Maynard Switzer

Pro Techniques
On The Road: Custom Jobs: Getting Better All The Time
Maynard Switzer  |  Oct 19, 2011  |  First Published: Sep 01, 2011
You’d think that with the variety of gear available today, I’d be able to find exactly what I want. Well, for the major stuff, like cameras and lenses, I pretty much can, but when it comes to several key accessories, call me The Modifier.
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Pro Techniques
On The Road: Drive, I Said: Backup Drive, That Is
Maynard Switzer  |  Aug 23, 2011  |  First Published: Jul 01, 2011
I got a brand-new piece of gear shortly before I left in late February for a three-week trip to Vietnam. Not a camera, lens, or flash; it was more important than those. You see, I’m always looking for easier, lighter, faster, and more secure backup for my photos when I travel, and I’d heard for almost a year that this one, this new backup hard drive, was coming, and as luck or perfect timing would have it, it arrived two days before I left. (Because I’m always looking for something better, the camera store in New York City that I deal with, Foto Care, is on the lookout for anything that might interest me; they know I travel, and they’re always telling me about the latest and greatest that’s coming along.)
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Pro Techniques
On The Road; Always Be Prepared; The Rewards Of Research
Maynard Switzer  |  Jun 17, 2011  |  First Published: May 01, 2011
Right from the start it sounded like it was going to be a challenge. In late summer last year I was hired by the Taiwan tourist bureau for a 10-day shoot to take pictures for a travel magazine advertorial. Since I’d never been to Taiwan before, and my usual way of working is to make all my own plans, schedules, and lists of places to shoot, I did some research as soon asI got the assignment. What I found wasn’t promising.
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Pro Techniques
Flight Plans; Remove Your Shoes, Your Belt, Your AA Batteries
Maynard Switzer  |  Mar 01, 2011

I’m writing this in mid-December as I’m making plans for a February trip to Vietnam. As those plans are shaping up, it might be a good time to talk about how I decide what to take on my photo trips and how I try to ease it all through the world’s airports.

The gear I take depends on where I’m going, how long I’ll be there, and what I expect to accomplish. One thing I know from the...

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Outdoor/TravelPro Techniques
Wider Worlds; Getting Closer To The Story
Maynard Switzer  |  Jan 01, 2011

Ten years ago, when I was primarily a fashion photographer, I did a shoot in Cuba. Normally I’d have used medium and long telephoto lenses, but because the narrow streets I was shooting on featured colorfully painted walls, I switched to a 35mm lens. With that lens I was able to show not only the models but also the background, which revealed a bit about the location. Equally important, I...

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Pro Techniques
On The Road; People Skills; Speak Softly And Carry A Short Lens
Maynard Switzer  |  Sep 01, 2010

In my last column I talked about fixers—the guide/translators who smooth the way and open the doors so I can get the photographs. They’re important when it comes to photographing people, especially when I don’t speak the language, which is most of the time. But while I don’t always have a fixer, I have my people skills.

The most...

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Outdoor/Travel
On The Road; The Fixer; A Brief Guide To Guides
Maynard Switzer  |  Jul 01, 2010

Travel photographers call them fixers, and that’s what they do: they fix things to make sure the way is smooth so the photographer can do what he needs to do—get pictures that the average tourist can’t. And if you want those kinds of opportunities—in other words, if you’re really serious about your travel photography—there’s no substitute for a savvy...

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Outdoor/Travel
On The Road; Prime Time; Weighing My Optical Options
Maynard Switzer  |  May 01, 2010

This may surprise you, but I prefer to travel with single focal length lenses rather than zooms.

I have several reasons. First, my primes are usually one to two stops faster than zooms, which is important not so much because I shoot with my lenses wide-open but rather because the extra one or two stops of speed makes the image brighter in the viewfinder—which means...

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Outdoor/TravelPro Techniques
On The Road; Parade Route; My Strategies For Festivals And Events
Maynard Switzer  |  Mar 01, 2010

One of the things I always try to do when I’m planning a trip is check out the events calendars of the cities and towns I’ll be visiting to see what sort of festivals might be taking place. Sometimes I’ll even rearrange my schedule to make sure I hit those places at the right time; that’s how important it is for me to take advantage of these photo opportunities. Images of...

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Outdoor/TravelPro Techniques
On The Road; What I Learned; My Journey From Fashion To Far Away
Maynard Switzer  |  Jan 01, 2010

My route to travel photography was not direct, but looking back, I realize the direction was set fairly early.

While attending the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, I got a chance to spend a semester break photographing in Arkansas at the oldest bluegrass festival in the US. I never forgot how much I’d enjoyed photographing the festival and the local...

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