After shooting the Kansas City Chiefs game against the San Diego Chargers last weekend, another photographer and I were discussing the differences between luck and skill. Those are two things every good photographer has experience with.

Continue reading "Luck or Skill?" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:35 AM | Permalink

There are two things that can ruin photos - blur and being out of focus. At times, though, blur can make a picture better. The trick to doing that is understanding how to use blur as a creative tool.

Continue reading "The Beauty of Blur" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:28 AM | Permalink

You know by now I'm a big fan of using strobes. Good light is so important to good pictures that I love being able to create and/or add it whenever I want. And I've always been a fan of softboxes as a way of controlling and directing that light. Now there's a new softbox that I just can't say enough good things about. But I'll try :)

Continue reading "Great New Softbox" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 04:12 PM | Permalink

Being a newspaper photographer for over twenty years has taken its toll on my neck and shoulders. I've grown to hate the weight of cameras around my neck, and am tired of trying to keep them from falling off my shoulders. One company looks like it has a good solution for me.

Continue reading "A Better Camera Strap?" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:23 AM | Permalink

Back in my newspaper days I volunteered at one time to do the food and fashion shoots. That wasn't really my kind of photography, but it was time to try something new. I ended up enjoying it, and learned the value of working with an experienced model.

Continue reading "Model Performance" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:59 AM | Permalink

I've been a big fan of off-camera flash since I started using a Vivitar 283 and 15-ft sync cord in the mid-80s. Since then I've added many more strobes and some radio triggers/receivers to my lighting kits. The last few years, though, I've done most of my lighting with wireless flash built into my cameras and strobes.

Continue reading "Loving Wireless Flash" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 04:40 PM | Permalink

When photographers talk about lenses these days, it's mostly about the zooms. When the light's low, though, you can't beat a good fast fixed focal-length lens.

Continue reading "In Praise of Fast Lenses" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:14 PM | Permalink

One of the questions I'm regularly asked at workshops is how to photograph the moon. With the recent anniversary of the first moon landing, I thought this would be a good time to talk about that.

Continue reading "Moon Shot" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:37 AM | Permalink

My daughter Rachel and I are spending this week in Rocky Mountain National Park. We're camping and have a number of hikes planned, including Long's Peak, if possible. Se we're traveling light.

Continue reading "Minimalist Approach" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 07:06 PM | Permalink

One evening this week I decided to shoot some photos at dusk and was reminded there's a right way and a wrong way to chase a sunset.

Continue reading "Chasing Sunset" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:52 PM | Permalink

I'm not a big shopper. So when my wife and daughter decided to spend the first afternoon of our vacation shopping in Portland, I decided to take a walk instead. With my camera.

Continue reading "They shopped, so I..." »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:03 PM | Permalink

For years I've struggled with whether to carry a macro (closeup) lens with me on trips. I love what I can do with one, but it's another piece of glass to carry. And if I'm not sure I'll need one, I often leave it behind. Now I've finally got a solution.

Continue reading "Extension Tubes" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:00 AM | Permalink

My wife and I have been working our way through the season one DVDs of Mad Men. Seems like each summer we pick one TV show praised by the critics that we never watched. The last episode struck a chord with me as the lead character talked about what photos mean to us.

Continue reading "Memories" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:17 PM | Permalink

I've played with HDR (High Dynamic Range) images for several years now, using filters and multiple exposures. Now I'm using a program that does a great job of automating the process.

Continue reading "High Dynamic Range" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:14 AM | Permalink

I'm just back from leading a photo trip on the Oregon coast for American Photo as part of their Mentor Series program. As is usual on a workshop like this, I took along a few of my favorite accessories, which I often call toys, to add some variety.

Continue reading "Ode to Toys" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:31 AM | Permalink

My wife thinks I spend too much time in the basement office. Maybe she's right, Yesterday I found myself playing with my daughter's old Barbie collection.

Continue reading "Playing with Dolls" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 12:35 PM | Permalink

Okay, we've all seen digital picture frames that let you have a constant slideshow of your favorite photos. What I hadn't seen, though, was a wireless frame that could also connect to your home network. Now that's really cool!

Continue reading "Wireless Photo Frame" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 04:18 PM | Permalink

This weekend my daughter was part of a massive recital by her dance studio. No question I'm going to shoot pictures. So the question is really, "what gear should I take?" I've got some of the best cameras and lenses made. Guess what I took?

