Recently we had the pleasure of talking to Chamira Young about our landscape photography business… about what works and what does not work. While the interview was scheduled for Varina, she unexpectedly asked me to join. This impromptu interview made for a fun and informative session about what is important to our business.

Here is what we covered in this interview:

• The importance of evaluating yourself
• Knowing your target market
• Having a strong portfolio
• Tracking the results of your efforts
• Making tweaks as you grow your business

You can listen to podcast of the interview from one of the following:

• Zenjoyable: http://zenjoyable.com/episode30/ 
• iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pro-photographer-interview/id840324850.
• Stitcher’s: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/pro-photographer-interview-series

The post Interview with Chamira Young appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Photographer Interview Series: Landscape Photographer Jay Patel

The post Jay Patel on Digital Photo Mentor appeared first on Photography by Varina.

We had a great time talking with Rick Sammon on his Digital Photo Experience Podcast. It starts with a great interview with Peter Read Miller – who is a sports photographer with some great insights to pass on. Our talk with Rick starts right around 31:30. Be sure to check out our special offer for Rick’s listeners for our Ultimate Landscape Photography Course! You can listen to the podcast and get the discount code here: http://bit.ly/QCdn9q.

We hope you enjoy it – and feel free to share!

The post Varina and Jay on Digital Photo Experience with Rick Sammon appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Click here to read the interview on The Phoblographer.

The post The Phoblographer Interviews Varina and Jay appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Video editing is something that’s pretty new to me. You’ll see that I have some really nice footage in the video – mostly from Shade Tree Films, or from filming in Australia with Brent Mail and Johny Spencer. Having that video footage made all the difference – but I was surprised at how difficult it was to put together a few minutes of video. I’ll share what I learned in doing this – with hopes that it will help someone else!

1. Use a good camera and mic. I actually recorded the voice-over for this twice. The first time, I just used my webcam for both video and audio… which was a mistake. I should have known better, but I was hoping that I’d be able to clean up the sound enough to make it sound ok. Not a chance. I re-recorded it using my Canon 5D MkIII and a lav mic. That combo gave me pretty darn good sound and video quality – and it wasn’t any more difficult that doing it with my webcam. I did have to clean up the audio to get rid of a slight hissing sound… but from what I’ve read, that’s pretty normal.

2. If you’re going to use a music track, lower the volume. Now, lower it even more. :) And then listen to the whole thing. From beginning to end. I uploaded my video to YouTube three times – and deleted it the first two times. In both cases, it was because I decided the background music was distracting. It got a bit loud in a few spots and was kind of annoying. I’m hoping it’s better now.

3. Watch your transitions. I like to use a “cross-dissolve” transition between photos and video clips sometimes… but I often found that the transition was wonky when I used the cross dissolve for video. I might get a bit of a hidden track coming through when I didn’t want it, or I end up with a bit of a video clip that I didn’t want coming through. Some of those little slip-ups are hard to see… so pay attention to each transition and make sure that it’s working the way you want it to.

4. Consider writing your words down before you record. I realized a long time ago that I sound like a complete idiot when I try to record something like this without a script – or at least a solid outline. I’m so distracted knowing that the camera is in front of me that I can’t think straight. My solution is to write the whole thing up in advance. I try to storyboard my video as well – that way, I know when I need to be looking at the camera, and when I can just read from the page. That one thing has saved me hours worth of frustration. I don’t have to cut so many “um”s and long pauses. And I can usually finish the voice-over in just one take.

Now, please don’t think these are tips from someone who makes great videos. I’m a photographer – not a film maker… and I’m learning the ropes. Instead, these suggestions are meant to save you some frustration if you try to do something similar yourself. Please share your own suggestions and experiences in the comments! I’m sure many of you have done some filming and have some great ideas!

The post Varina’s Arcanum Introduction appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Here’s the recorded show. Listen closely to what the Masters have to say! This is a preview of what you can expect in your level 5 critique! Have you submitted your apprentice application yet?

The post A Critique with Arcanum Masters appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Jay and I joined Frederick Van Johnson, Brent Mail, and Johny Spencer for a fun discussion about the work that went into creating The Ultimate Landscape Photography Course. We talk about everything from filming on location in Australia – to the software we used to collaborate on a project from three different continents. It was a real challenge, but we learned a lot and we’re excited to share it with you. We hope you enjoy the show!

FYI: If you are interested in getting a discount for The Ultimate Landscape Photography Course please register for the mailing list at: http://eepurl.com/JhoNf. We will send out the discount code before end of the week.

The post What goes into building a photography course? appeared first on Photography by Varina.

On January 22, 2014, Jay and I flew to New York to join the amazing team at Induro for a Live Premiere Event of the new short film: Through the Canadian Wilderness with Jay and Varina Patel. We had a great discussion with Matt Hill of Induro – and Chad and Drew from Shade Tree Films joined us as well! If you didn’t get to join us live, don’t worry! They recorded the whole event, so you can watch it at your leisure!

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can view the film here!

We also want to extend our congratulations to Roger Roberts and Tony Schlies – who have each won a bag full of gear from Induro and fstop! We know you guys are going to love your new stuff!

The post Did you get to see the Induro Film Premiere Event? appeared first on Photography by Varina.

In August, Jay and I spent a few days in the Canadian Rockies with the crew from Shade Tree Films. It was a totally new experience for us – we’ve done our share of on-location smart phone videos  ;) … but nothing like this! The guys from Shade Tree followed us for three days. They were incredibly professional, and a whole lot of fun to work with. And when Jay and I finished up our part of the project and flew back home, their work was just beginning. The film was released at last during a live hangout event on January 22, 2014. We want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make this happen. We’re so impressed with the quality of the video – and we met some incredible people along the way.

