David Murray's long history in photojournalism inspires his wedding photography. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and has photographed for The New York Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

David is coming to Inspire Photo Retreats in February. The dates of the convention are February 9-11, 2015. I do hope you will take the opportunity to be there and to speak with David directly. He is a true gem of a guy and an inspiration to me and a great many photographers, not so much because of what he does so well, but who he is as a person.

As a part of this series of interviews with Inspire Photo Retreats presenters, I chatted with David at length about his journey and what his expectations have been in the past at Inspire Photo Retreats.

David and I continued to discuss this interview after we recorded it and this is a short exchange with him about our purpose in life as photographers –

ME: at the end of it all .. it is about how we saw the world, how our seeing it has influenced it (even if by a little bit). No grand ambitions but doing all that I can I suppose…

David: That is all we can do: give our take on the world. It then goes to the viewer to decide if and what they like. I write with light. The camera is just the medium that I use to describe life as I view it.

Check out some of David's work. It's not limited to weddings, as he says he just a photographer. Follow him on Instagram here. David also has an Instagram account for his wedding photography.

What is your take on your purpose in life as a photographer? Why do you pursue it? Come and discuss it all at Inspire Photo Retreats. Beyond idle chatter, you'll leave making stronger bonds with people like David, understand your business better and perhaps even become a better communicator. If you are up for all that, register now for Inspire Photo Retreats. There are only a limited number of seats left for this year and the organizers tell me that they will sell out!

Lauren Rutten describes herself as the following:

Explorer. Artist. Photographer. Educator. Writer. Swashbuckling World Traveler.

Her career in photography began in 1986 and she has followed a very interesting path that includes not only the visual medium but also the written one. Lauren’s art and writing reflects her deep appreciation of everyday life and seeks to connect, empower and inspire others through her art. In 2013, Lauren took time away from her photography business and fulfilled a life-long dream of traveling solo around the world. In May of 2014, Lauren became a facilitator of the Amherst Writer's and Artists Workshops.

So, this is who is coming to speak at Inspire Photo Retreats in February, 2015, friends! I had an opportunity to chat with Lauren about her work and of course about her presentation at Inspire Photo Retreats:

There are still a few spots open for Inspire Photo Retreats. Register here today. You'll come in contact with people like Lauren who bring a gamut of skills and experiences to enrich your life.

Laurie Young, a UK-based entrepreneur, physicist, ballroom dancer and photographer has written a book called “Being a Photographer.”

In it, Young explores the idea of approaching photography with intent. What is it that motivates you to raise your camera to your eyes and make an image? Is it an intuitive reflex based on experience or necessity? Or, is your photography fairly random?

Laurie's book attempts to inspire photographers to ask the question “WHY” – when photographing anything or anybody BEFORE you make the image. You can find “Being A Photographer” here, for just $5.

To learn more about Laurie and “Being A Photographer,” I sat down with him to ask him a few questions about his intent for writing the book. Here is our conversation:

The other book we talked about was David Hurn's “On Being A Photographer” which you can order here.

You'll find below a few examples of Laurie Young's ballroom dancing images. Enjoy!

Setting goals and making lists is all the rage right now. Before I forget, here's wishing all of you a very Happy New Year. 2015 can be big year for you. I know I have grand plans. So, let's toast to both of our dreams, shall we?

One of the ways I dream (and I do day dream a lot) is via books. In fact, I am a lot more protective of my books than I am of my gear. I am kinda weird that way. Books, for me, are the ultimate escape and I am very protective of them. I am not much of a tv watcher (though that show House of Cards is something isn't it?) and my bar-hopping days are behind me. So, I sit with my books and I am easily transported to a different life. It's my exit into understanding the world around me.

In the last week or two, I have read books by Jon Acuff (“Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters” is awesome and I am waiting on his next one called “Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck“) and Pico Iyer (“The Art of Stillness”).

I have a special place in my heart for photography books. Being a photographer, I know how difficult it can be to edit, design, produce and publish one. So, when a photographer launches a book, I am typically one of the first to sign up and buy it. But budget is a consideration and I have to be rather picky about which ones make it into my bookshelf.