Continue reading "It's not what you've got, but how you use it" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 04:02 PM | Permalink

Nikon recently released a new digital SLR, the D5000, and I just got my hands on one. It's an entry/mid-level DSLR (12MP) with a twist. Literally. It's the first Nikon DSLR with an articulated display. That means the LCD pulls out from the body so you can see what you're framing without having the viewfinder at your eye. Cool.

Continue reading "A Twisted View" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:26 PM | Permalink

My son Nathan is graduating high school next month, and had his senior prom this past weekend. And what kind of photographer/father would I be if I didn't turn this into an opportunity for photos?

Continue reading "Prom Night" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:36 AM | Permalink

I've gotten my hands on a Nikon D3X, at 24MP the highest resolution digital SLR currently available. And that many pixels changes how you can use this camera.

Continue reading "Pixels to Spare" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:41 AM | Permalink

I love having the chance to see and photograph places around the world, and lucky to have a job that makes that possible. But travel can be hard, and sometimes all you need to do is take a trip to your backyard.

Continue reading "Close to Home" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 07:44 PM | Permalink

Microsoft is once again accepting entries for their Future Pro Photographer contest. Open to almost any students 18 or over attending a two or four-year college, it's got amazing prize packages. If you know anyone who fits the requirements, urge them to enter!

Continue reading "Future Pro Photographer Contest" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:38 AM | Permalink

Last week I attended PMA 2009 in Las Vegas, the Photo Marketing Association's annual tradeshow. All the big (and many of the small) companies whose business involves photography have booths there, and in the past it was one of the places they'd make their big announcements. These days they tend to announce products as soon as they're available, so there are fewer big stories. What I enjoy seeing, though, are the small, often innovative things that come out.

Continue reading "PMA 2009" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 02:20 PM | Permalink

One of the great things about photography is its variety and how it can grow with you. And that growth often comes at a price, in new or different gear. A while back I upgraded my tripods, and now it was time to do the same for heads and plates.

Continue reading "Gear Upgrades" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:46 AM | Permalink

I've got a friend who's fond of saying, "I'd rather be lucky than good." I know what he means. Last week I had a workshop to teach in Berkeley, so flew in two days early to take a quick trip to Yosemite with some friends. And boy, did we get lucky.

Continue reading "Photography and Luck" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:39 AM | Permalink

Today's entry will be a small one, to fit the subject. I'm a big fan of compact cameras, often referred to as point-and-shoots. It's not that they're all I ever want to shoot with, but you can't beat their size for what they can do. That means I can have a camera (and a real one, NOT a toy built into my phone) with me almost all the time.

Continue reading "In Praise of Point-and-Shoots" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:00 PM | Permalink

There's one sure thing about photography - you get better at it by taking pictures. That's not to say you can't learn from reading and by studying other people's photos. But if you truly want to grow as a photographer, you've got to get out and shoot. And that's true of all of us, pros and amateurs alike.

Continue reading "Practice Makes Perfect, or just Happy" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:10 PM | Permalink

I've had a few conversations with photographers recently about lenses not performing up to expectations concerning sharpness of photos. In the past I've always looked to the age of a lens and the design (consumer-grade or pro?). Now, though, I'm starting to think about our definition of "sharp."

Continue reading "Lenses and Sharpness" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:18 AM | Permalink

I admit it, I have a short attention span. Last week we went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to see the show, "Art in the Age of Steam." A beautiful exhibition centering on the effect the railroads had on the world and art from the 1800s to the mid 1900s. I can only look at art so long, so luckily I found a distraction.

Continue reading "Light and Shadows" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:26 PM | Permalink

This past weekend I was out in Boston to teach a Nikon School (www.nikonschool.com) with friend and fellow instructor Bill Durrence. One of the Nikon sales reps for the area, Bob Watts, is the epitome of the good host, and this time we had a chance to do some shooting together.

Continue reading "With a Little Help from a Friend" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:17 AM | Permalink

This past weekend I headed out to Lawrence, Kansas to cover the University of Kansas men's basketball game against the University of Tennessee. It's become fairly common at sporting events for photographers to set up remote cameras to get more angles on the action, and that's what I decided to do this time.

Continue reading "Cover Two Angles at Once" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:51 PM | Permalink

More software packages are making it possible to tether a digital camera to a computer, either for remote operation (from the computer) or to share the images with others without them having to look at the back of the camera. I recently needed that, so I used Nikon's Camera Control Pro 2.

Continue reading "Remote Viewing" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 04:32 PM | Permalink

I spent Sunday freezing on the sidelines of the Chiefs/Chargers game, so when I wanted to have some photo fun this week, going out in the 8-degree weather didn't appeal to me. Instead I turned my thoughts inside and decided to do some light painting.

