Under $10
$5.99 Silver Metallic Sharpie for a 4-pack.
I came to these late in life and have been pleasantly surprised at how often I use them to label all the black items, like hard drives, power bricks and cases, etc. that would otherwise require a sticky-label.
$10-$20
$16.99 Network Adapter, Anker USB 3.0 to RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
I love my MacBook Pro Retina but it has no place to plug in an ethernet cable and there are times when there is no available wireless network or one that’s too slow, but a hard-wired ethernet connection might be available. This adapter takes allows you to plug an RJ45 ethernet cable into your USB 3 port.
$20-$30
$24.99 Lepow Moonstone External Battery Pack, Portable Battery Charger and Travel Charger 6000 mAh.
We never get enough charge time out of our phones so having a portable battery to charge them is a must. This device will also power some other devices that have accept power through a mini-usb plug.
$24.99 Photography & Cinema Pico Flex Dolly
Great and inexpensive way to add slider moves to your projects.
$29.95 ATR-3350 Audio Technica Powered Lavalier Microphone (also comes in XLR).
Shockingly good for a bargain price, this hard-wired lav mic come in 1/8 inch or XLR plugs and is great when wireless signal interference abounds or if you are on a tight budget.
$30-$40
$30.45 Cullmann Magnesit Copter Digital Tripod with cb 2.7 Ballhead.
Small compact tripod for supporting small, compact things. Comes with a great little ballhead that is worth the price of admission on its own.
$33.22 SanDisk Extreme 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive.
It’s time to stop using anything USB 2. USB 3 products are 10 times faster. You just can’t have enough flash drives for storing or transferring files.
$34.92 Pedco UltraClamp Assembly
Checkout the variety of Pedco clamps. They come in extremely handy for a wide range of uses. You’ll probably want 2 or 3 once you see how cool they are.
$40-$50
$40.25 Joby GorillaPod with Ball head bundle.
The GorillaPod is a handy little device that not only serves as a nice compact tabletop tripod, but can be used as a shoulder brace and clamp-like device.
$50-60
$54 SanDisk Extreme Plus 64GB Class-10 UHS-3 SD Card
If you haven’t looked at the price of memory cards lately you will be shocked at how cheap they’ve become. A U3 card like this one is essential if you are shooting 4K video.
$60-70
$69 Rode VideoMicro On-Camera Microphone
Looking for a small, cheap, decent on-camera microphone? Here ya go. The entry from Rode is of course a compromise because of its size, but it’s a lot better than using the on-camera microphone in your DSLR.
$70-$80
$79.95 WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive – USB 3.0
Cheap and handy, we use these as backup drives.
$73 B+W 65-073102 77mm Variable Neutral Density 0.9-8x
Handy for stills but essential for video, a good quality variable neutral density filter is essential. Make sure you get the right filter size though. Or invest in a set of step-down rings.
$80-$90
$88.75 Alzo Easy Frame Diffuser & Reflector Kit- 40 Inch Metal Frame with Handle Incl. 1 Diffuser, 1 Silver, 1 Gold Reflector
There are lots reflector diffuser combinations on the market at a fraction of the price of the Alzo and at a multiple of the price of the Alzo, but the Alzo is the best value I’ve found. It comes with a frame that has a built in stand adapter, a handle, silver, gold, white and diffusion panels. I used it as a reflector and as a diffuser for both stalls and video. It is well built and compact.
$90-100
$99 audioblocks.com one year subscription.
While there are lots of great royalty-free music sites, AudioBlocks distinguishes themselves by offering an all-you-can-eat model with some decent music.
Michael A. Schwarz Photography
www.michaelschwarz.com
]]>
September 30, 2015
As a freelancer for the last 25 years, I’ve become accustomed to the cycles of boom and bust. It’s either so busy that you’re turning down work or so slow you are sending yourself test emails to be sure your server hasn’t gone down. So I try to keep an even keel, taking pleasure in passing along assignments I can’t handle to other photographer friends and using the slow time to work on marketing, SEO and training. Since I’ve started freelancing there hasn’t been a moment when there was nothing to do.
After a very busy summer and a 3-assignment week to start off September, feast turned to famine and the remainder of the month turned assignment-free. Assignments that were supposed to happen never materialized. Bids sent out went unanswered and as part of some great cosmic joke, my email server did go down for seven hours yesterday.
It was extremely fortunate that this slow assignment time coincided with some amazing learning opportunities in Atlanta. I’ve always tried to stay current and learn new things. This has become especially important in the field of visual communications the last few years, as photography has shifted its’ emphasis from the printed page to pixels on a screen and expanded to include not just the still image but motion and audio. I find it inspiring and energizing to sit through a class taught well by someone who is an expert in their craft.
