion.” If you are struggling with a class or specific assignment, don’t just suffer through it! Ask how you can best complete an assignment or what exactly is meant by a certain instruction that confuses you. To be successful and enjoy your time in the program, you can also make use of your instructors’ wisdom. I got my monitor calibrator (a ColorMunki) based on the suggestion of an instructor when I had no idea what to look for. You can pick their brains on anything from gear to technique, and they will be happy to see your interest and share their experience.

I hope that you take advantage of what online classrooms have to offer - flexible timelines, being able to go to class in a comfortable setting,  - without feeling lost in the digital world. By motivating yourself and working off of a schedule that makes sense for your life, you will do well and learn a great deal. Best of luck, and please do use this blog as a resource when you have questions about how to succeed!

-Friday Ambassador

Beat Your Cold Weather Woes: Bundle Up with a Book!

Subzero temperatures do not make for the best shooting weather, even with electronic hand warmers keeping the camera battery nice and toasty and plenty of layers between us and the elements.  When it’s this cold out, there are plenty of ways to keep honing your skills.  If I feel like cooking or baking, I play around with food styling and photography (next week’s post will focus on food photography, so stay tuned!).  This weekend I’d rather curl up with a good book or two.  From my first instructional photo book purchase on concert photography to the wacky photograph collections my mom finds for me, I’ve amassed a bit of a collection and would love to share my favorites with you.

Books make great props, too!

My Top 5 Photography Books

1. Street Photography Now showcases photographers with eyes for the unusual like Raghu Rai and one of my favorites, Matt Stuart (the cover image is one of his).  The hours they spent scouting the streets for interesting compositions and moments that just scream to be photographed result in memorable and often humorous images.  Even if you’re not into the genre, you will appreciate the work that went into this collection.

2. My mother found Believing is Seeing (Observations on the Mysteries of Photography) for me and it immediately landed on my list of favorites!  Taking on issues of ethics in photojournalism, the filmmaker discusses some famous controversial photographs as well as how our beliefs affect what we see in an image.  It is a great combination of philosophy and non-fiction writing that includes informative interviews. 

3. I’m a sucker for biographies of people I admire, so it’s no surprise that Henri Cartier-Bresson: A Biography is on my list.  From his family life to his professional success, the book provides insight into how he became the father of photojournalism and how his down-to-earth approach to photography brought us so many iconic images. 

4. Learning how our gear works helps us make sure we can face any problems that may arise on the job.  If you’re like me, you may not love learning the science of it all, but books like Camera: A History of Photography from Daguerreotype to Digital make it more fun and put our modern gear into historical context.  You may even find that you want to give an old Mamiya or vintage Kodak Brownie a go for the fun of it! 

5. National Geographic’s Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures contains everything from compositional techniques to photographers' anecdotes and explanations of how their images were captured.  There are also a variety of other field guides, including topics like travel and portraiture.

Honorable mention: Scott Kelby’s instructional books are so easy to understand and provide incredible insight into photography and specific post-production programs.  The Digital Photography Book almost made it onto my top 5, and I swear by my Lightroom book! 

Has a photography-related book inspired you, or is there an instructional book you can't live without?  I would love your suggestions in the comments below.  Happy reading!

-Friday Ambassador

Works Cited:

Assouline, Pierre. Henri Cartier-Bresson: A Biography. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2005. Print.

Burian, Peter K., and Robert Caputo. National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2003. Print.

Gustavson, Todd. Camera: A History of Photography from Daguerreotype to Digital. New York: Sterling Innovation, 2009. Print.

Howarth, Sophie, and Stephen McLaren. Street Photography Now. London: Thames & Hudson, 2010. Print.

Kelby Media Group, Inc., Scott. "Featured Books." KelbyOne, Online Education for Creative People. KelbyOne, LLC, 2014. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. <http://kelbyone.com/books/>.

Morris, Errol. Believing Is Seeing: Observations on the Mysteries of Photography. New York: Penguin, 2011. Print.