Continue reading "Weather's bad, so... Light Paint!" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:20 PM | Permalink

I'm as guilty as most people when it comes to shooting large group family pictures. I don't like to do it. The more people you've got in a photo the harder it is to make a nice photo. This year, though, I decided to fight my natural tendencies and try to make a nice group shot at Thanksgiving.

Continue reading "Less Painful Family Photos" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:00 AM | Permalink

I've always found it strange that computer manufacturers build specialized computers for gamers, but nothing for photographers. You'd think we must be a much larger market. Well, that's finally changing.

Continue reading "Finally, a photo laptop" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:14 AM | Permalink

The more choices we have, the harder it can be. Shoot JPEG or RAW? Upgrade Photoshop now or wait? Spend more on a faster lens or save $$? My favorite choice right now is between full-frame or cropped-frame cameras, because that choice gives me more flexibility in my photography.

Continue reading "Choice is Good" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:42 AM | Permalink

I recently had a chance to visit with a group of photography students, some high school, the majority college, and decided to ask a question I've wondered for a while now. Is having experience with a wet darkroom (developing film, printing) still important to a photo education? Their answers surprised me.

Continue reading "Darkroom - Waste of Time?" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:48 PM | Permalink

Lots of times photos can be made better just by talking to people. It doesn't seem like much, but simply walking up and saying "Hi, mind if I take some photos of you?" can lead to much better pictures.

Continue reading "Just say "Hi!"" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:22 PM | Permalink

This past week I received an email from someone looking for help in decoding the AF settings on their camera. This is perhaps the most common, hardest to figure out group of settings on today's digital SLRs.

Continue reading "AF Settings Confusion" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 07:57 AM | Permalink

There are a lot of rules in photography having to do with composition, exposure, focus and such. My favorite is that you shouldn't shoot in the middle of the day, when the light is bad because the sun is overhead. Rules schmules.

Continue reading "Noon Time Sun" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 04:39 PM | Permalink

It's fall, and once again that means senior portrait season. This time a friend called and asked if I could do some photos of their daughter, who was uncomfortable being in front of a stranger's camera.
"

Continue reading "Portrait Tips" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:04 PM | Permalink

We're back from the trip to Turkey, and what a wonderful trip it was. Turkey now tops my list of great overseas photo trips.

Continue reading "Turkey's Great" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:30 PM | Permalink

This week I'm in Turkey leading a Mentor Trek for American Photo. Our first two days were spent in Istanbul, which has quickly moved into the top of my list of great places to shoot pictures.

Continue reading "Istanbul" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:55 PM | Permalink

I had a note from a friend yesterday pointing out an article he'd been quoted in. It was a story in the New York Times on the overwhelming use of Photoshop in family photos. It made me wonder where we're headed photographically.

Continue reading "Photoshop Overdose" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:10 AM | Permalink

For the past two years I've been fortunate enough to be involved in Microsoft's Icons of Imaging program (www.microsoft.com/prophoto). And this past week I had an opportunity to join that group on a trip to Iceland, and discovered what a photographer's paradise it is.

Continue reading "Iceland's Awesome" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 07:22 PM | Permalink

About twenty years ago I put together my first portable light kit. It was pretty basic - one stand, one flash and a cord to connect the flash to the camera. Not long after that I added a second stand and light, a slave to fire it, and eventually a radio remote (so people would stop tripping over my flash cord). For the past fifteen years it's been pretty much the same, and it was time to overhaul it.

Continue reading "Portable Light Kit" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:05 PM | Permalink

Over the years I've learned that sometimes you just need to spend more money than you'd like to get the gear you need. That's always been easier for the big stuff - cameras, lenses and strobes - than for the little stuff. I'm finally investing in the little stuff, and it's paying off.

Continue reading "Just Bite the Bullet" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:27 AM | Permalink

I admit it - I can be lazy. I do a lot of travel, and while I know I should take a tripod, I often don't. I was just up in Seattle attending a conference at Microsoft, and I got a good reminder of the value of packing a tripod.

Continue reading "To Tripod or Not?" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:36 AM | Permalink

I've just returned from teaching a photo workshop in Montana, mostly at Glacier National Park. At one point while out shooting I noticed dirt on the sensor in my photos. There's a right way and a wrong way to fix this. Guess which one I chose?

