1/60 at f2.8 and Be There with Film for $8

I was with some friends last weekend for dinner who afterward were going to a book reading and launch party by a relative of theirs (and an acquaintence of mine) and they invited me along. I was going to bring along a digital camera, but then figured they would be shooting phone photos so I...

Give Me H.I Over A.I.

It seems you can't turn on a news program or read a newspaper without getting another story about A.I. How it's the greatest thing, the best thing, the smartest thing, the worst thing, the most dangerous thing, and every other variation. I'm all for technological improvements but it seems we as a society don't know...

Photographing The Beatles

Linda McCartney looked pretty stealth working in those Beatles Get Back sessions that were shown on Apple TV last year, wielding her Nikon probably loaded with Kodak Tri-X film. The beauty of black and white for documentary photographs--that's something that only can be done with a camera using film. Sure, today you could shoot on...

Just Like Bill Owens’ Suburbia

I love the work in Suburbia by Bill Owens from 1972. Here he explains how he reached out to his community to get access to photograph them: "I put ads about the project in the local newspaper, asking people to let me photograph their kids, garage, dog, etc. Everyone was wide open; they would say,...

The Value of the Documentary Photograph

As you know, I have a camera everywhere I go and Christmas Eve with friends was no exception. They always have a houseful of family and friends and you can count on there being a sing-along of holiday carols. I made the choice of a Pentax MX with a fast 28mm f2 lens knowing that...

Your Photography, Your Story

I think about what I make for street photographs, street portraits, and documentary photographs and how altogether they add up to my story. They tell you how I see, what I see, and the way I see it. It's a connection for you to my world, places I've been, and people I've met and seen....

The Best Holiday Gifts (Now, This Is Getting Personal!)

I hear people saying how stressed out they get over the holidays with what to buy, especially for people who are hard to shop for. What to get them? It's impossible! The problem is they're thinking like consumers, not someone looking for something personal. What thing should I be buying that will fulfill the gift...

The Photographers’ Show, Saturday Night 7p.m., Tickets $10

I have an idea. (When don't I?) I want to find a location to start a monthly salon where photographers show their work on a large screen and invite a paying audience to see their work, money some of which goes back to the photographers. Perhaps a $10 ticket price. When I look at the...

I Don’t Make Baby Photos

My dad years ago said I was missing the boat when it comes to making money in photography. "Take baby photos," was his advice. I was working as a photojournalist and still, he said, "Stop trying to reinvent the wheel, go where the money flows: Babies!" (Which always made me think of Rodney Dangerfield in...

Making a Senior Portrait on Black and White 4×5, (Not That Kind of Senior Portrait!)

I love having a job as a working photographer that permits me to meet new people constantly.When I'm between assignments or client work, which usually is Mondays, I open my studio to local senior citizens age 70 and over to come in for a complimentary portrait.I get to work with whatever camera I want since...