My 10 days of learning began with a two-day workshop on the Business of Photography taught by Todd Bigelow and sponsored by the Atlanta Southeast chapter of ASMP. (Full disclosure, I serve on the Board of Directors of the chapter). I’ve been a long-time admirer of Todd’s work but we have never met and I had no idea how great Todd’s workshop would be. It was gratifying to see other veteran photographers that I know and respect sitting in the audience ready to soak up Todd’s wisdom. Todd is based in Southern California and travels around the country with his program. Make time to see it if you can. (http://thebigphotoblog.com/the-business-of-photography-workshop/ ) I was blown away by how he has simplified the processes of SEO and copyright protection. I came away from Todd’s workshop with a long list of action items that will keep me busy for weeks.
Two days after Todd’s workshop and with my head still churning with ideas to implement, I sat through a 3-hour Video lighting workshop sponsored by FJ Westcott, Showcase Camera and taught by Jem Schofield of thec47.com fame. Honestly, I had never heard of Jem (slap head, sorry Jem) and was skeptical of this workshop and dreaded that I would simply be paying for the privilege of sitting through an advertisement for Westcott lighting products. Not to worry, Jem carefully walked that fine line and taught an expert class on video lighting with patience and good humor. He demonstrated the revolutionary new line of Westcott flexible LED lighting products, but the class was first and foremost about the technqiue of lighting and not a hard-sell for the gear. Jem really helped break the logjam of video lighting concepts that I’d been having in my brain. Jem’s Booklight Kit now sits in my Wishlist waiting for assignments to return. http://westcottu.com/jem-schofield-talks-thec47-scrim-jim-cine-kits-with-newsshooter
Next up on the learning binge was a drone workshop conducted by DJI on their new line of Phantom drones. The DJI New Pilot Experience http://event.dji.com/newpilot2015/ is touring worldwide. And while this one-hour workshop was pretty much a sales pitch for DJI drones, which I already own and fly, I did come away with some new ideas on how I might be able to utilize the Phantom 3 series drones in ways in which I had not previosuly considered. Best of all, I was able to walk out of the store where the workshop was held, showing great restraint and self-control, without buying a thing. Score! Phantom 3 Professional, Wishlist, check.
I ended the month of September with a personal video conference on the Mylio software platform (hey, I know a guy who knows a guy, what can I say). Mylio is an amazing new product that allows you to gather and organize your photos across all your devices. Up until learning about this product, I have never found a cataloging system for my photos that worked well with my workflow. Mylio changes everything. You can try it out for free at www.mylio.com.
But wait, there’s more. One of the best way’s to learn is to teach! I find that teaching forces me to understand things better as it forces you to truly understand the concepts behind what you are teaching. Last night I taught the first of five classes I will teach this fall at Emory University’s Continuing Education program. Over the next year I will be teaching Nikon School classes on video and lighting around the country. www.nikonschool.com. I will be teaching a November 4, ASMP program in Atlanta on Audio for DSLR filmmakers http://asmp.org/education/event/info?id=1087#.VgveK7S4dSE and will be leading a Mentor Series workshop with Tom Bol to Oregon. http://www.popphoto.com/photo-workshop-oregon. A full list of my workshops can be found here..http://michaelschwarz.photoshelter.com/#!/p/-
One of the best learning opportunities anywhere will take place in Atlanta November 13 & 14, 2015 at the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar. The Seminar is the longest continuously running photojournalism conference in the U.S. and I’m proud to serve on it’s all-volunteer Board of Directors. www.photojournalism.org
-Michael A. Schwarz
The post originally appeared at www.michaelschwarz.com
]]>We’ve been getting ready for the 2015-2016 Nikon School season. Every year I update my personal introduction show with new photos and music. Here’s the one I just finished. http://youtu.be/WRpdv8Yq07o
If you act fast you can get 30% off a lynda.com subscription. It’s a great way to learn, but the deal only lasts until August 24. http://www.lynda.com/promo/trial/Default.aspx?lpk35=8492&utm_medium=ldc-partner&utm_source=ssprc&utm_content=11961&utm_campaign=CD2623&cid=l0:en:af:le:prosb:s0:0:ind:ssprc:CD2623&bid=11961&aid=CD2623
A trillion photos will be taken in 2015: http://resourcemagonline.com/2014/12/infographic-there-will-be-one-trillion-photos-taken-in-2015/45332/
TIME Magazine says these are the top Instagram photographers in each state: http://time.com/instagram50/?xid=newsletter-brief
The backstory behind one of the greatest sports photos of all time: http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/05/ali_liston_50th_anniversary_the_true_story_behind_neil_leifer_s_perfect.html?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5560536704d3011b2e000001&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook
Vimeo has posted an excellent introduction to Final Cut Pro X: https://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/745/ep-1-introducing-final-cut-pro-x
Janna and Nicole from Albany sent in this handy page of photography careers.