New Year, New Goals!

A new year is a perfect excuse to set goals for yourself in all aspects of life.  As you think about what you can do to improve in 2014, don't forget to set goals for your photography!  You may already have a goal or project in mind, but below are some ideas in case you need motivation to get started.

Master a new technique
Scanning through tutorials on Lynda.com or Kelby Training can provide inspiration for techniques or photographic styles that will enhance your portfolio.  Maybe you've been interested in light painting or using textures in post-production, or want to finally put your tilt-shift lens to good use but aren't sure where to start.  Whatever your interest, the new year is a great time to commit to learning and mastering something new to you!

Start a blog
Getting into the habit of blogging regularly will keep your mind sharp and always thinking of new ideas, not to mention bring exposure to your work!  If you already have a blog, make the commitment to update it on a weekly basis and stick to it.  This will not only enhance your writing skills, but also encourage you to think about your photography and topics that may be of interest to others.

Devote time to personal projects
Some people choose to tackle a 365 day photo journal, but that might result in sharing images that aren't your best.  Instead, start a 52 week project or even one bigger project each month.  Try a project 50 (shooting with only your 50mm lens for 50 days), or work on something more personal to you.

As I get older, I find myself becoming more and more nostalgic about family traditions.  This past year I started documenting those traditions while also being part of them (it's a delicate balance!) and plan on continuing to do so this year, culminating in a personal project slideshow that I will create in Premiere Pro.  It's so important to keep photographing for you in addition to for your clients and your portfolio, and I know that having images that capture traditions like our annual cookie decorating party (see my mom cutting the dough below) will mean much to me and my family.  

Do you have a photography goal for 2014?  Whether it's business-related or personal, I'd love to know how you plan to take your images to the next level!  Please share your goals, resolutions, or project ideas in the comments.

-Friday Ambassador

Google+ for Photographers Part 1: Getting Started and Learning from the Pros

Social media is a convenient, free way to share your images with friends, family, other professionals, and potential clients.  One relatively new social media platform is Google+ (G+).  It has become a rather big hit with photographers because of the high image quality when sharing photographs.  With the changes to Flickr in the last year, many professionals flocked to G+ as an alternative for photo sharing and connecting with other photographers.  In today's post, I will go through the basics of setting up your G+ account, share helpful resources about navigating it, and tell you about a few photographers who really have a knack for making the most of the platform.  Next week I will share Part 2, which will focus on using G+ in a professional manner.

How to set up an account:

If you already have a Gmail account, this part is really easy!  Just click the grid on the top right side of your browser window when you are logged in, then click the red "g+" icon (see screen shot of grid and icons).  Google will guide you through this, encouraging you to add information to your profile and connect with others.  To create a brand new account complete with a new Gmail address, simply go to Google's account signup page and follow the steps.  There is also an option to sign up with an existing email account if you want to use an established, non-Gmail email address.

Why choose G+?

Colby Brown, author of Google+ for Photographers, succinctly describes what makes G+ unique: "Facebook is a closed network.  By that I mean that all of the information, content and interactions are kept inside Facebook.  This means that your absolute maximum reach on Facebook is limited to the network itself.  Google on the other hand is all about publicly indexing that content so that it is searchable on the Internet" (Colby Brown Photography).  G+ integrates Google's many features, from Gmail and Google Maps to the blog service used to create this post!  With the power of Google behind you, you can reach a wider audience through searches for the type of content you choose to post.  Remember this when you set up your profile with keywords appropriate to your target audience.  The profile page starts off with tiles that allow you to introduce yourself, which is what people will normally see when they click on your avatar:

Your home page will show content based on the people you follow and circles you create.  While you will see familiar features like the use of hashtags and the ability to give props to a post (here, you will click the "+1" button instead of a "like" button), the interface does take a little getting used to.  Following are resources that will help with just that!

Resources

Constant Contact provides a brief overview of terms, some of which will be familiar and others that Google created for G+.  This is a great place to start.

