Why You Need a Lede

I was doing a photo shoot and layout for MaryLee Herrmann's theater performance of Schmaltzy and Princie: Diary or a Not-So-Great Daddy's Girl, and as I was building it, I remembered my newspaper days and thought, "I have to have a lede photo," one photo that's larger than the others that can anchor the whole...

“I Know Exactly What You Need.”

When the Boulder County Film Commission wanted photographs of its Creative Industry Night event this week, the film commissioner brought me in and when I arrived, he said, "Do we need to discuss what photos to get?" To which I said, "I know exactly what you want, what to do, what to photograph." He smiled...

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...

Lovely to See Lovely Humans Loving Each Other

I always photograph little moments of joy when I can. Humans connected, people needing one another. I was at a conference once a few years ago where these kids were dancing, which I found quite wonderful, and made a point to photograph them. Completely enjoying each others' company, dancing up a storm. Friends loving each...

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...

I Make Snapshots (They’re Really Good Well-Composed Snapshots!)

When I'm with friends I'm often photographing them doing what they're doing so I can share photo prints with them later once the moment is past. That's what a snapshot is, a look back on a special moment in time when we were together, sharing time. My friends all know whenever I join them, I'll...

Camera Exposure Settings I Use (Film & Digital)

I thought I'd share my exposure settings for how I make photos on black and white Ilford HP5+ negative film and also on a digital full-frame Nikon. Proven ways that work for me. Often without a light meter on a Leica. First off, you can certainly use (A) aperture priority if you have a camera...

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,...

A Simple Prediction for 2053

Think about this. We're at a similar place with artificial intelligence (AI) today as we were with the advent of the internet in the early 1990s. At that time, we didn't know what this thing might become. What we might get as a benefit from embracing this new technology. 30 years later, we've made a...

A Whole Lot of Pictures of A Whole Lot of People Doing A Whole Lot of Nothing

I was at an antique auction yesterday and there was a whole box of photo albums with snapshots all from one family from the 1920s to 1950s. I was, of course, interested in the lot, and hoped it wouldn't go for too high of a price. It didn't. It closed at $25, but without my...