Pro Techniques

Several years ago I decided to take on a challenge of focusing on macro photography right in my own backyard. No, I do not reside in the Sierra mountains or adjacent to a national wildlife refuge or conservation area. I live in a typical South Florida suburban subdivision surrounded by homes and asphalt. South Florida doesn’t even offer much in the way of seasons. Yet, I am amazed at how many unique images I have captured over the past several years.

The first time I met Sam Gray was probably about 1975. I was a young photographer attending one of my first Maine state conferences and Gray was one of the program speakers. I can still remember how elegant and beautiful his images were. I also remember how he struck me as a quintessential southern gentleman. He was soft spoken yet exuded confidence. You couldn’t help but admire the...

“Understanding the genres, history, and style of the music is a huge part of my success,” John Scarpati observes. “I work very closely with the bands and artists to make sure the cover art reflects what they want to say.” Scarpati (www.scarpati.com), as he prefers to be called (“when someone yells Scarpati on set...

As a newspaper photographer, you never know when you show up in the morning what you're going to be working on--sometimes it's an environmental portrait, other times a feature, or a documentary image that is posed," San Francisco-based Peter DaSilva says.

"Whatever it is, I need to produce a picture of quality every time I'm sent...

Filing the frame with the critter isn’t required for great wildlife photography. Reflecting on how I first slanted my wildlife photography in this direction, it has its roots in the first lens I had to shoot wildlife. I started with a Vivitar 400mm f/5.6 on an old Minolta that was soon replaced with a Nikon 400mm f/5.6 on an F2. That 400mm was my main lens for a long time and it taught me lessons about wildlife photography that I still depend on to this day.

Documentary photography captures the truth but it also tells a story. And that is exactly what Nina Berman has always aimed to do, and what she succeeds in doing, as the Brits say, so brilliantly. Her pictures evoke our emotions; they often shock; but they never fail to open our eyes to the world around us.

One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome for the aspiring studio photographer is the lack of a proper space to shoot. Spare bedrooms, garages, attics, and basements have all been transformed into makeshift studios, and most lack adequate space to...