8 Best Business Practices for Event Photographers

8 Best Business Practices for Event Photographers: "

Event photography is a tricky business, but if done right can earn you a comfortable income. In order to get the low-down on the biz, I thought I would ask a panel of trusted event photography experts if they have any 'best business practices' suggestions.

Members of my trusted panel of event photographers are:

Mike Janes, Freelance photographer based in Western New York

Brent Eriksen, California and Colorado-based equestrian photographer

Nick Olive, Berkshire, England-based sports and portrait photographer

Mason Ibas, Tucson, Arizona-based sports photographer

Carl Auer, Alaska-based sports, news and event photographer

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Tweetography: how (and why) to improve your photography skills via Twitter.

Tweetography: how (and why) to improve your photography skills via Twitter.: "

Twitter seems to be taking over the world (and by “seems to be,” I’m sure I mean, “totally already has”) and the realm of photography is no exception. My husband calls twitter “the stupid that stuck,” and I’m utterly amazed that something so remarkably stupid could be so perfectly AMAZING on every count. I wish every day that I invented it. Unfortunately, I’m too smart to come up with something so stupid (read: awesome beyond all reason).

Here are 5 reasons/ways to jump on the stupid wagon (of all awesomeness) and use twitter to increase your photography knowledge:

1. Twitter: the mirco-forum

Interesting twitter discussions can be reminiscent of a casual (and perhaps more easily accessible) online forum. Create a twitter buzz in your online photography forums of choice by dropping your twitter name in forum discussions (don’t be obnoxious) and by inviting others to do the same. Cross follow, and then you can take the formality of a forum (or flickr) over to the self appointed micro forum that is twitter!

You’ll quickly find yourself led to other budding tweetographers and you’ll soon find yourself learning and SHARING information like it’s going out of style! Give, give, give. Share, share, share and you’ll find that others will quickly join in kind.

It’s easy to get people to join in, or expand the breadth of, discussions via twitter (and a side benefit of this is the extra followers you’ll gain through all the @replies!).

2. Twitter: the microjournal

Twitter is also a wonderful way to track your progress.

Tweet pictures and ask your followers for constructive critiques on them.

Also, link to articles you’re reading (or better yet, have written).

Use a service like backupmytweets.com to protect your tweets and then refer back to them to see how far you’ve come!

3. The Tweetup

Network with other local photographers. Find one online, and you’ll soon be led to more.

Organize tweetups where you and other local tweetographers can organize shoots or simply go out for drinks together and talk shop.

Side note: Local twitter friends are worth their weight in gold. Aside from becoming dear, dear friends, mine have more than once bailed me out of a gear related bind, or provided last minute assistance on a complicated shoot.

4. Twitter: the professional network

Follow professional tweetographers (again, find one and you’ll quickly be led to more).

The professional realm is in large part a tight knit community, and many photographers share tips and tricks (their own and eachother’s) via twitter. Even more link to interesting industry articles, giveaways, how to’s and etc. There is an abundant wealth of knowledge for the novice or budding pro. It’s also a great way (probably THE BEST resource of all) to learn about upcoming photography workshops in your area.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions about your craft using @ replies. You won’t always get a response, but often times you will!

5. Live and die by the retweet

Though this post is not a discussion on the art of drumming up followers on twitter, I will say this:

Retweet pertinent information and tweet information that is retweetable. Become best friends with tinyurl.com and share useful information. Because it makes you cool. And because it drums up your following (read: educational network).

For more information on increasing your twitter following, there are excellent articles on the web including this one by Kevin Rose for Tech Smart.

If you found this article useful, you can follow me on twitter at twitter.com/natalienorton and of course Digital Photography School at twitter.com/digitalps.

Happy Tweeting!

Post from: Digital Photography School

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Seven Random Portrait Lighting Tips For Photographers

Seven Random Portrait Lighting Tips For Photographers: "

Copyright Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved

If you want to make great images you need great light. And great light is always available if you know what you are doing and you have access to some gear.

Here are seven lighting tips that may benefit photographers:

1. You can make great images with one light source. Just make sure the light source is big. The bigger the better. I try to find light sources that are roughly twice the size of my subject.

2. Remember that light has a depth of field too. This is one of the most overlooked pieces of the lighting puzzle. The closer you are to the subject, the faster the light falls off.

