The Camera Looks Both Ways... so be careful about Botox!

Readers of my blog know that my favorite expression when it comes to photographing people is: "The camera looks both ways, in picturing the subject, we are also picturing a part of ourselves."

This post on Holy Kaw! relates to that photo philosophy. 

So it makes sense that Botox can be bad for photographers. Remember: as a photographer, you are like a mirror - for the subject.


In the above photograph, which I took deep within the Amazon rain forest, the camera was looking both ways.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. For more on photographing people, see my book, Face to Face:
Face to Face: Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Photographing People


I Had a Blast on Mostly Photo on TWiT Today!

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Mongolian horsemen. © Rick Sammon
I had a blast being on Mostly Photo today. Thank you Leo and Catherine. You guys are great hosts!


Click here to download the show (Mostly Photo 8: Rick Sammon) and to subscribe to Mostly Photo. 

I talked about one of my  favorite photographs, this shot of soldiers in the Mongolian army reenacting a charge by Genghis Khan's arm.

I also shared my top three photo tips:

1 The Camera Looks Both Ways ... in picturing the subject you are also picturing a part of yourself.

2 Composition in the Strongest Way of Seeing.

3 See the Light - the Contrast, Direction, Quality and Color of light in a scene.

I also talked about what's in my camera bag.


Explore the light,
Rick 

P.S. Here is another shot from my Mongolia shoot. I am planning a workshop in Mongolia in June 2012. Shoot me an email for more info.


Part V: Chasing the Light with Light in Alaska

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Photographs © Rick Sammon

This is the final installment in a series of posts I am writing aboard the Northern Song, the boat the Light Photographic Institute is using for its first Alaska photo workshop of 2011. I'm co-leading the workshop with fellow Canon shooter Hal "Bull" Schmitt, the lead instructor and director of Light - which also produces the California Photo Fest – the must-attend photo event of the year. 

Each day, we chased the light, as photographers do every day - and night.

(I hope to see you on one of my workshops - perhaps in Alaska in 2012. Shoot me an email to get on my workshop list.) 

Because there is no internet on the boat, I'll actually be posting when I get back on land - so each Alaska post you read was actually written about a week ago.

I'll be including some of these photographs (with composition tips) in my next Kelby Training class: Composition - the Strongest Way of Seeing, which is scheduled for release later this year. For info on all my Kelby Training classes, click here.


Today's tip:

Use shapes and lines to lead the view into the photograph. As always, composition is one of the key elements in the making of a good photograph.

When it comes to the horizon line: place it at the top of the frame when the foreground is interesting, and vice versa.
For more photo tips, see my iPad and iPhone app: Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffett.

I hope to see you on one of my workshop. See the Workshop tabs at the top of this page.

Explore the Light,
Rick 

P.S. Photo gear:


Top photo:
Canon 7DCanon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-inch LCD and 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens 

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras 

Bottom photo:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens


Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Mt. Rainier Workshop Photo Gear Recos – Good for All Landscape Workshops


Photograph © Rick Sammon

My Mt. Rainier workshop with Juan Pons is filling up. For those of you joining the photo fun, here is my list of gear recos (and why you should use the gear) along with some links to some specific gear.

Back-up camera                                    
You could drop your camera

Wide-angle zoom lens                        
Landscapes

Tele zoom lens                                   
Compressed Landscapes

Macro lens                                                
Close ups

Back up lenses                                                
Who knows what can happen?

Polarizing filter                                    
Landscapes photography
(Make sure you get the correct size for your lens or lenses!)


Tripod                                                            
HDR photography

Plenty of memory cards                        
For taking lots of pictures

Extra batteries                                                
You’ll be shooting a lot

Lens cleaning cloth                                    
Keep your lens clean

Sensor cleaning stuff                                    
Clean your sensor if necessary

Cable release                                                
For HDR photography

Laptop                                                            
Viewing your pictures

Laptop charger                                    
Keeps you up and running

Accessory Hard Drive                                    
Back-up your pictures

Hoodman Loupe
For checking out your image on your camera's LCD monitor

Power strip                                                
Charge several items at once and protects against power surge

Card reader and cables                        
Downloading. Bring an extra set as a back up.          

Also, download to your laptop: Topaz Adjust, Photomatix and/or Nik HDR Efex Pro.

Get a discount on Photomatix and all Nik software on the Plug-in page on my Creative Plug-in page.


If you like landscape photography and can't make Mt. Rainier, maybe you can join me for my "In the footsteps of Ansel Adams" photo tour in 2012.

Explore the light,
Rick

Part IV: Chasing the Light with Light In Alaska

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All photographs © Rick Sammon

This is the forth in a series of posts I am writing aboard the Northern Song, the boat the Light Photographic Institute is using for its first Alaska photo workshop of 2011. I'm co-leading the workshop with fellow Canon shooter Hal "Bull" Schmitt, the lead instructor and director of Light - which also produces the California Photo Fest – the must-attend photo event of the year. 

Each day, we chased the light, as photographers do every day - and night.

(I hope to see you on one of my workshops - perhaps in Alaska in 2012. Shoot me an email to get on my workshop list.) 

Because there is no internet on the boat, I'll actually be posting when I get back on land - so each Alaska post you read was actually written about a week ago.

I'll be including some of these photographs (with composition tips) in my next Kelby Training class: Composition - the Strongest Way of Seeing, which is scheduled for release later this year. For info on all my Kelby Training classes, click here.


Today's tip:

Learn about the subject. For example, following are a few cool facts about humpback whales, which are shown feeding on herring in the opening photograph. Thank you Captain Dennis Rogers for the info!

Their jaws unhinge for maximum feeding capacity - which is why, in the opening picture, the the mouth of the whale on the right looks kinda weird.

Feeding is a cooperative behavior between two and 20 whales. One whale is always the leader.

The whales circle the fish and start to blow bubbles that form a "net" around the herring.

In the opening shot, you can see some of the bubbles in the background. As they rise, bubbles compress the fish into a nice fish sandwich.


 

These whales live nine months in Alaska and then take a vacation in Hawaii for the rest of the year.

For some info on marine life, see my next iPad app, Underwater Wonders, due for release in a few months. Shoot me an email if you want to be notified.
 
For more photo tips, see my iPad and iPhone app: Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffett.



Explore the Light - and save the whales,
Rick