Continue reading "How NOT to clean a Sensor" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:20 PM | Permalink

Well, it's time for a topical subject. With the fourth of July a few days away, this is a great time to go through the ins and outs of fireworks photography. I've been doing these shots for about 35 years, the most involved being the 12-exposure shot shown here that I did with a Hasselblad. It's changed a bit since those days of film, but the basics remain the same.

Continue reading "Fireworks Photography" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 05:34 PM | Permalink

Last weekend was the closing concert for Sound Encounters, a ten-day music camp our son Nathan was attending in Ottawa, KS (not quite as exotic as Ottawa, Canada). And I fell into the classic trap of tunnel vision.

Continue reading "Tunnel Vision" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:02 AM | Permalink

I enjoy new gadgets and toys as much as any photographer, and love trying new and fun techniques. When it comes to keeping a client happy, though, I'm sometimes a fan of KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid.

Continue reading "KISS in Action" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:20 PM | Permalink

Over the years I've had to shoot pictures in every kind of weather. Hot, cold, snowing, blowing, hail, sleet and rain. I don't mind any of them, except for rain. I hate working in rain. But if you don't go out in the rain to shoot pictures, then you're missing out on some good photos. I ran into this last weekend while teaching an American Photo Mentor Trek in Vermont, and we had some rain on Saturday.

Continue reading "Working in Rain" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 05:28 PM | Permalink

I've been asked to present a show at a gallery this fall, which puts me in every photographer's dilemma - how do you take 35-years of photography and boil it down to twenty or fewer pictures?

Continue reading "Career Angst" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:41 PM | Permalink

Every year, the US Navy Blue Angels perform at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It also happens to be the home office of Blue Pixel and my home for over 20 years. But this year, two very different shoots were on my calendar for the same day. The Blue Angels during the day, outside along the Severn River, and an indoor big band concert at the local high school, featuring my son and a bunch of his friends.

Continue reading "Two Extremes" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 12:06 PM | Permalink

Two weekends ago I was teaching a workshop in Boston, at Babson College. We were staying on campus at their Executive Conference Center, whose restaurant looked out over some small ponds at the edge of a woods. It was such a pretty spot that during breakfast we decided to come back there that evening after the school and shoot some pictures.

Continue reading "Sketching" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:53 PM | Permalink

When I worked for newspapers I spent most of my days out on the street. In good weather that was great, and in bad not so great. But the best part of it was staying away from a desk. Now I spend most of my time at a computer, so any chance to get out and shoot pictures is a good one.

Continue reading "Fun on the Farm" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:01 AM | Permalink

Whenever I'm out teaching a class, or just on vacation with my kids, I always have them jump. Just like the old Toyota commercials (Its the "Oh what a feeling" tagline Toyota used for years in their commercials).

Continue reading "When in doubt, JUMP!" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 08:44 AM | Permalink

I find that the hardest thing for most people to photograph is people. And that's a shame, because it's a great way to make some nice photos and you usually end up with a good story as well.

Continue reading "Meeting People" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:47 AM | Permalink

This past weekend I taught a workshop in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and thought I'd have some free time to go out and shoot. With that in mind, I brought my infrared camera along to play.

Continue reading "IR in FL" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:54 AM | Permalink

Over the last few months I've gotten numerous phone calls and emails from friends asking if they should upgrade from their Nikon D200 to the new D300. Just got two more, which made me think it would be a good blog entry.

Continue reading "Decisions, Decisions..." »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:16 PM | Permalink

Back in the old days (you know, when we were all shooting film) there was a time when I started doing fashion shoots for the newspaper I worked at. We were too cheap to hire models, so it always came down to the writer finding a friend to "model" for us. I remember how hard it was to get good photos..

Continue reading "In Praise of Models" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:05 AM | Permalink

I learned years ago that when the photo gods smile on you, you should thank them. And the proper way to do that is to drop to your knees, raise your hands over your head and bow down several times while saying, "Thank you photo gods, thank you photo gods."

Continue reading "Thank You, Photo Gods" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:40 AM | Permalink

By now everyone's heard about Nikon's two new cameras, the D3 and D300. And you've probably heard they handle high-ISO noise better than in the past. That's an understatement.

Continue reading "A Whole New Wonderful World" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:57 AM | Permalink

For any photographer who loves to travel, going on an African photo safari must be near the top of their wish list. I've been lucky enough to do that twice now, leading trips to Tanzania in 2006 and the other one a few weeks ago. Each was great in its own way.

Continue reading "African Photo Safari" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:13 AM | Permalink

Sometimes an assignment is like a puzzle where you know what the final outcome looks like but you have to find the pieces that put it all together. Blue Pixel had an assignment like that recently.