3. Umbrellas are typically the most available and the least expensive light modifiers. But they are also veritable “light grenades…” scattering light everywhere. It’s easier to control light with a softbox.

4. If you are working with reflectors, pay attention to where you place them. If you have a silver reflector, placing it too close to the subject will not be flattering. White reflectors are however designed to be placed about half the distance to the subject as the main light.

5. If you want natural catch lights in the eyes, aim for 11 o’clock or 1 o’clock.

6. If you use a hair light, make sure it doesn’t hit the shoulders.

7. Experiment with “hot” lights or constant lighting. It allows the use of wider apertures and faster shutter speeds than does strobe.

These are just some random starter tips. Go from here. Experiment. Move the light. Shape the light. Study the light and you’ll get great images.

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This post sponsored by WHCC – White House Custom Colour – Get Five Free 8×10 Prints From WHCC

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Seven Elements That Help Make A Great Black & White Photograph

Seven Elements That Help Make A Great Black & White Photograph: "

Copyright Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved

There was a time all photos were made in black & white. Now the default is color and we have to adjust to get the images from their color to the monochromatic version. (Assuming digital camera.)

Now that shooting B&W is more of a deliberate choice, I thought I’d outline seven elements that I think help make up a great B&W image.

1. Great B&W images tend to be simple, with their main components isolated and easy to identify.

2. Great B&W images tend to have depth and dimension – usually accomplished by creating visual layers that extend from the foreground to the background and all points in between.

3. Great B&W images rely on shape and/or form to make up the image. Hue and color distractions are gone. Only the shapes or forms made up by objects remain and can be arranged in such a manner that they draw the eye into or out of the photograph at the appropriate time and place.

4. Great B&W images tend to exploit contrast. The difference between the whitest white and the blackest black is the highest contrast point in the picture and this can be used to draw the viewer’s eye. Good contrast can help add depth and dimension as well.

5. Great B&W images rely on tone and texture to take the place of color and hue. This can be accomplished in many ways. Texture for instance can be enhanced with side lighting. Sometimes high ISOs are used to emulate film grain for more texture.

6. Great B&W images often rely on patterns to draw the eye into the subject of the photo. It helps form shapes and designate important elements in any B&W scene.

7. Great B&W images tend to minimize the background and accentuate the foreground. While this is not always true, if you look at the bulk of the work of some of the great old-time B&W masters, you’ll find this technique used in many of their images, particularly portraits.

Of course there are many more traits you might want to consider when shooting for B&W images, but these seven points should be top-of-mind, especially if you’re new at B&W photography. They’ll get you to the point where you’re at least in the ball park. Your own vision and creativity can take you from there.

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This post sponsored by WHCC – White House Custom Colour – Get Five Free 8×10 Prints From WHCC

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It’s Monday Already?

It’s Monday Already?: "

I can’t believe another weekend has come and gone already. Just where does the time go? Mine was spent in front of my computer, working on a new book, which probably explains why it seemed to go by so fast. I did however get to catch up on some news and the like so I thought I would share some highlights with you to keep you informed as you begin your work week.

I’ve Gone International -

No, I’m not traveling anywhere overseas but it seems that my books are. Last Friday when I got home I found a box waiting for me on the front doorstep. When I opened it, I was surprised to see something familiar but not really. It was copies of two of my books, Nikon D5000 and Canon EOD 500D: From Snapshots to Great Shots but they looked somewhat different. That’s because they were Czech translations. Not only that but the covers were completely different than those that were published for the English speaking market. I have to tell you that it’s a real kick to see my books in a different language and I have to thank my friends at Peachpit and C Press for sending me copies. I guess I’ll have to start cruising the book stores next time I travel abroad to see if I can find any other language versions for my collection.

Making Sense of Twitter with paper.li -

Twitter is an amazing thing. There is so much information available that it sometimes seems almost impossible to digest it all. The biggest problem is that I can’t always be watching the feed so I am bound to miss some good stuff. Now I am less likely to miss out thanks to a new website called paper.li. A strange name to be sure but the concept is that you enter a search term and paper.li will organize all of the links into a newspaper-style output. You can do this by entering a trending term like #photography or, in my case, I entered my list of photographers that I follow. Then paper.li analyzed the latest tweets from that list of people (@photowalkpro/photographers) and organized it into a newspaper format that it really fun to read. The other cool thing is that it will update once a day so I can go back and catch all the latest stuff. You can also share your paper or search for other ones that might be of interest. It’s all about herding the info into an easily digestible format. Give it a try and see what you think by heading to the paper.li website or check out my Photographers Daily.

