Interviews Archives - Page 2 of 28

The 24×24 Photo Marathon Takes Place On May 24th

May 16, 2020 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher

The 24×24 Photo Marathon will take place on May 24th. Around. The. World.

Morten Rand-Hendriksen who organized the Vancouver Photo Marathon in the past, is uppin' the ante a bit this year.

He wants to have photographers – enthusiasts and professionals and everyone in between – involved with the 24×24 Photo Marathon this year given that a lot of us are at home socially-distancing and staying safe due to the pandemic.

It's a 100% free event. It has no sponsors. No big push towards one agenda or another. Even the marketing is pretty slim, save for Facebook posts (where I first heard about this through my friend William Bay).

And no, this isn't some devious plot to grab your photographs and exploit your creativity. Rest assured, you will be sharing your photographs using the hashtag – #24x24photomarathon – when you post your images to your own social media platforms – Instagram or Twitter. This gives everyone who participates an opportunity to easily view all the photographs.

By signing up to take part, you are simply signing up to take part (nothing else). You will not be asked to relinquish any rights or privileges to your images.

I just spoke with Morten Rand-Hendriksen today about the 24×24 Photo Marathon. Play the podcast episode below to learn more about the way this event started and what Morten hopes it will end up being for all who participate.

I am told that themes will be posted on the hour every hour on the website, Twitter, and Instagram. So be sure to follow the event on those platforms right away so you don't miss any directions or announcements!

Still looking for more info? Click here. And, check out photographs from the Vancouver Photo Marathons here?

The event will challenge you into discovering a little bit more about yourself. I think that's the whole point of this exercise. A little introspection is a good thing.

Now that you know what you know about the upcoming 24×24 Photo Marathon, will you be participating? Remember, it takes place on Sunday, May 24th and runs a full 24 hours, around the world!

I look forward to seeing your work online!

Isolation In The 402, A Photography Project By Eric Francis

April 27, 2020 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher

A Photo Project During A Pandemic

When Eric Francis told me about “Isolation In The 402”, it immediately made sense. Unlike the popular #thefrontstepsproject which we have all now seen, Eric's work has both depth and breadth in some very nuanced ways.

Like Paul Gero, who I interviewed a couple of weeks back about his project in Wisconsin, Francis is also on a mission to document his community.

He wants to photograph as many families and individuals as possible in his area code: 402, during this time of self-isolation and social distancing. Hence the name for his project, “Isolation In The 402.”

Eric uses only Fujifilm gear and limits himself to one or two camera bodies and lenses. Most of the lighting you see in some of his portraits (scroll down) is either a porch light or day-light. Listen to the podcast, below, to learn more about his gear.

All the photographs are intentionally in black & white. As I saw Eric post portrait after portrait on his Facebook wall, I repeatedly stopped to read his posts too. Francis displays a sense of respect and curiosity to get know how each of his subjects is feeling on the day on the photo shoot.

Chatting With Eric Francis

Eric and I chat and text each other often. I know I wouldn't have converted to a Fujifilm photographer if it hadn't been for Eric's patient instructions. And yes, we can talk shop all day. When I asked if I could interview him about his project, he wasted no time in scheduling the call. Lean in and listen to how “Isolation In The 402” took shape and where he hopes to take it:

Photographs From The Project

Once A Photojournalist, Paul Gero Documents Families

April 2, 2020 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher

The Photojournalist

Paul Gero, a Wisconsin portrait photographer, was at one point a newspaper photojournalist.

You may remember that I featured Paul's work on this site here and here.

His journalism instincts are kicking in again. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, Paul has embarked on a neighborhood family portrait project.

And, yes, he is observing all relevant “social distancing” guidelines, as outlined by his state government.

Portrait Project

I had the honor of speaking with Paul last week about his project, “Portraits In The Time Of Corona.”

If you are wondering if the title echoes Gabriel Garcia Marquez' work of fiction, it does.

A Few Photographs

Here are a few images from Paul's project:

Other Portrait Projects

Several other photographers, across the country have either started to work on a similar idea or are about to embark on one as soon as it is safe to do so:

Sree Sripathy says she will be photographing the Indian community in the Bay Area.

Cara Soulia was featured on NBC for her project called and hashtagged #thefrontstepsproject

CBS News carried a segment about a Twin-Cities photographer who offers complimentary porch step portraits.

While most of the initiatives have been positively received, some feel photographers should wait till the “stay-at-home” guidance in most of the states are lifted before venturing outdoors and interacting with people again.

So, tell me, what would you do? Would you go outdoors and photograph families from a safe distance or would you rather hold off on any portrait sessions until everyone is safe to move about the country?

Update

Paul has wrapped up his project and launched a book of all the portraits he was able to create in his community.