Continue reading "Grammy Puzzle" »

Posted by Alex Stevens at 09:49 PM | Permalink

If you're itching for something interesting to photograph, you might try looking around your home.

Continue reading "Home Treasures" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 12:59 PM | Permalink

When I started traveling regularly a few years ago, I did what all smart business travelers do - I asked for aisle seating. What a mistake that was!

Continue reading "I'll Take the Window Seat, Thank You" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 04:37 PM | Permalink

I spend a lot of time talking and teaching about digital workflow. And when I'm out shooting, I try to live what I teach. If you follow my blog entries, you'll know that this is the time of year I do one of my larger jobs, and workflow is the key to it.

Continue reading "It's all about the Workflow" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:44 AM | Permalink

It's been a busy week. The day before Thanksgiving I left home on a whirlwind trip, and over the next six days visited China, Africa, Mexico and the mountains of India, with brief visits to France, England and Canada along the way.

Continue reading "World Traveler" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 12:07 PM | Permalink

My niece is a beatiful young woman, and people often ask her if she does modeling. After several years of hearing that, she decided to give it a try. First thing she needed was some shots for the application, so she called me.

Continue reading "Model Shoot" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:42 AM | Permalink

There are a few simple tricks that can help make group photos more interesting. Dropping my daughter off for Halloween with friends recently, I had a chance to put some of those to work.

Continue reading "Group Shots" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:07 PM | Permalink

As you've probably noticed, I've been doing a lot of traveling the last six weeks. After three weeks in Europe and Asia, I flew home, only to go to Tokyo the following week. That's given me plenty of opportunity to practice dealing with jet lag. Returning from Japan, I used a fish market to help fight the time change.

Continue reading "Fish and Jet Lag" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 02:23 PM | Permalink

I've been in Tokyo this week to lead some training for the Associated Press, and arrived a day early to make sure I got here in time. I also wanted to have some time to adjust to the jet lag (14-hrs worth!), and was hoping to see some of Tokyo and shoot photos. Unfortunately, the day was overcast and dreary.

Continue reading "When the Light's Boring..." »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 07:08 PM | Permalink

Having returned recently from a photo trip to Greece, I've been getting all of my images sorted and archived. At one point I decided to total the amount of hard drive space those photos were taking up, and it was something of a shock. Seven days of shooting resulted in 30 Gigabytes of images!

Continue reading "Size Matters" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:36 AM | Permalink

Recently I was in Bangkok to do some teaching, and had an afternoon free. Wanting to see more of the city, I signed up for a river and canal tour. Thailand has lots of water, and Bangkok is laced with canals. It was a good tour and I made some nice photos. But one photo I really liked when I shot it doesn't work, because I forgot to think about what I was doing.

Continue reading "Missing the Big Picture" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:41 PM | Permalink

I'm on the road still, having gone to India from Greece. Flew into Delhi early (very, very early) Wednesday morning, where I'm here to lead two days of digital workflow training for some members of the Associated Press photo staff in Asia. The rest of Wednesday was a free day, though, so I wanted to get out for some fresh air and see some of Delhi.

Continue reading "Getting Lucky" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:15 AM | Permalink

Sometimes you get amazingly lucky, and then sometimes you don't. Kevin Gilbert and I just finished leading a photo trek of Greece for American Photo. We had a lot of fun with a great group of people, and everyone headed home with some new photos and new ideas for their photography. We started the trip in Athens, with an afternoon tour of the town and the Acropolis, who's most famous feature is the Parthenon, visible from much of Athens.

Continue reading "Parthenon at Night" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:08 AM | Permalink

I'm in Greece leading a photo trek for American Photo. We've had a great time so far, starting in Athens and then going on to the island of Mykonos. After three days here, today we take the ferry to Santorini. We've made a lot of good photos, but perhaps as important, we've had fun and time to relax as well.

Continue reading "Hard(ly) at Work" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:40 AM | Permalink

A big part of what I do these days is teach digital photography, and lately I've been getting ready to start my sixth year teaching the Nikon School of Photography classes. So each of the past six summers much of my time's been devoted to creating two new, all-day programs for the schools. And each summer I'm struck by how much our profession continues to be changed by digital.

Continue reading "The more things change..." »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:08 AM | Permalink

In high school I was lucky enough to find a local photographer willing to take me on as an assistant. I always tell people that he paid me for ruining his film and paper. Thanks, Kent. Through those years, almost every Saturday I was at a wedding, loading Hasselblad film backs, carrying gear and holding lights. After that, I swore I'd never shoot a wedding again.