I am heartened to know that so many photography books were published in 2014. It's the end of the year and there have already been a bevy of photography websites linking to their favorite photography books of the year. Here is a sampling:

Lens Culture
Time Magazine
American Photography Magazine
Art Book
Brain Pickings
Humble Arts Foundation
Aperture
PDN Photo Annual
The Guardian
Flak Photo
PhotoEye
Photolia [A motherlode of links to other lists] Elizabeth Avedon
Microcord
Mother Jones Magazine
Conscientious Photography Magazine

My favorite books – the ones I bought are as follows:

Dan Winters'Road To Seeing
Scott Strazzante's Common Ground
Gregory Heisler's 50 Portraits
Lena Hyde's The Design Aglow Posing Guide For Family Portrait Photography
Ernesto Bazan's Isla
Alex Webb's The Suffering Of Light
Raghu Rai's India: Reflections in Colour
Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb's Street Photography and the Poetic Image: The Photography Workshop Series
Neil van Niekerk's Lighting & Design for Portrait Photography: Direction & Quality of Light
Roberto Valenzuela's Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models

Then there are books that I will buy someday in the near future:

Martin Schoeller's Portraits
National Geographic's The Farmer In All Of Us
Paul Mobley's American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country
Eugene Richard's Red Ball of a Sun Slipping Down
Zun Lee's Father Figure
Marc Wilson's The Last Stand: Northern Europe
Alain Lebloile‘s En attendant le facteur
Chirodeep Chaudhuri's A Village In Bengal
Salgado's Genesis
William A. Ewing's Masterclass: Arnold Newman
Magnum Contact Sheets
Larry Fink's Composition and Improvisation: The Photography Workshop Series
Jason Fulford and Gregory Halpern's The Photographer's Playbook: 307 Assignments and Ideas
Erik Valind's Portrait Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots
Art Wolfe's Earth Is My Witness

I know some of these books were published before 2014, but I came to know about them only this year. So, at least in my mind, they still made my list.

Buy one or more of these books using the affiliate links above and you get to right them off as a business expense for 2014. But you do have only until December 31st (that's tomorrow) to snag these books and get that tax break. Gee whiz, I might have just sold myself more books to buy before tomorrow!

Ok, your turn now. Which photography books did you buy? Which ones would you like to add to your library? Sound off below.

If you are a photographer who use off-camera flashes to photograph weddings or portraits, you are my kind of people. You like to create punchy images that separates your subjects from their backgrounds and make them truly stand out. Am I right?

The Problem

But we all experience a well-known scenario.

There you are, ready to make some sweet images of a wedding couple dancing the night away at their reception.

Your assistant or VALS (voice-activated light stand) is away in the Bahamas. You need to move that off-camera light down and out by about 32 degrees because your clients are losing themselves to the music and have moved from where you thought they would be to this new spot, near Uncle Bob and Aunt Maddy.

But you are about 30 feet away from the couple and the off-camera light you set up with a PocketWizard or a RadioPopper is another 10 feet away from them, making it near impossible for you to move like Spiderman to adjust the light angle and or direction. You are SOL.

Frustrating, right? I know your pain. I have felt it. Often.

The Solution

Thankfully, there is a new solution coming and it's called Panlight. I spoke with Mike Garrard, its inventor a few weeks back. As a Kickstarter campaign, it has already surpassed the goal he set. With only about 18 hours to go before the end of the campaign, this is the time to jump in and order one of these units. I am doing it myself because this is a tool that will come in handy if you are a wedding or a portrait photographer.

Now imagine you impressing the heck out of your clients by being able to adjust that off-camera flash remotely, from where you are standing. Can you feel that pain melt away? Your assistant could be sipping drinks on a beach for all you care, but you will be making bank with all the great images you will be creating for your clients. Sorry, but VALS may indeed become dinosaurs if you begin to use the Panlight. Plus, you won't have to jump around and get in Uncle Bob or Aunt Maddy's grid, like you used to. And, if those two had cameras anyway, you can wish them the best of luck as you go from one amazing lighting scenario to the next. Who wins? You do.