http://www.123-cctv.com/photography-genres-and-professions.html
French report on the field of photography changing: http://hyperallergic.com/209257/new-french-report-zooms-in-on-field-of-photography/
How JPGS work: http://petapixel.com/2015/05/24/how-jpeg-handles-colors-and-compression/
Behind the lens with the legendary Z-Man: https://vimeo.com/128810351
Mary Ellen Mark dies at 75: http://time.com/3896572/mary-ellen-mark-dies-at-75/
Apparently your Instagram photos do not belong to you: http://wapo.st/1IVY5Vn
Gaining an edge in sports photography with Damian Strohmeyer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWfz5UGjIf8
The amazing story of two strangers linked together by a photo: http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/strangers-linked-by-iconic-desert-storm-photo-finally-meet-24-years-later-20150530
BTS of Robert Beck’s iconic soccer photo: http://deadspin.com/how-the-most-iconic-photo-in-womens-soccer-was-almost-n-1708269396
Lightroom and Photoshop Cheat sheets: http://petapixel.com/2015/06/16/ultimate-cheat-sheets-for-photoshop-and-lightroom/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PetaPixel+%28PetaPixel%29
Salgado’s advice for young photographers: https://medium.com/morning-light/sebastião-salgado-s-advice-for-young-photographers-today-94d21cb3086f
Combat Camera Troops Put Their Lives at Risk: http://www.stripes.com/news/combat-camera-troops-put-their-lives-at-risk-to-photograph-war-1.353964
The DxO One looks to be a pretty amazing iPhone accessory http://www.dxo.com/us/dxo-one
New Backpack series from ThinkTank Photo: http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/camera-backpacks/trifecta-backpacks.aspx?code=WS-119
Software that detects manipulated images: http://www.businessinsider.com/verifeyed-czech-tech-startup-detects-fake-and-manipulated-images-2015-7?r=UK
Robert Frank interview: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/05/magazine/robert-franks-america.html?referrer=
Color grading with a Gladiator look: http://www.kojicolor.com/tutorial-dale-shows-how-he-created-the-look-of-gladiator/
B&H puts their Optic 2015 conference online: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/promotion/11126/optic-2015.html
Interesting Mac-only alternative to Photoshop: http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-for-mac-goes-out-of-beta-photoshop-alternative-is-live/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Diyphotographynet+%28DIYPhotography.net+-+Photography+and+Studio+Lighting%29
National Geographic Photographers discuss the Power of Photography: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/national-geographic-photographers-on-photography
I love ThinkTank Photo rollers and now the wheels come in colors. I can hardly contain myself. http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/rolling-camera-bags/roller-flair.aspx?code=WS-119
Quick article on copyright registration: http://petapixel.com/2015/08/05/how-to-officially-register-your-photographs-with-the-us-copyright-office/
Kodak’s First Digital Moment: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/12/kodaks-first-digital-moment/?smid=fb-share&_r=0
Happy Shooting,
Michael A. Schwarz
www.michaelschwarz.com
www.michaeltraining.com
I’ve really enjoyed my new Nikon D750. I’ve got my favorite camera settings listed here: http://michaeltraining.com/camera-settings/nikon-d750-camera-settings/
Ever wonder what cameras were used to shoot this year’s Oscar nominated films? Of course you didn’t, but here they are anyway: http://nofilmschool.com/2015/02/which-cameras-were-used-oscar-nominated-films-2015
or this: https://shotonwhat.com/oscars
Scathing, but right on blog from Kenneth Jarceke: https://medium.com/@kennethjarecke/dumb-photos-for-dumb-people-2821a8f6b3a
Sports Illustrated Photographer Ron Modra has a new book out: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2015/02/27/play-ball-40-years-behind-the-pitch-as-a-sports-illustrated-photographer/
Did you know Leonard Nimoy was an accomplished photographer: http://mashable.com/2015/02/27/leonard-nimoy-photographer-images/#:eyJzIjoiZiIsImkiOiJfaWRxODA4M3QxMTRjbzR2NiJ9
How to be a filmmaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wnHLlPOazc#t=33
The photo that changed the Civil Rights Movement. https://news.vice.com/article/a-black-teen-a-white-cop-and-a-photo-that-changed-the-civil-rights-movement
Twelve Kick Ass Women Photojournalists to follow on Instagram: http://www.buzzfeed.com/gabrielsanchez/kick-ass-women-photojournalists#.mfNwQybZb
