Who is Bob Krist?

Bob Krist is a renowned travel photographer and videographer who has photographed for 40+ years and traveled to 150 countries.

In early December 2019, Krist released his 12th book, “Old Souls & Timeless Places.” And, yes, as the headline of this blog post states, it is spectacular.

Printed at Brilliant Graphics, the attention to detail in producing this all black & white book is astounding. If you have ever used black & white film and printed from a negative, the photographs in “Old Souls & Timeless Places” will be nostalgic. So, this book a must-have in my collection and I hope you will consider it as well.

Cover to cover, you are gently stopped to take it all in, and there is a lot to absorb in this semi-retrospective of Bob Krist's work. You can study the way the photographs are composed. The way the photographs – portraits interspersed with landscapes – makes one think that indeed we are not separate from nature, but definitely part of it. At least, that's how I am “reading” the book, “Old Souls & Timeless Places.”

The Interview with Bob Krist

I had the pleasure of speaking with Bob Krist about the book right before the Christmas holidays. If I do come off as a bit gushing in sections of the podcast, it's because of two things:

One, Bob Krist is a hero of mine. For years, I followed his work and fantasized photographing and writing about my travels as Bob has done over the years. And, two, the quality of this publication is truly remarkable. There is something special about holding a book with a set of photographs that were all created with intent, love and great care.

The Images Discussed In The Interview

These are the photographs we discussed in the interview. This is such a small sample of the wonderful photographs you have access to when you buy the book, “Old Souls & Timeless Places.” Proceeds from the book's sale benefit the Jonathan Krist Foundation, named in memory of Krist’s son, who passed away 12 years ago.

On a tangent, I interviewed Elizabeth Krist, Bob's sister-in-law, some years ago. Since leaving National Geographic magazine, Elizabeth has joined hands with some amazing visual communicators to start The Visual Thinking Collective.

I have shot one wedding. Friends asked me, I set expectations low, they knew their budget was low, everything went smoothly, they were happy, and that was the end of my wedding photography career.

There are a few reasons why I stuck with headshot photography and specialized in it, making it my full-time job.

One objective reason, and the reason for the name of this article, is the number of files I created in my first and last wedding: thousands of images to cull! Making selections is difficult to do with or without the client’s input. There are just so many images, so many people, so many stages of the day, pictures of the dress, pictures of the rings, pictures of the shoes, pictures of the program, pictures of the room, pictures of the food, pictures of the head table, etc. All that affects the workflow, and takes a lot of time after the wedding day.

In my headshot business, I am able to spend an hour or two with each individual client, and I take between 75 and 200 images, of the same kind of image, a headshot. We review on site since I am tethering with TetherTools and Capture One. The client makes selections at the end of the session, between 3 and 10 images, on average.

I work with two retouchers, so I send the files off to one of them and get them back retouched when they’re ready. I tweak them (2-5 minutes) and send them off. Client pushback or dissatisfaction is rare, since they chose the images, and they look even better than when they saw them straight out of camera.

That’s why a headshot business, particularly an in-studio headshot business is such a beautiful thing. It’s simple; each shoot is a discrete, relatively short time period with a low number of final images.

And I think headshot photographers and wedding photographers with similar skill levels in their specialties can make comparable sales numbers if they are full-time.

If you’re thinking about making photography a full-time thing, there’s a different, better genre for many photographers than wedding photography: take a look at headshot photography as a possible avenue.

I’ve done it, and it’s the best photography genre for me.

Learn more about headshot photography here.

Esteban Gil is a wedding photographer based in Guilford, Connecticut. He is also a teacher and mentor to scores of wedding photographers through his website, Steel & Flint Society.

The Wedding Photographer's Portfolio

Here are some of Esteban's exquisite wedding photography:

The Interview

Esteban and I spoke several months ago and I have finally got this interview with him ready for you to check out. So, click the graphic below and give this a listen now.