The Win

Yes, it can be that simple. Skip on out of this blog and check out Panlight now on Kickstarter or on the Panlight website, to learn more. But remember, once the Kickstarter campaign ends, prices will go up.

A special thanks to Kate McElwee, a Boston-based wedding photographer who introduced me to Mike Garrard of Panlight. And yes, she is backing this campaign as well.

Did you know David Jackson was a police officer before he turned to photography? Did you also know that he has penned two of the most popular blog posts in Tiffinbox history>? Seriously, go read this and read this. Mind blown, right?

Dave, as he is known to friends, is a great photographer, teacher of lighting and author. But I have seen up close (visiting him twice in Appleton, Wisconsin), that he is also an incredible father and husband. He is what I would like to grow up to be someday. When you meet him, you'll be easily charmed by his humor and his very humble attitude to what he has achieved since launching his award-winning commercial portrait business in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Dave is also coming back to Inspire Photo Retreats. Want to learn from him? Inspire Photo Retreats, in Portland, Maine, will be the place. He is teaching a day-long workshop (at this time there might still be space in it), where he will be going from concept to shoot and delivery. Pretty amazing! Dave, like other presenters, will be at Inspire throughout the event – that's February 9th, 10th and 11th.

Like other Inspire Interviews, I cornered Dave to chat about his experience last year and what he will be presenting this next time around. It's a short chat (yeah, totally unlike me, right?) so take the time to check it out now:

Click the graphic below and you'll be quickly transported to the Inspire Photo Retreats website where you can find out more about the gathering and you can sign up to attend.

Register NOW for Inspire Photo Retreats!

Arielle Doneson is a wedding photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts. She prefers to shoot film over digital. That alone should pique your interest in our chat below.

Arielle is also going to be presenting at Inspire Photo Retreats. It's in Portland, Maine. I hope you will join us. Spots are limited and they are on track to sell out. I strongly suggest you register for this truly unique conference today.

Please take a moment to view and enjoy Arielle's lovely wedding photography below:

Amazing right? Click the graphic below and you'll be quickly transported to the Inspire Photo Retreats website where you can find out more about the gathering and you can sign up to attend. If you are in the intimate crowd who will be attending, please do come up to me and say hello!!

Jason Grubb, a wedding photographer in Denver, Colorado has strategically increased his Instagram followers and converted some of them into paying clients. Having a significantly smaller following on that social medial site, I was intrigued to learn more from him.

While our chat was short, I trust you will find a ton more useful and actionable information from Jason during his ShootDotEdit webinar on December 3. Find out more here.

Oh, and do follow him on Instagram too!

Lastly, do take a moment to check out Jason and Gina's wedding photography below.

I also invite you to visit their website. They are pretty specific about who they are, who they serve and what kind of photography they happen to create for those people they attract. This is “specialism” in action folks and I love how they have brought it all together.

Update: If you missed it, you can can the recorded version of the webinar with Jason Grubb here. Simply register on the site and you will be notified when it is ready to view.

In 2012, Susan Stripling Mautner was named one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers by American Photo. She photographs 50 weddings a year. She has been at this for about 15 years now. When she gets up on stage, people pay close attention to what she has to say about the wedding photography industry.

So, it's no surprise that she just launched The Dynamic Range, a repository for all her thoughts on the subject of photography. I got an exclusive opportunity to speak with her about The Dynamic Range and why she chose to create a new space that includes a blog and a storefront where you can learn from her blog or buy her ebooks and other resources.

Mark your calendars, from Friday the 28th of November through December 2nd, Susan is offering everything on The Dynamic Range at 30% off! So, bookmark this page now or click here to put your favorite ebooks into your cart.

Want to see what one of her ebooks looks like? Add your name and email to her list (find the form at the top right hand corner of her site) and she'll send one out to you to check out. I believe right now she is offering the one on how to photograph wedding ring shots. Her imagery is one of the finest and she is about to tell you exactly what she does to achieve those results. So, what are you waiting for? Go visit The Dynamic Range now!