Cool exhibit at the Booth Museum in Cartersville, GA until June 7, with Eric Draper, David Valdez and Bob McNeely. http://boothmuseum.org/presidentsphotographer/
19th century tourists took silly vacation photos too. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/magazine/19th-century-tourists-took-silly-vacation-photos-too.html?_r=1&referrer=
Interesting study on people’s ability to recognize high quality photographs: http://thenextweb.com/creativity/2015/03/16/have-advanced-camera-phones-stunted-our-abilities-to-recognize-professional-photography/
John Harrington’s tutorial on registering your photos with the Copyright office. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKZ2m4t8nis&app=desktop
Pretty cool depth of field simulator: http://dofsimulator.net/en/
The Sad tale of Eastman Kodak: http://nyti.ms/1MTazdN
Can’t wait to see this new documentary on Sebastian Salgado: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/sebastio-salgados-journey-from-brazil-to-the-world/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog+Main&contentCollection=Multimedia&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body&_r=0
Lighting legend Paul Buff passes away at 78. http://resourcemagonline.com/2015/03/legendary-lighting-industry-manufacturer-paul-c-buff-has-died-at-age-78/49946/
AN excellent book on Copyright for Photographers http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0133904059/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0133904059&linkCode=as2&tag=schwarzillustrat&linkId=QLOOE5YCPXKPXMMJ
Amazon announces unlimited cloud storage: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2028891
Composition, using the work of Steve McCurry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZVyNjKSr0M
Rich Clarkson shooting his 60th Final Four http://photos.denverpost.com/2015/04/01/photos-photographer-rich-clarkson-shoots-his-60th-final-four-ncaa-games/#1
Interview with Elliott Erwitt: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/talking-photography-with-elliott-erwitt/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog+Main&contentCollection=Multimedia&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body&_r=0
How one photographer goes after copyright infringers: http://petapixel.com/2015/04/03/so-your-company-has-been-found-using-my-photos-without-permission-what-next/
The Secret Lives of the White House Press Corps: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/secret-lives-globetrotting-white-house-press-corps-glamorous/story?id=30344697
Lee Friedlander captures New York City: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/magazine/lee-friedlander-captures-the-citys-hustle-and-flow.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad&_r=0
The 2015 Pulitzer Prizes: http://www.pulitzer.org
What good can a photo do?: http://www.curiousanimal.com/photojournalism/
Careless photographer at a bike race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWFc_RjOiaA
Very scary claim by Facebook on ownership of content: http://stopstealingphotos.com/facebook-representative-states-uploaded-content/
And the flipped here: http://www.popphoto.com/facebook-doesnt-own-your-photos-no-matter-what-viral-e-mail-says
A very well-researched piece on the recent confrontation between photographers and some folks in West Virginia: http://www.pdnonline.com/features/Why-a-Confrontation-Between-Photographers-and-Locals-Turned-Ugly-in-Appalachia-13417.shtml
A nice anecdote with a happy ending.http://www.npr.org/2015/03/17/393646844/lost-camera-survives-two-years-submerged-in-wyomings-salt-river
Happy Shooting,
Michael
It’s not an April Fools joke, but sadly Sports Illustrated laid off all their photographers, https://nppa.org/node/69374
Very nice tutorial on shooting hyperlapses https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84503534&x-yt-ts=1421914688&v=MLURWrcqVRY#t=13
Jim Richardson’s National Geographic presentation “From Food to Table”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1421914688&list=CLF5oiJJRPdPZzo8CTZpeGsg&x-yt-cl=84503534&v=f1b1YWwF3_I
Pen, Brush and Camera, a documentary about Henri Cartier-Bresson: http://petapixel.com/2015/01/28/pen-brush-camera-1998-documentary-life-work-henri-cartier-bresson/
Everything and more you need to know about Model Releases: http://www.danheller.com/model-release.html
Nick Didlick’ DSLR audio guide- http://nickdidlick.com/dslr-audio/
ThinkTank Photo has a new line of Perception Backpacks that look great for smaller camera bodies. : http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/camera-backpacks.aspx?code=WS-119