Continue reading "Are you a wedding photographer?" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:32 AM | Permalink

I spend a lot of time teaching workshops, and that lets me see how people handle all the new digital photography tools and technology. This past weekend I helped a few friends with a couple days of shooting and editing, and was reminded again how far we've come in this business.

Continue reading "Up to Speed FAST" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:02 AM | Permalink

Last week I was teaching a workshop in Colorado Springs, Colorado. One morning a few of us went to Garden of the Gods, a spectacular place to shoot photos. While walking around the rock formations, a woman came up and asked for some help. I thought her question would make a great blog entry.

Continue reading "Is your Viewfinder in Focus?" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:36 AM | Permalink

Last week Nick Didlick and I were teaching a workshop in southern California. We took the group out for a couple of shoots, going to San Juan Capistrano (the famous old Mission) and Huntington Beach. At the first location the focus was on architecture and plants, at the beach it was people. And once again I marveled at how easy it is to use reflectors to light people.

Continue reading "The Joy of Reflectors" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:56 AM | Permalink

A few years ago I spent some time in Singapore teaching digital photography to a group of newspaper photographers. On my final night there, they took me out to a dinner of "spare parts." Trust me, you don't want to know what it was. If you've been doing photography for very long, you've probably collected various spare parts over the years, and sometime they come in handy for building new tools.

Continue reading "Spare Parts" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:05 AM | Permalink

I spend a lot of time these days teaching photography. And at almost every workshop I teach, at least one person comes up to me and asks, "How can I turn photography into a career?" I always give them some suggestions, but I also ask them to think long and hard about whether they truly want to do that. They may find that photography's more rewarding as a hobby.

Continue reading "Photography for Fun" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:46 PM | Permalink

I recently received an email with some quesitons concerning autofocus. I thought the question and answer might make a good blog entry.

Continue reading "Autofocus Options" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:30 PM | Permalink

One of the challenges of being in the business of answering questions is staying out front with technology. We jokingly refer to it as living on "the bleeding edge." Because of that, I started using the beta releases of Microsoft Vista last fall, and last week decided it was time to install the final version.

Continue reading "Vista Success" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 09:43 AM | Permalink

Every now and then I try out a new gizmo that so surprises or impresses me that I've just GOT to write about it. This time it's the Nikon TC-20 E II teleconverter, which I'd played with a few years ago and promptly forgot about..

Continue reading "New Toy -Teleconverter" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:01 PM | Permalink

Ever since I first read about infrared photography, many decades ago in high school, I've been intrigued by the idea. The images produced by it are otherworldly and I wanted to try my hand at it. Unfortunately, my attempts back then always ended in failure, not in small part due to the difficulty of using and processing infrared film. Thankfully, times have changed, and digital's taken film out of the equation.

Continue reading "Digital Infrared" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:40 PM | Permalink

Recently I received an email from someone who was part of a workshop I taught, and thought it might make a good blog entry: "I attended your two workshops in Berkeley last week, and didn't get a chance to ask my specific question. I'm leaving for an Antarctic peninsula cruise this coming week, and any suggestions for specific settings (e.g. White Balance) to try under those unusual lighting conditions?"

Continue reading "Arctic Suggestions" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:49 AM | Permalink

After traveling to 53 countries as a professional photographer, I decided to really live like the everyday traveler and head off on a trip to Morocco with just a Nikon D40, an 18-200 mm lens, and a 2 gig Lexar SD card..

Continue reading "Traveling Light" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 06:10 PM | Permalink

Last weekend I went to Berkeley to teach a two-day photo class. I was working with Nick Didlick, a good friend and excellent photographer from Vancouver, Canada, and we both flew in two days early to meet some friends and drive to Yosemite National Park. I've been lucky enough to visit Yosemite several times over the last few years, so I decided to take a different approach to photographing it this time.

Continue reading "A Closer View" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:22 AM | Permalink

I was working in my studio last week (translation - the basement) photographing some products I was going to use in a presentation. Two keys to any good photo are light and background. I often use a black backdrop as it highlights the product. And I learned long ago that with lighting, KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) was a good rule for me to follow. Good light doesn't necessarily mean lots of lights. This time, though, I needed just a bit more.

Continue reading "Reflectors" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:49 AM | Permalink

I'm just back from leading a photo trek to Maui for American Photo (www.mentorseries.com). I do about four trips a year like this, and we had just over thirty people joining us. The second day we spent driving and shooting along the road to Hana, and after dinner that night most of us headed to the beach for a little light painting.