Nikon Releases New Bling -

The folks at Nikon decided to make another big announcement on the eve of Photokina in the form of another new DSLR and a new flash.

The SB-700 flash is a long overdue replacement for the aging SB-600 flash and there are some great updates that will make this a valuable tool in any photographer’s kit. The controls have been updated to be very similar to those on the SB-900, with a switch dedicated to placing the flash into Master or Remote mode. Another big benefit to this unit is its ability to act as a commander unit as well as a remote. This was a feature that was sorely missing from the SB-600 and usually relegated it to being used as a remote in multi-flash situations. Other features include 3 distribution patterns, color filter identification, and FX lens coverage from 24 – 120mm. The expected retail price is around $330 US.

The other big item on Nikon’s press release was the D7000 DSLR camera. This latest entry fits nicely at the top of the Nikon consumer line of DSLR cameras as the replacement to the D90. Nikon has upped the pixel count in this DX format to an impressive 16.2 megapixels while raising the ISO to a hefty 25,600 in HI2 mode. It also has an impressive frame rate of 6 fps. Of course you can’t make a DSLR camera today that doesn’t include video capture and Nikon really delivers with 1080p at 24fps with Nikon’s exclusive full-time Servo-A autofocus during recording.

Other features include a top end shutter speed of 1/8000 of a second, 39-point focus system, twin SD card slots that will accept the new SDXC high-capacity cards, a virtual horizon indicator for use in Live View mode, a high definition 920,000 dot rear LCD panel, magnesium alloy top and rear body covers with weather sealing, and 2 user programmable modes that let you customize a favorite shooting mode and access it right from the mode dial.

The price for the D7000 will be $1199 US and is available for pre-order at B&H, Amazon, and Adorama.

Related posts:

1. Nikon D700…What’s the Point?


2. You Get What You Pay For


3. Nikon D3100 Announced

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Review – Lowepro Classified 160 AW Camera Bag

Review – Lowepro Classified 160 AW Camera Bag: "

I know there have been more than a few of you out there that have been waiting for me to post this review since back in June when I first got it. Well wait no longer because here it is.

As I said, I bought this bag back in late June for one specific reason, street photography. I was preparing for my trip to Guatemala and I knew that I was going to be running and gunning with my camera for most of the trip. Normally I would have carried my trusty Lowepro Fastback 250 with me but I knew that it does not lend itself to street photography very well. Don’t get me wrong, I still love it but accessing the camera gear from a backpack while walking down the street is no easy task. I wanted the ability to reach in, grab my camera, get my shot, and then slip the camera back in my bag and continue walking down the street. I also knew that I wanted something like a messenger bag that was not overly conspicuous as a camera bag and would sling across one shoulder, always at the ready. My final criteria was room. It had to fit all the gear that I wanted to take without looking or feeling too large and bulky. The Classified 160 AW fit all those needs, above and beyond what I had hoped for.

Before I get to the bag specifics, let me show you what I had stuffed in the bag for my flight down to Guatemala. What you see below is:

• Nikon D80 with a 17-55mm f/2.8 lens attached,


• 70-300mm lens,


• 50mm f/1.4 lens,


• SB-900 flash,


• Giottos Rocket Air,


• Hoodman Loupe,


• Lee 4″x6″ graduated ND filter in protective pouch,


• warming circular polarizing filter,


• Panasonic Lumix LX-3 (not pictured)


• Spudz lens cleaning cloth,


• my Acer 11″ netbook,


• and yes, my Apple iPad.

Now before you think me completely crazy you should know that I didn’t carry all of that around with me while I was shooting but I did transport it through 3 airports, 2 airplanes, and one van ride. And believe it or not, it wasn’t all that heavy and not too bulky. In fact it was still so slim that I stored it under the seats on the airplanes. I hate packing anything of value in my checked luggage (especially my camera gear and computers) so I found a way to store all my stuff in the bag. Having it under the seat also gave me quick access to my computer and iPad during the flights. During my actual tourist/photo outtings I stuck to the camera gear only, usually without the flash.