Creative tips from Greg Heisler https://vimeo.com/77415975?from=facebook
World Press Photo announced their winners and shockingly as many as 20% of the entrants were disqualified for image manipulation in processing. http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/12/a-subtle-moment-becomes-the-world-press-photo-of-the-year/?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad
Amazing aerial photos from Vincent Laforet: https://www.storehouse.co/stories/r1qx6-air-sin-city-10-8k
Vint Cerf (Father of the Internet) is worried about your photos. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31450389
The FAA finally releases its proposal for regulating drones: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/15/faa-drone-rule/23440469/
The Verge takes a look at the proposal: http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/16/8046495/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-faa-drone-rules
Photoshop turns 25: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/technology/personaltech/photoshop-at-25-a-thriving-chameleon-adapts-to-an-instagram-world.html?smid=nytnow-share&smprod=nytnow&_r=0
Here’s what Photoshop 1.0 looked like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5CyX5NEnzk
The Mentor Series Trek’s are always a great time. Use my code MS50 when you register for one and you will get $50 off. http://www.mentorseries.com
This hyperlapse from Dubai will blow your mind. https://vimeo.com/117770305
Wonderful interview with Josef Koudelka http://www.pdnonline.com/features/Josef-Koudelka-on-Motivation-Humanity-and-What-Makes-a-Good-Photograph-12689.shtml
When Photography and Hucksterism Collide: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/business/peter-liks-recipe-for-success-sell-prints-print-money.html?hpw&rref=business&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well
Lovely set of photos by Mark Seliger http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/02/mark-seliger-oscar-party-portraits-2015
And finally, the line of Anti-Paparazzi clothing that you’ve been waiting for: http://petapixel.com/2015/02/25/watch-flashback-anti-paparazzi-clothing-ruin-flash-photographs/
]]>Hope to see you at one of my upcoming workshops:
Nashville Video Workshop— January 31-February 1
Orlando- February 6-7. Action & People/ Elements of Photography
Dallas- February 20-21. Basics of Camera Control and Exposure/ Action and People/Creative Lighting
Atlanta- March 14-15. Action and People/Landscape and Travel/Basics of Exposure and Camera Control
Baltimore- March 21-22 Action and People/Creative Lighting/Landscape and Travel/Basics of Exposure and Camera Control
Super excited about our upcoming workshop in Costa Rica April 10-17. Email me for a $150 discount code. http://www.mentorseries.com/treks/2015/costa-rica-2015
On with the news….
Sad story of how copyright infringement has driven one photographer out of business: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/09/one-mans-endless-hopeless-struggle-to-protect-his-copyrighted-images/
Alexandra Boulat, war photographer, is dead.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/arts/06boulat.html?_r=1&
Interview with SI Photography Director Brad Smith: https://vimeo.com/109765650
Another stock photo fail. You don’t expect to see it from a camera company. http://petapixel.com/2014/10/25/pentax-k-s1-promo-features-bad-photoshop-job/
How one photographer handles image theft. http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/photographers-can-protect-work
An interview with me from 2011 https://vimeo.com/22243175
Free NASA sounds. http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/10/nasa-posts-huge-library-space-sounds-youre-free-use/
10 things photographers wished they’d learned in photo school: http://blog.photoshelter.com/2014/10/the-top-10-things-photographers-wish-they-learned-in-photo-school/
A wrap-up of the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar. http://blog.stanleyleary.com/2014/11/my-takeaways-from-atlanta.html
Good intro to flying the DJI Phantom 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY6AbEc9sF4
Photoshelter’s Guide to photo contests: http://www.photoshelter.com/resources/photographers-guide-photo-contests-2015?utm_campaign=contest-guide-2015&utm_medium=bloglaunch&utm_source=link&utm_content=&utm_term=
My colleague Tom Meyer has a nice blog post on pricing his work: http://twmeyer.wordpress.com/2014/11/12/open-letter-to-client-re-job-killer-quoted-rate/
