Pro Techniques

"Another photographer will say, `I don't know anything about figure skating,' and I'll tell him, `Well, here's what's going to happen; here's what to watch for.'"

Funny how things work out sometimes.

Dave Black majored in commercial graphics design and studio drawing at Southern Illinois...

Detained

Best known for her images of global health issues, photojournalist Karen Kasmauski often finds herself in the world's hot zones, but she says the work she does isn't dangerous...until it is. One moment you're fine; the next, there's trouble, and you never saw it coming. "It's always...

Some years ago Steve Simon took a leave from his job as a newspaper photographer in his native Canada and headed south across the border on a self-assigned project. “I’d loved photography since I was a kid in Montreal, roaming the streets, inspired by Cartier-Bresson,” Simon says, “but I’d been working 10 years at the newspaper, doing the same things again and again. I was looking for a way to get the inspiration back, to explore the power of what photography can be.”

You can’t simply walk into an Operating Room (OR) and insinuate yourself into the scene. There are rules, there are boundaries. Greg Shapps knows them well. Still, he manages to produce telling images that convey the client’s message without blatantly advertising any product or service. The methodology involves a complete 180 from the way he approaches his small product photography, where the message is unmistakably to buy a specific product. His healthcare imagery is nuanced, often depicting healthcare givers and receivers alike. Specific products are not necessarily the focus. It’s more about what a product, service, or institution can do for the individual.

Architectural photography normally involves shooting exteriors and interiors, ranging from residential to corporate and industrial. Hospitality photography moves in a different direction. John Bellenis explains: “I would define hospitality photography as shooting hotels, resorts, cruise lines, spas, and destinations. It’s a niche market that encompasses a range of photographic disciplines: architectural exteriors, interiors, lifestyle, food, and travel. I enjoy it because it keeps things fresh and the demands are varied photographically.

Some photographers develop a trademark style over time. Markku Lahdesmaki had a feel for what he was doing early on. Shooting tongue-in-cheek came naturally, as did making his subjects feel comfortable with his vision for the shot. And clients loved it, enough so that they beckoned him to return to his native Finland from England, where he was living and working with his wife.