The Colby Brown blog post mentioned above is extremely helpful in providing an orientation to G+.  Learn about creating content and sharing with Circles, the benefits of Google's trusted content, and how you can use G+ hangouts here.

This post on Digital Photography School (DPS) details why G+ is so much better for posting images and networking with fellow photographers than other social media platforms out there.  It also suggests people to follow from the DPS site.

Photographers to follow

The best way to get started on G+ is to see how others have taken advantage of it.  Check out these photographers for education and inspiration, and take a look at the people they follow to see what inspires them.

Scott Kelby is an experienced photographer who you can spot on the sidelines at Super Bowls and learn from at workshops worldwide.  He posts regularly and shares tutorials, recent projects, and fun anecdotes that can help aspiring photographers stay motivated.

Darren Rowse is the man behind Digital Photography School, so you can bet his G+ content is instructive!

David LaSpina's travel photographs encompass so many genres: architecture, landscapes, street photography, and more!  His G+ posts are a great example of how you can seamlessly integrate mobile, film, and DSLR images while maintaining a recognizable style and brand.

Finally, of course, check out the PSPN G+ community and see the work of your current and former teachers, connect with other students, and view informative content shared by the faculty.

Do you have a favorite photographer or group to follow on G+?  If you have used the platform and enjoy it, what are some tips you have to help newbies dive in?  I would love to hear from you in the comments!  If you are new to G+, I hope this gives you a place to start.  Getting used to the interface and to posting content now will greatly help you when you want to start using it professionally.  Check back next week to see how G+ can help you market your business and connect with other professionals!

-Friday Ambassador

Works Cited:

Brandon, James. "Why Photographers Should Love Google." Digital Photography School RSS. Digital Photography School, 2013. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.

Brown, Colby. "Social Media for Photographers: Google."  Colby Brown Photography. Colby Brown Photography, 1 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

Curtiss, Kristen. "Why Use Google Plus? A Quick Guide and Glossary to Google." Constant Contact Blogs. Constant Contact, 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

Photograpic Design

Good Morning and Happy Sunday... Today I wanted to touch on a few things that I have been going over in PH135 Photographic Design. The Principals of Design where we use Lines, Balance, Shapes, using Positive and negative space and camera angle to create an awesome photograph.  Over the past week, I have been searching for places and things to photograph that fit the assignment that I had to complete.  I went to several different places, I was down by the Delaware River in Philadelphia in a few of the river front parks and I found an old coal pier that is no longer in use and has graffiti all over. That place was amazing. I also went to some really great spots to take photos. On Wednesday I drove 2 hours to Hummelstown, PA, near Hershey PA to the Indian Echo Caverns, where I took some more photos for class as well as going to the  Antique Automobile Club of America where I spent a few hours.. 

The Image below was taken at Penn Treaty Park, located in Philadelphia right on the Delaware River, I chose this landscape and famed it to incorporate the lines of the rocks on the shore to the Ben Franklin Bridge, as well as use the negative space ( the sky) to help the viewer move around the photograph flawlessly. 

Photo taken By Wayne Salat

 This Photo was taken at Pulaski Park, it is also on the Delaware River not to far from Penn Treaty Park, with this photograph, I attempted to use the negative space and draw the viewer in with the angle and lines of the dock as well as using the water as negative space to try and create a balance. 

 Photo Taken By Wayne Salat

 Taken at Indian Echo Caverns this was quite a challenge, as there is little to no light. I attempted to use the lines of this lime stone as well as different angle to make this more appealing.

 Photo by Wayne Salat

 The old Port Richmond Coal Pier, has been defunct for many years, its not an easy place to find, but when you do, its a photographers dream place to shoot. Below I used the lines and framing to help make this photograph appealing to the viewer. 

Photo By Wayne Salat

That's all for today, Please feel free to make comments and ask questions.

 Enjoy Your Sunday and Photograph Something Everyday!

Sunday Ambassador~ Wayne