Outcome of a frivolous lawsuit, Photographer 1- Attorney 0. http://petapixel.com/2014/12/09/gary-fong-account-ridiculous-300000-lawsuit-threat-nelson-tang
Free online courses to improve your photography http://www.lightstalking.com/5-free-online-courses-to-improve-your-photography/
Allen Murabayashi nails Peter Lik’s marketing stunt. http://blog.photoshelter.com/2014/12/the-most-expensive-photo-in-the-world-or-the-best-marketing-stunt/
Michel du Cille, one of the great photojournalists of our time, died in Liberia while covering the Ebola Crisis. Michel was a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and was respected for his kindness, generosity and dedication. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2014/12/11/04e06b78-8189-11e4-8882-03cf08410beb_story.html
A conversation with Michel du Cille about his Ebola coverage: http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/276123/hysteria-or-proper-precaution-a-conversation-with-michel-du-cille/
Barton Silverman retires http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/12/19/sports/barton-silvermans-career-in-sports-photography.html?referrer=&_r=0
Nice piece on former Presidential Photographer Dave Valdez. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/eyes-history-david-valdez-only-latino-white-house-photographer-n273206
Know your rights as a photographer:
https://www.aclu.org/kyr-photo
Help Unravel a Gordon Parks mystery: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/12/gordan-parks-a-jim-crow-mystery/?smid=fb-share&_r=0
Robert Frank Online: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/finding-robert-frank-online/?_r=0
Ken Griffey Jr. is now a photographer. Good thing he attended Nikon School first. http://blog.thinktankphoto.com/2015/01/ken-griffey-jr-is-a-professional-photographer/
Steve McCurry up close: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/steve-mccurry-close-up-photographers-at-work?utm_source=General+List&utm_campaign=2d4a374443-Jan-15-2015-Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f1724e682d-2d4a374443-88752825
Jay Maisel on how to be a better photographer: http://vimeo.com/116692462
Espn documentary on 4 photographers that have shot every Super Bowl premiers January 23: http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/espn-documentary-highlights-four-photographers-worked-48-super-bowls.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=espn-documentary-highlights-four-photographers-worked-48-super-bowls
I thought Birdman was an amazing film. Here are a few stories on how it was made:
Birdman
http://www.cinematographydb.com/2014/11/cinematography-birdman-emmanuel-lubezki-asc/
http://soundandpicture.com/2014/11/birdman-interview-steadicam-operator-chris-haarhoff/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeZ8rTOlSPg
http://nofilmschool.com/2014/11/how-birdman-was-made-to-look-like-film-shot-in-one-take
http://nofilmschool.com/2014/12/how-light-film-looks-one-continuous-take-chivo-talks-birdman
Undeveloped WWII Film discovered and developed: https://vimeo.com/116735360
Happy shooting!
-Michael Schwarz
www.michaelschwarz.com
www.michaeltraining.com
Once a year I clear out photo gear that I haven’t been using. Take a peak for some good deals. http://
Here are some items in the news I thought you might be interested in.
Combat Photographer Stacy Pearsall….http://petapixel.
Sebastiao Salgado Interview.. http://www.aperture.org/blog/
The dying art of printing http://theliteratelens.com/
New York Times story on the shrinking market for photographers… http://www.nytimes.com/2010/
Rachel LaCour Niesen is on a mission to save family photos. http://www.slrlounge.com/
Pretty amazing Leica promotion… https://www.youtube.com/watch?
A look at at Lewis Hine http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Liz Kaszynski has a pretty cool job… https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Forty portraits in forty years http://www.nytimes.com/
An inside look at Nikkor lens technology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Amazing map tracks the best time to catch fall foliage: http://mashable.com/2014/10/
A TV series about the legendary Magnum Agency? Yes!!!!! http://lightbox.time.com/2014/
You’ll love this Toyota commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
But the BTS is even better. Check out the turtle cam at 1:08 https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Amazing video right here: https://vimeo.com/108018156
Wonderful work from a young Harlem street photographer: http://lightbox.time.com/2014/10/14/harlem-street-photographer/
Happy shooting!