Continue reading "Light Painting" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:26 AM | Permalink

Last year while shooting winter photos in Yosemite National Park, Nick Didlick (a friend and Blue Pixel Associate) came up with a unique (and low-cost) way of shooting time exposures. I was reminded of that recently when I needed to do the same thing, and didn't have a cable release.

Continue reading "Pebble Release" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:01 PM | Permalink

When it comes to photography, people always want to talk cameras and lenses. Yes, they're important (and I like to talk about them too), but one tool that doesn't get enough chat time is tripods.

Continue reading "Tool Time - Tripods" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:29 AM | Permalink

I recently went to a friend's wedding and took along a little point-and-shoot I could carry in my pocket. When it was all over I had a nice set of photos, and wanted to share them with the family. Rather than send a bunch of small prints, I wanted to give them one large print to commemorate the day. My favorite way of doing this is by using the Free Transform tool in Photoshop, and this can be done with either full-blown Photoshop or Photoshop Elements (I used version 4).

Continue reading "Easy Photo Collages" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 02:26 PM | Permalink

Its a phrase we all know about that indicates you're in danger, and something that came to mind during a trip I just returned from.

Continue reading "Canary in the Coal Mine" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 04:59 PM | Permalink

A couple of weeks ago I covered a NASCAR race here in Kansas City, at Kansas Speedway. Whether I'm shooting NASCAR, NFL or the family vacation, some planning ahead of time makes the job much easier.

Continue reading "Planning Makes the Job Easier" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:39 PM | Permalink

Danny Moloshok has been covering Rock Star: Supernova the entire season. He and Jeff Bottari covered the finale this week and wrote about their experience.

Continue reading "Rock Star: Supernova" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 12:53 AM | Permalink

Blue Pixel associate David Bergman shares a story about some of his work for The Drew Carey Show.

Continue reading "Drew Carey" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:26 AM | Permalink

Last week I was in Las Vegas for Photoshop World. I was there to speak on Pro Digital Workflow. As with any trip, though, I wanted to get out and shoot some photos too.

Continue reading "Scouting Trip" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 02:21 PM | Permalink

I came to a sudden realization last weekend. I've turned into a light snob. I' won't settle for light that's just "okay" when shooting pictures.

Continue reading "I'm a Light Snob" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 08:09 AM | Permalink

In 25 years of photojournalism there are things you always want to do... but somehow never get around to them. One of those for me was a nice shot of lightning. A personal favorite and a personal challenge.

Continue reading "Take a chance, or take a pass" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 08:59 AM | Permalink

How do you mix an Irish party band with Welly boots and a Shetland pony?

Continue reading "Peaches Rocks" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 03:23 PM | Permalink

I just returned from a raft trip to Alaska. We had a great time, but one of the big surprises for me was what camera I chose to shoot many of the photos with.

Continue reading "Right Camera for the Right Job" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 05:09 PM | Permalink

I just returned from a photography trip to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, and my favorite photos from there aren't what you might expect.

Continue reading "Looking for Something Different" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:27 AM | Permalink

My kids take part in a summer drama camp, whose big finish is producing a show. As with most parents, I was there with my camera. Knowing a few simple techniques, though, meant I was more likely to get some good pictures. And these tips are easy to do, even with the little point-and-shoot camera I was using.

Continue reading "Stars of Stage" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 03:26 PM | Permalink

For those who've been riding the digital train for some time, the evolution of affordable desktop photo quality printing has been quite remarkable. I vividly remember the shock of seeing the first print roll off an Epson Photo Stylus printer. It almost looked like a "real" photograph. Today, with the proper printer and technique it is quite simple not just to match, but to exceed the quality of traditional wet darkroom printing.

Continue reading "When Good isn't Good Enough" »

Posted by Michael Schwarz at 08:01 AM | Permalink

Blue Pixel is once again providing the still photography for Rock Star as they start filming their second season. Danny Moloshok is doing the photography, and sends us some notes from behind the scenes.

Continue reading "Photographing Rock Star" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 04:30 PM | Permalink

Every year photographers plan for days to shoot the perfect fireworks shot. I do it too - all scoped out and ready for the big show. But this year, a series of huge thunderstorms right before dusk led me to believe they were cancelled. So I went to a party instead.

Continue reading "Sometimes the Wrong Spot is Right" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 02:18 PM | Permalink

Sometimes you'll find a picture that's just about perfect, but the light's not quite what you want. If you're lucky, you'll be able add that little bit of light yourself.

