Pro Techniques

Despite lens makers’ ads to the contrary, photographers don’t always want or need tack-sharp photographs, especially for wedding or bridal portraits. The use of creative or selective blur when applied in the digital darkroom to an otherwise ordinary photograph can create a mood or look that fits an impression of the original image more than its reality, but sometimes the distinction...

In a business that thrives on intensely refined specialties, Newport, Rhode Island-based shooter Matthew Cohen has managed to find success in what has to be one of the ultimate photographic niches: nautical adventure photography. Cohen is one of a handful of photographers worldwide who earns much of his living adventuring on the high seas and capturing those exploits with his camera.

The photographic career of Jody Gomez started off simply enough, as a spectator parent when her son began riding steers. Frustrated by the poor quality of the pictures snapped and sold by another parent, Gomez began taking her own photographs, starting off with an entry-level 35mm Canon Rebel. In short order, Gomez was installed as the official photographer for the California Junior Bull Riders...

The majority of articles written (and classes taken) about wedding photography focus on taking better pictures of the bride and groom. By now, every photographer knows at least 20 poses they can compose in 5 minutes or less, plus several clever ways to make a plus-size bride look slimmer and her mother younger. But what about the rest of the wedding, such as taking better cake-cutting, bouquet-tossing, first-dancing, or champagne-toasting photos? It is at the reception where a photographer’s technical—and anticipatory—skills are most likely to come into play. Working in banquet rooms with poor lighting and questionable architecture are just two of the many challenges photographers face. With that in mind we talked with three top pros, Lisa Lefkowitz (www.lisalefkowitz.com), Cliff Mautner (www.cmphotography.com), and Kate McElwee (www.katemcelweephotography.com), who offer their experience in helping you make great wedding reception shots.

After a grueling three-day walk, an elderly farmer, hobbling with the aid of two gnarly walking sticks, finally arrived at the hospital in Ometepec. The long distance and oppressive Mexican heat were not his only obstacles—the insidious cataracts that were slowly robbing him of his vision made his trek a precarious journey. A young mother, who had been sightless for several years, gave birth to a child. She had nursed her, raised her, and loved her, without ever seeing her face.

As a young photographer, Eric Meola's first job after college was assisting Pete Turner. He got the job through the same passionate perseverance that has driven him in countless successful assignments. It helped him create a unique visual style that has carried throughout his entire career.

Shutterbug: After about 18 months of assisting Pete...

The thing you’ve got to watch out for is the pilot who gets a little too into the photography.

It’s not a common occurrence, to be sure, but…“I had a pilot who almost killed me,” says Cameron Davidson, who spends a good portion of his time in the air shooting for clients and his own projects. “I have this strict rule:...