So, if you haven’t seen it yet, here it is! We hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to share and/or leave a comment below!

If you missed it, you can check out the trailer, too.

The post Through the Canadian Wilderness appeared first on Photography by Varina.

While we were in beautiful Australia, we sat down for an interview with Leigh Diprose of F Stop Lounge. We talked about why we decided to teach Down Under, and Leigh invited a few of our students to tell about their own experiences as well. Thanks for joining us, Andrew Newlun and Dianne and Mykal Hall!

http://fstoplounge.com/2014/01/interview-with-varina-jay-patel-after-their-australian-landscape-workshop/

The post F Stop Lounge Interview with Leigh Diprose appeared first on Photography by Varina.

We always have a great time talking with Frederick Van Johnson on This Week in Photo. Our latest conversation was no exception. I think we spent half the show laughing. In this episode, we talk about everything from travel planning to survival. You can watch the show here, or listen to the podcast on TWiP:

The post Varina and Jay on TWiP 331 appeared first on Photography by Varina.

The post Light and Landscape Issue 2 Released! appeared first on Photography by Varina.

This has been a good year for me with publications. I’ve had two articles published in Lightroom Magazine, and Jay and I published another in Photoshop User. And now, for the second time this year, Lightroom Magazine has chosen one of my photos for its cover. This is a shot of Metlako Falls in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon.

You can download the app and purchase Lightroom Magazine Issue #7 at the iTunes store. Inside, you’ll also find my article on using SmugMug with the Publish Services Panel in Lightroom. If you don’t have a SmugMug account – and you want one – you can use our discount code (SMUGMUGPATEL) to get 20% off a new pro account!

Last time my photo made was selected for the cover, I shared some tips for shooting for magazine covers. If you’re looking to get published, that’s a good place to start.

The post Varina gets the Cover of Lightroom Magazine appeared first on Photography by Varina.

The very first issue of Light and Landscape Magazine is now available in the iTunes store – and that’s Jay’s image on the cover!

The magazine is completely free, so download and enjoy! In this first issue, you’ll also find articles by Bret Edge, Adam Burton, and other photography greats – along with a Q and A section where Jay and Varina answer questions about getting started in photography and marketing your work. Enjoy!

To learn more about photography, check out our eBooks below:

The post Light & Landscapes Magazine Interview appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Ibarionex Perello is an excellent interviewer. If you haven’t listened to his podcasts at The Candid Frame, you’re missing out on some interesting stuff! Varina really enjoyed speaking with him in December – about everything from getting started in Photography, to some tips and advice for photographers. Listen to podcast to hear the entire interview!

To learn more about getting creative with your camera, check out our eBooks:

The post The Candid Frame: Interview with Varina Patel appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Have you ever taken the time to look back your older photographs and think about how you’ve improved? What was most helpful to you in your growth as a photographer? Was it equipment? Opportunity? Education? Did your photography skills evolve slowly over time? Or did something cause a giant progressive leap all at once?

I recently did an interview with Aha Daily. They asked for a series of images from 2002 to 2013 – and going through my old photographs was an interesting journey! I found that the equipment I used really didn’t matter much. Instead, I went through phases where I learned about different aspects of photography. My technical skills improved, and the my compositions. I went through periods where I tried to be more creative, and others where I tried to capture as many iconic locations as I could… my “trophy hunting” phase. :)

When you look back at your own work – even those photos you took just a few months or years ago – can you see the progression? Please share some of your insight!

To learn more about photography check our webinars and eBooks below:

The post Aha Daily Interview with Jay Patel appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Check out TWiP episode #307, where Varina and Jay Patel talk with Frederick Van Johnson and Topher Martini. We talk about the latest mirror-less cameras, our individual post-processing workflows, and so much more!

You can find the podcast at http://www.thisweekinphoto.com/2013/twip-307/

The post Varina and Jay on This Week in Photo #307 appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Here’s the second part of our interview with Brent Mail. We talk about our differing photographic styles, finding great light on location, and things we’d do differently if we could start over again. You can listen to the podcast or read the synopsis at Brent Mail Photography.

Part One is available here: http://brentmailphotography.com/photography-interview/jay-varina-patel-interview.html

The post Brent Mail with Varina and Jay – Part 2 appeared first on Photography by Varina.

We had a great time speaking with Brent Mail about everything from starting out in photography to shooting RAW or JPG files. You can check out the podcast and a written synopsis of the interview at Brent Mail Photography.

Part Two is available here: http://brentmailphotography.com/photography-interview/jay-varina-patel-interview-episode-2-of-2.html

The post Brent Mail with Varina and Jay – Part 1 appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Recently we had pleasure to sit down with Frederick Van Johnson the host of This Week in Photo for a brief interview.  We talked about how we got started in photography, what defines our photographic style and what it takes to balance family life and photography. We love TWIP’s casual interview style and plan to appear on future episodes.

You can listen to the complete interview on TWIP at: http://www.thisweekinphoto.com/2013/twip-302/

To learn more about photography checkout our eBooks below:

The post Interview with TWIP – Episode #302 appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Ibarionex Perello at Candid Frame recently interviewed Jay about how he got started in photography, his creative and technical development over time, and our manual iHDR techniques.

Click here to check out the podcast: http://thecandidframe.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-candid-frame-148-jay-patel.html

We hope you enjoy the interview!

To learn more about our creative photography check out our eBooks below:

The post Candid Frame talks to Jay Patel appeared first on Photography by Varina.

Nik Radio – Pro Talk with Jay and Varina Patel

• iTune Podcast: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nik-radio/id365360524
• mp3 File:  http://traffic.libsyn.com/insidemedianetworks/nik120517.mp3

We hope you enjoy it!

The post Varina and Jay Patel on Nik Radio appeared first on Photography by Varina.