-Michael Schwarz
Check out the classes here. http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Nikon-School/index.page
Monthly News in the Photo World
Yale has created an amazing database of FSA photographs http://photogrammar.yale.edu/
Very nice interview with photojournalist Ed Kashi. http://blog.eyeem.com/2014/02/the-power-of-the-still-image-an-interview-with-ed-kashi
Tips on shooting with a drone. http://www.droneflyers.com/2014/08/drone-photography-video-hints-tips/
Where not to fly your drone. http://www.wired.com/2014/07/drone-no-fly-zones-mapbox/
DropBox just dramatically lowered its price for cloud storage. Gizmodo compares other offerings to see who has the best deal. http://gizmodo.com/dropbox-google-drive-and-more-whats-the-best-cloud-st-1627423823?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_facebook&utm_source=lifehacker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
Wired points ot some the new features in DropBox http://www.wired.com/2014/08/dropboxs-plan-to-stay-relevant/
Everyone thinks being a National Geographic Photographer is glamorous and exciting. The Photo Society shows the other side. http://thephotosociety.org/reality-check/
15 Free organizational tools for photographers: http://petapixel.com/2014/09/01/15-free-business-tools-photographers-will-save-time-shooting/
The GoPro Field Guide has gone live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPLldCAtDa4
You chimp, I chimp, we all chimp… http://www.sportsshooter.com/special_feature/chimping/index.html
Short but nice video on David Burnett http://vimeo.com/m/105598975
Nice BTS, lighting for portrait shoots, http://www.rangefinderonline.com/features/how-to/On-the-Ball-How-to–8314.shtml
Nice interview with Dan Chung http://www.cnet.com/news/photojournalism-a-story-worth-telling/
20 Questions with Jay Meisel… http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/photographers/q-and-a/jay-maisel/
Say hello to 512GB SD cards… http://gizmodo.com/sandisks-ridiculous-new-512-gb-sd-card-costs-800-1633455491
What Ami Vitale did after her images were stolen… http://ochre.is/tools/safeguarding-truth-in-photojournalism-ami-vitales-survival-guide
Sebastiao Salgado interviewed by NPR : http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2014/09/19/349517468/his-camera-takes-us-to-the-world-we-must-preserve
The Forest Service wants you to pay $1500 to take a picture. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/24/u-s-forest-service-wants-to-charge-1500-to-take-photos-on-federal-wild-lands/
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http://likethedew.com/2014/06/07/look-lord-comes-al-clayton/
I will be conducting a workshop at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, June 28-29. The workshop will include intensive hands-on instruction and will be limited to 6 people. Most of my workshops have anywhere from 20 to 200 students so this is a great opportunity for one-on-one instruction. More information can be found here: http://michaeltraining.com/workshops/abg2014/
More News from the Photo World
Leica’s unveil’s the world’s most boring ad…. http://designtaxi.com/news/365298/Leica-Unveils-The-Most-Boring-Ad-Ever-Made/
Photo Stealing is out of control http://www.newsnet5.com/money/consumer/troubleshooter/north-canton-photographer-issues-consumer-warning-about-photo-stealing
Tips on portrait lighting form Brian Smith: http://blog.photoshelter.com/2013/10/6-secrets-great-portrait-lighting-brian-smith/
Documentary on photographer Lewis Hine http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17673213
Photos Trusted but Verified http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/photos-trusted-but-verified/?_php=true&_type=blogs&smid=fb-share&_r=0
Interesting new camera bags http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/able-archer-camera-bag-designed-to-keep-photojournalists-safe-miguel-hurtado/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=travel&_r=0
https://roadtrippers.com could be a good source for interesting things to photograph.
Amazon patents decades old studio lighting technique http://www.cnet.com/news/photographers-howl-at-amazon-patent-of-decades-old-idea/
Here’s what Stephen Colbert has to say about it http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/4a4ahs/amazon-s-audacious-photography-patent?utm=playershare_twitter
Very nice series of posts from David Hobby http://strobist.blogspot.com/2014/05/ecosystems-101-intro.html
Hilariously bad stock photography http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/unexplainable-stock-photos?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
Robert Capa’s Longest Day… http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/06/photographer-robert-capa-d-day
The New York Times’ streaming photo backpack…. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/05/8545136/emtimesem-photo-staffers-invention-streaming-backpack
Corey Rich on transitioning from Stills to Motion http://blog.photoshelter.com/2014/05/9-tips-corey-rich-transition-still-photography-motion/
Photojournalist Camille Lepage, 26, killed in Africa… http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/bearing-witness-losing-her-life/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1&
Incredible new project from Renee Byer, “living on a Dollar a Day”. http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/04/15/qa-renee-c-byers-living-on-a-dollar-a-day/
Get the free Photoshelter Guide to Copyright http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/photographers-guide-to-copyrightt
Get the free Photoshelter Photographer’s Guide to Insurance http://www.photoshelter.com/mkt/research/what-photographers-should-know-about-insurance?utm_campaign=what-photographers-should-know-about-insurance&utm_medium=link&utm_source=members&utm_content=&utm_term=&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonsqzKZKXonjHpfsX77OstX7Hr08Yy0EZ5VunJEUWy2oADRdQ%2FcOedCQkZHblFnVkBSq2lX6INqKEM
Beautiful little essay from Dave Labelle http://bridgesandangels.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/what-photography-means-to-me/
Pro Photographers using Instagram http://www.forbes.com/sites/amadoudiallo/2014/05/24/instagram-develops-into-new-career-path-for-photographers/
The real stories behind the Tank Man of Tiananmen Square photos http://nyti.ms/PdBdWx
Interesting perspective from Yellowstone’s photographer http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2014/06/photography-national-parks-wildlife-advocates-view-wildlife-photography25200
Happy shooting,
Michael A. Schwarz
www.michaelschwarz.com
I’ve got three workshops coming up, in addition to my final Nikon School of this season May 31 and June 1 in Washington DC.