Bag overview -

As I said, this is a top-loading messenger style bag so there is one large compartment on the top where most of the camera gear resides. There is one removable, padded divider that goes down the middle. It also has a divider flap on one side so that you can stack a couple of lenses to one side without them banging against each other. The other side has a removable, padded divider that you can use to divide the camera section into a top and bottom half. I didn’t feel the need to use it because I usually kept my 70-300 attached to the camera and the had the 50mm in the bottom of the other side with the 17-55mm on top of that. Another nice feature on the camera side is the padded leather top edges to rest the camera on. The zipper runs across the top of the main compartment with two tabs so you can open it from either end.

There’s a zipper pocket that runs across the back of the bag but it’s only suitable for thin items. This is where I stashed my iPad on the plane ride. It was a tight fit but it’s just the right size for a notepad or maybe some filters.

The front of the bag is a flap that can be secured to the bottom of the bag with a plastic clasp. When opened, two more pockets are uncovered. The one closest to the inside is pretty roomy and it’s here that I put my netbook during flight. When not traveling heavy, it’s a perfect fit for my iPad. The outer-most pocket is secured with another flap and velcro. Inside the pocket are storage sleeves for pens/pencils. The pocket itself is a handy spot for accessories like filters, memory cards, and even an additional camera battery. There is also a large zipper around the top of the bag, under the outer flap, which will allow the contents of the main compartment to expand by about an inch when unzipped.

Another handy little feature that I put to use is the rain cover, which is concealed inside a flap at the lower rear area of the bag. Since I was visiting Guatemala during the rainy season, it got a lot of use. The only difficulty with it is that it’s hard to access the camera compartment once it is slipped over the bag.

Bag Dimensions -

The interior of the main compartment is about 8.5″ wide, 6.5″ deep. and a little over 11″ tall. The front compartment is 7.5″ wide, 1.5″ deep, and 9.5″ tall.

The bag is constructed of 150 denier Cordura nylon with lots of full grain leather trim. There is also a full leather handle on the top of the bag that feels very secure and well attached. There is a nylon web shoulder strap that attaches to d-rings on the sides of the bag, near the top. The shoulder pad is pretty standard fare with a grippy underside, firm padding inside, and Cordura and leather on the top. It isn’t the most comfortable strap I have ever used but it is more than adequate.

What I like -

This bag is billed as a photojournalists bag because it allows quick and easy access to photo gear and it more than lived up to that billing. I also like the size and shape of the bag. It wasn’t so large that I would be tempted to carry the kitchen sink and it looks and feels a lot like a medium-sized messenger bag.

The padding inside the bag did a great job of protecting my gear and the dividers did a good job of keeping everything organized.

The bag is extremely well made. So much so that I had no fears wearing it while I rode a zip-line 150′ in the air from one mountain to another. A little crazy perhaps, but the bag stayed securely at my side and I never felt like the contents were in danger of falling.

What it needs -

One thing that I really missed having was a bottle holder. I think that it would be pretty easy to make a small stash pocket along the side and have a mesh bottle holder pop out.

The top opening was okay but it would be great if it would open just a tad farther while wearing the bag.

A wider shoulder strap with a little more padding would make this bag just about perfect. Like I said, the strap isn’t bad but if you are wearing it sling-style, the thinness of it can wear on you just a little.

What you need to know -

If you are using a large bodied camera like a Nikon D3 or Canon1Ds Mark III, or you have a battery grip on your camera, you will not like this bag. It is wide enough for a standard camera like a 5D Mark II or a D700 but a larger body or a battery grip would probably not fit within the bag.

This is also not the only version of the Classified. If you want something to fit that big rig of yours, you should check out the 200 AW or even the 250 AW, with room for two bodies and lots of lenses to boot. If that’s going in the wrong direction, check out the Classified 140 AW. It has the same features as the 160 but is a tad bit smaller. This would probably be a good match for something like a Canon T2i or a Nikon D3100.

The Classified 160 AW sells for 129.95 US and is available in sepia, or black for you stealthy types.

Related posts:

1. Lowepro – Fastpack 250 Review


2. Checking Out the LowePro Classified


3. Review – The SpiderPro Camera Holster System

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