Buy The Book: “For The Love Of The Photograph”

February 28, 2020 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher

For The Love Of The Photograph

Let me cut to the chase. Buy Chloe Lodge's book, “For The Love Of The Photograph” now. In fact, on February 29th, New Zealand time, you can buy the book and the accompanying journal for $29 each.

If you are still looking for that #1 reason, it's built into the title of the book! It's a strong buy from me because you, like me, absolutely LOVE creating photographs.

Other Reasons You Will Want Chloe Lodge's Book

Now that I have the most urgent matter out of the way, let me give you my perspective on the book called “For The Love Of The Photograph“.

Most photography books are pedantic and pedestrian. Lodge's book, within arm's reach on my desk, is conversational and convenient. As you read along, it's as if a dear friend was sitting next to you to explain everything they know about photography.

It's small form factor makes it supremely convenient to carry around town to a coffee shop. It's crisp printing and colorful photographs make the book very engaging. You turn the page and your are brought to a complete halt at Lodge's own gorgeous photography in and around her farm house in New Zealand.

My Takeaways From The Book

What did I take away from it? Be more present with light, to understand moment and gesture, to embrace color and to play to your heart's content with what and who you have right in front of you.

I assure you will be tickled by her observations and her insight. Having been in this business for about 20 years now, few things surprise me now. But Lodge's words reverberated within me, echoing as if I had said them myself at some point or another. It's a somewhat weird but welcome feeling.

Interview With Chloe Lodge

By now you know the drill. I look forward to speaking with photographers from around the world. It was quite easy to track Chloe Lodge down to see if she might be interested in talking about her book, “For The Love Of The Photograph.” So, give this chat between us a listen –

Buy The Book Today … Buy The Journal, Too

This book will inspire you for years to come. If you treat it as a “recipe book” you might just end up making one heckuva meal. There are 10 chapters in all. You are allowed to skip around if you wish. Come back and read something all over again, if you want. It's totally up to you.

What you will find, I suspect, is over time as your understanding and practice of photography grows, the words in the book will resonate within you even more. That's the beauty of this book. It's not a once-and-done type of book at all. It calls you back again and again, as it fills you up with a little different ingredient as you read it from a new perspective.

Yes, leap into photography with a book that will distinguish your work over time. I urge you to buy the book (no commissions being made here folks) and the journal that now accompanies it. Remember the special time limited flash sale on February 29th (it's New Zealand time and they are way ahead of us).

32 Off-Camera Flash Scenarios Explained In Simple English

February 12, 2020 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher

The Use of Off-Camera Flash

Off-camera flash and its use is often a challenge. And as I've said many times before, it was a mystery to me. My first flash was a Vivitar 285. I could use it only in manual mode and I didn't know where to begin, so I quickly and quietly yanked out the batteries from the unit and retired it.

That would have been the end of it if it wasn't a pesky assignment to photograph my first wedding. Wedding ceremonies are usually followed by receptions and this one kicked my butt. I was still shooting film at this time, and my TMax 3200 ISO didn't quite deliver. I was wide open at f/2.8, but shutter speed was barely 1/30th. Yep, dark, dark, dark cave for the reception.

I needed to learn to use my Vivitar. But the resistance continued because .. well, have any of you actually seen the manual that comes with a flash unit? Yeah, that's what I thought too. It gets pitched and buried next to the camera manual because of all the jargon.

Learning How Off-Camera Flash Works

The first person to ever talk to me, human-to-human about flash was Zack Arias. I attended his workshop in Boston. Then he generously invited me to his New York workshop a couple of years later. Then his OneLight DVD came out. Followed by the second version of that same workshop which I reviewed here. His off-camera-problem-solving-approach remains with me to this day.

Since then, however, there have been many other wonderful teachers who have introduced the topic of off-camera flash to the world. Vanessa Joy is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Freelhold, New Jersey. She is highly sought-after speaker and teacher. You should subscribe to her YouTube channel as she actively publishes videos there every week.

Vanessa Joy's New Book

I heard that she was working on a new book about off-camera flash. I asked if we could do a short interview about the book, “The Off-Camera Flash Handbook: 32 Scenarios for Creating Beautiful Light and Stunning Photographs“. So here it is:

While Vanessa walks us through the technical aspects of using an off-camera flash in the first section of the book, it is the second section that explores 32 different real-life scenarios that caught my eye. Turning day into night, photographing couples, warming up the sky, lighting a dark room (see, this would have come handy way back when) etc.

Take a look at the book on Amazon. However, now through February 15th (Saturday), you can order the book through Rocky Nook (the publisher) and save 40% when you used the code – OFCH40. Or, order it through Amazon before it launches on April 7th, as Amazon guarantees you the best price. In either event, you will own a book that you can refer to constantly as you go out and actively use (and make mistakes) with your off-camera flash.

You can also find Vanessa Joy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.