Kenneth Wajda’s Leica (Why it Matters to Me)

The other day I wrote about Ralph Gibson's Leica and why it matters to him, what shooting the Leica versus any other camera means to his way of working, and why once he started with the German brand, he never left. So, I was ruminating about my own workflow and how I use Leicas, but...

Adding a Chair to the Portrait Studio

For The Wise Photo Project, I've photographed people either standing or sitting on a red Victorian couch in my studio. So, when it became time to add a chair, I looked to Berenice Abbott for inspiration--she had a favorite chair that she posed people in and so, I went out looking for something similar, something...

Here’s To (the Gift of) Good Light

I received an email from the Chimera company the other day, a photo and video lighting company which is based here in Boulder, and they said they read had my story in the local paper about The Wise Photo Project (which you can join and I hope you do), and they wrote they would be...

The Wise Photo Project Goes Worldwide to Photograph Sweet Wonderful Old Faces

It really started kind of small in Kenneth Wajda’s Boulder Colorado commercial portrait studio back in 2015. He advertised an open studio on Mondays in the local events listings for seniors age 70 and over to come in and get a formal portrait made at no cost, figuring that was his slowest day at the...

How I Can Afford to Make The Wise Photo Project

I photographed Margaret, a lovely 98-year-old woman last week in my studio and will gift her a framed 12x12 portrait this week. How am I able to gift photo shoots and framed portraits at no cost to seniors in The Wise Photo Project? Easy, through commissioned portraits--when people commission a portrait, they know that the...

What is a Photograph Worth?

A conversation blew up on Reddit this week with people asking how can a photographer justify high prices for photographic prints. Which got me thinking, does the proliferation of "everyone has a camera" nowadays, does the cheapness of photography mean that there's no room for experience and quality anymore? No need for high-end photographers? Are...

Not Trying to Be the Fashion Police But…

I offer a free portrait session in my studio every Monday for senior citizens age 70 and over as a way of creating a formal portrait in a sea of phone snaps and because I think it's important to document them in a formal legacy portrait, photograph them looking their best. LOW RESPONSEI've been offering...

No Reply At All

I was listening to Genesis' song, No Reply At All, and it reminded me of one of the toughest thing about being a photographer--when you reach out to someone with a special photograph and they never respond. And there's no reply at all. There's no reply at all. There's no reply at all. No reply...

Shooting a Wedding on Film

"Wait, whaaaaaattt?" That doesn't sound like what you would expect nowadays with all the technology available, the Sony, the Canon, the Nikon. Have you seen the mirrorless? "Next you'll say you're not going to put them online." Yes, that would be my preference, to deliver you actual photographs printed and framed and in leather photo...

The Soul of Film Photography

What is soul and how does it apply to a photograph? Is it real or are film photographers just making it up? You know, when we talk about a film photograph having soul, unlike our digital photographs. I know for me, I see it. Clearly. I’m also connected to the photograph and the subject—they’re friends—so...