Very excited about the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Workshop that I’m doing with Bill Durrence June 28-29, 2014. Please let me know as soon as possible if you plan on attending this workshop as it will be cancelled if we don’t have enough people registered by June 1. http://michaeltraining.com/workshops/abg2014/
June 22-24, 2014 Mammoth Lakes, Bodie and Mono Lake, California. http://www.mentorseries.com/treks/2014/mammoth-lakes-bodie-mono-lake-ca-2014
September 11-14, 2014 Puerto Rico (Video Emphasis) http://www.mentorseries.com/treks/2014/puerto-rico-video-2014
In the News
A story of Ansel Adams’ best work http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/17/in-focus-ansel-adams_n_4980179.html
W.Eugene Smith and the stolen Leicas http://leicaphilia.com/?p=29
Just looking at these photos freaks me out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/21/kirill-oreshkin-photographer-russia_n_5003465.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063
Great discussion on how a photo can be taken out of context.. http://www.poynter.org/uncategorized/244601/what-seemed-like-a-high-school-player-flipping-off-sets-off-a-photo-firestorm/
Wonderful piece on a baseball stadium produced by Michael E. Keating. https://vimeo.com/89970798
Here’s a wonderful tutorial on night sky timelapses http://vimeo.com/88976219
Commentary on Calumet’s bankruptcy filing. http://servicephoto.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/the-loss-of-yet-another-camera-dealer/
Learn Final Cut Pro X with this concise tutorial http://www.fcp.co/final-cut-pro/tutorials/1377-learn-how-to-use-final-cut-pro-x-in-30-minutes-or-less
GoogleDrive just got real cheap http://nofilmschool.com/2014/03/1-tb-10-month-google-drive-upgrades-storage-pricing-big-way/
Dates just announced for the longest continuously running photojournalism seminar in the U.S. Nov 13-15, 2014. Stay tuned for some very special announcements. http://www.photojournalism.org
Choosing the right image format for print http://www.creativepro.com/article/how-to-choose-the-right-image-file-format-for-print
How Iwan Baan became the most wanted Architectural Photographer. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303563304579445540585409618?mg=reno64-wsj
The best advice on starting a photo business I’ve ever come across. http://www.robertsealeblog.com/the-definitive-guide-to-starting-a-successful-photography-business/
I love the concept and the videos on this website http://www.buskrs.com/gabriel-royal-remember-us/
Nice piece on photographer Paul Souders http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/why-this-photographer-almost-always-gets-the-shot
See if you can handle this incredibly disorienting video http://vimeo.com/88907972
Sadly photojournalist Anja Niedringhaus was killed in Afghanistan http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_289563/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=efHeEJzx
See her work here http://www.anjaniedringhaus.com
And Howard Buffett has created an endowment to honor her https://nppa.org/news/buffett-foundation-funds-anja-niedringhaus-courage-photojournalism-award
Corey Rich profiles three of the world’s best photographers https://vimeo.com/90558456
Rich Clarkson shot his 59th Final Four this year. http://m.channel3000.com/sports-photographer-chronicles-59-years-of-final-fours/25333804
Wonderful essay from Dave LaBelle http://bridgesandangels.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/what-photography-means-to-me/
Gregory Heisler shooting and Brad Smith producing. How cool is this…
And here’s how they did it.. http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/gregory-heisler-boston-strong-photo?click=main_sr
You may enjoy these glamour shots from Russian dating sites. Or not. http://www.eatliver.com/russian-dating/#ucuWZCjOWDZA80Yj.01
10 Contemporary art photographers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/11/paris-photo-show_n_5121753.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063
The Story behind the Wondows XP desktop wallpaper: http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/04/11/charles_o_rear_is_the_photographer_who_took_the_windows_xp_wallpaper_photo.html
Wonderful timelapse http://www.fastcompany.com/3029094/fast-feed/watch-a-girl-grow-from-zero-to-14-in-four-minutes
Two New York Times photographers won Pulitzer Prizes this year, a very rare occurrence. Here’s how they did it… http://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2014/04/14/the-making-of-pulitzer-prize-winning-photos/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1&
The Wirecutter says the Sandisk 32gb Extreme Plus SD card is the best bang for your buck. http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-sd-card/
Plan on photographing the Northern Lights someday? Save this link: http://petapixel.com/2014/04/18/beginning-photographers-guide-photographing-northern-lights/
Why you don’t want to gate check your gear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgDizh4DMno
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