I just saw this on Facebook - a post by Megan Padilla.
Thank you Megan for the kind words......
What Makes a Great Photographer.
What grabs you when you first look at a photograph? There could be several different aspects or angles you could take a photograph at to grab the persons attention. In reality there are so many things I could not list them all right now but I did get a chance to sit in with Rick Sammon a master photographer and get his points of view on what makes a good photographer.
Rick Sammon is a Canon Explorer of Light, has published 36 books, and is one of the most active photographers/lecturers on the planet. Rick is a member of The Explorers Club which means he has photographed in over 100 countries and co-founded The Digital Photography Experience with wildlife photographer and high-tech guru Juan Pons (whom I also had a chance to meet.)
When asked about his photo specialty, Rick says, “My specialty is not specializing.” That's because he does it all. His philosophy is like mine to never give up and keep after your goals. It seems his hard work has paid off and not failed him yet. He likes to change up his style and not be very predictable.
In his lecture there was about 5 of us so he had more of a chance to really ask us all questions and talk one on one. We were all curious like little kids at the edge of our seat! Here were some pointers from Rick Sammon.
Embrace the situation
Tell the story by moving
Your attitude and others attitudes will affect the situation. Stay in good Spirits.
Isolate main subject from background
Set goals in photography
Points of view
Never underestimate the importance of an interesting subject.
Good Composition
A creative Crop
Careful Focus
Play with light and controls
Have Fun!
The first image I chose of his is a sunset in Kenya. It is similar to images I like to shoot or am used to shooting because of the sunset and trees in my area. I like how the sun is barely peeking over the mountain and the reflection is very bold. The second photo I chose of Rick’s was of two lions fighting. I am not sure if it is over territory, food, or something else but he definitely captured the anger and furiousness in that moment. He is not afraid of the action and that gives him the ability to capture great action shots. The third shot I chose of his collection was an HDR image that illustrates his great capabilities in Photoshop and the digital darkroom. This photograph really pops but it’s a point of view as if I am a ghost that haunts the halls of an old hotel turned into a restaurant. This photograph seems as if it has a creepy dark secret lurking behind it but also a bit of I’m still alive with the vibrant colors. The last photograph I chose was of a woman in the Amazon. In the seminar he showed us all the shots he took and told us that mostly all the woman in this village were topless or completely naked. I guess his son was 10 years old at the time and got a bit embarrassed by it. That was not something he was used to seeing but Rick explained to him that it was a part of their culture. Rick still managed to capture a beautiful portrait of a young girl in her Indian jewelry, flowers, and face paint. The reason why the Indians face paint is so the spirits in the rainforest would recognize them and protect them.
Rick Sammon has been to many countries and has had many opportunities. He has been blessed to have his family along for the ride as well. Rick Sammons photography has a wide range of what you might expect to look at. He has many beautiful images that display light, animals, people, portraits, wedding, wildlife, HDR, and much more. Rick’s collection is what I hope to aspire one day; a wide variety of exquisite work.