At 12:37, I ask Esteban about his next workshops. Please disregard the dates as these have all long gone past us.

The Steel & Flint Soceity

STEEL + FLINT is an interactive, community-based resource for wedding photographers, with the goal of instilling a sense of “community over competition” among its members.

While Esteban started the Steel & Flint Society, he is joined by Nicole Apuzzo, Roxanne Gil, Mike Musto and Drew Hines when it comes to leading other photographers through in-person workshops.

Want to learn step by step instructions on how to use a Godox AD200 and a Westcott Rapid Box together? There is an online tutorial for it.

It's a learn-by-doing environment. Check out the weekly challenges that you can participate in as well.

But if you are really intent on meeting up with Esteban or any of the other Steel & Flint Society leaders, keep an eye out for their workshops here (just don't be surprised if they are all SOLD OUT, so you do have to jump on the opportunity as soon as it presents itself!)

For Wedding Photographers

If you are a wedding photographer, what would like to learn at a Steel & Flint Society event?

Friends at Chennai Photo Biennale have just informed me about a new residency program that will address the changes to how we now perceive “the family portrait.”

This project invites photographers and lens-based artists to reimagine the Family Portrait by establishing the transition from the accepted definition of ‘the family' to what it represents today.

If you are a photographer that is already pursuing family photography or you are a social anthropologist who is studying how visual perceptions shape society, you might be one of 10 selected to study with experts from France, Germany and India.

The residency will run from September through November 2019, in two phases with three mentors. Some sessions will take place in Chennai, India, while others will be conducted online.

The selection criteria is as follows:

Residency is open only to practising lens-based artists and photographers of South Asian origin across the world (South Asian Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)

Applicants can submit proposals for existing projects they are working on or new ideas on family portraiture they plan to work on.

For more information, please visit this Chennai Photo Biennale page.

Please note that the deadline is fast approaching – August 31, 2019!

Muslims In America

The first Muslims may have arrived in the North American continent in the 14th century. And according to this article about “Islam in America,” even Christopher Columbus may have used a guide book written by Portuguese Muslims!

Yet, Muslims in America today often feel marginalized and stigmatized by the media. They become easy targets of ridicule because of their faith or in the way they dress. The fact is, Muslims who have either immigrated to the United States or have been here for generations are productive citizens in the communities they call home.

Genesis Of A Project

So, when New York based editorial photographer Syed Yaqeen was looking to work on a portrait project, it would seem the work came looking for him!

Syed who is originally from Bangladesh, identifies himself as an American now. To counter the often negative portrayal of Muslims in the media, Syed commenced to work on project to portray his Muslim sisters and brothers in a positive manner. Through his work, he hopes to inform us that Muslims are so much more than the stereotypes seen on television every night.

He was commissioned by ISPU – The Institute of Social Policy and Understanding – to create the portraits for Muslims for American Progress.

Portraits of A Community

From Syed's site:

“The Muslims for American Progress (MAP) Project educates the public by providing a much-needed, evidence-based portrait of a deeply misunderstood community. The MAP project quantifies the contributions of American Muslims in New York City in eight areas: Civics and Democracy, Economic Development, Medicine, STEM, Philanthropy and Nonprofits, Arts and Entertainment, Sports & Education. MAP-NYC is a project of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. ISPU conducts objective, solution-seeking research that empowers American Muslims to develop their community and fully contribute to democracy and pluralism in the United States. ISPU is a leading think tank focused on studying and empowering the American Muslim community.”

The Interview with Syed Yaqeen

Syed and I recently chatted about his work and where he hopes to take it after New York City. Give this quick interview a listen please.

Syed's Portrait Portfolio

Give these portraits a close look please. These are our neighbors, our friends, may be even our relatives. I believe the central premise to Syed Yaqeen's work is to show us that Muslims aren't really very different than you and me.

Meet & Greet

Meet some of the subjects of this project this Saturday (April 14, 2019) at the Mulberry Street Library in New York City.