Continue reading "Add a Little Light" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 10:47 AM | Permalink

Today, Reed Hoffmann was selected as one of six Microsoft Icons of Imaging photographers.

The Microsoft Icons of Imaging photographers are recognized around the world as leaders in their specialty area of photography. Created by Microsoft, the Icons of Imaging program recognizes photographers and digital imaging industry leaders who use a Microsoft Windows-based digital workflow. Microsoft's hope is that the Icons of Imaging will provide inspiration to other digital photographers to create the best photographic images possible.

Check out Microsoft's Web site that is dedicated to showcasing the members of this program and to displaying a sample of their incredible imagery.

Congratulations Reed!

Continue reading "Reed Hoffmann Named a Microsoft Icon of Imaging" »

Posted by Michelle Ruegg at 09:38 PM | Permalink

This week I'm in Sweden teaching an American Photo Mentor photo workshop (www.mentorseries.com). The country's beautiful, the people nice, food is good and the group we've got is a lot of fun to be with. Our first day out, though, we came across a photo we couldn't make. At least at first.

Continue reading "Putting the Pieces Together" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:23 AM | Permalink

As a photographer, you should always be looking at the light around you. After all, when you take a picture, you're not photographing the subject, but the light's relationship to that subject.

Continue reading "Looking for Light" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:29 PM | Permalink

The number one problem most people have with taking pictures is that they don't practice enough. And an easy way to remedy that is to take your camera along when doing your daily activities.

Continue reading "Carry that Camera!" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:27 AM | Permalink

Twenty years ago this Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I were married. To celebrate, we made reservations to spend a little time at Big Cedar Lodge in the Ozarks, one of the premier resorts in the area. As an anniversary trip, I swore to leave computer, computer books, Photoshop books and all things digital (except a camera, of course!) at home.

Continue reading "Fireworks Fun" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 01:53 PM | Permalink

I recently received an email from a participant in a workshop our company taught. It was a question we often hear that involved some of the limitations of compact cameras, and one I thought worth sharing.

Continue reading "Limitations of Compact Cameras" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 05:57 PM | Permalink

Several years ago I was teaching an American Photo workshop (www.mentorseries.com) with famed National Geographic photographer Bruce Dale. He told everyone that one of the key ingredients to good photography was serendipity. I loved that idea, and have always remembered it. Yesterday I ran into it again.

Continue reading "Serendipity" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:22 PM | Permalink

A few weeks ago I got a call asking if I could shoot the NCAA Division 2 Tennis championships in Kansas City May 13th. A few singles and doubles matches for men and women. No problem, should be fun to do. At least that's what I thought. What I'd find out was that the real schedule was a bit more complicated, and would test my workflow planning.

Continue reading "A Workflow Nightmare" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 06:27 AM | Permalink

A last-minute call to go to Miami Beach isn't a bad thing. Microsoft was asking me to speak on Digital Photography Workflow with Windows XP at Photoshop World (run by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals) in Miami. How could I say no?

Continue reading "On the Beach" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:12 PM | Permalink

Recently I received an email asking for help in understanding metering. "I just bought a light meter which I thought would be easier to use than I discovered."

Continue reading "Judging Exposure" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 11:45 AM | Permalink

One of the things I love about photography is the door it opens to meet people and learn about their lives. I was reminded of that recently when I had an assignment to photograph a man whose brother disappeared in World War II.

Continue reading "Homecoming" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Instead of thinking about going into DC and photographing the Cherry Blossoms when they're in bloom; today I actually did it. And from the number of other folks there, I was not the only one who decided to get up at an ungodly hour to shoot them at sunrise. So what's a photographer to do when you arrive with the excitement and the anticipation of creating some really cool photos and find the pristine view littered with tripods?

Continue reading "Photographers are Lemmings. Well, Maybe not All..." »

Posted by Michelle Ruegg at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Do you love to shoot nature photography? I know that I love to travel and get up before sunrise to shoot a cool landscape or the dew on a flower. It's a great way for me to shoot things I normally don't cover, but there are guys out there that do it everyday that are exceptional at their craft. One of those is Daniel J. Cox.

Continue reading "Nature Photography Seminars" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I love to shoot black and white, especially with digital. Learn how I just did this on the West Wing TV show for NBC. This shot is of Actress Allison Janney walking outside the real White House between takes on location in Washington, DC.

Continue reading "Shooting Digital Black and White" »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 05:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's hard to escape the fact that trade shows suck. Sure, lots of people look forward to shows like PhotoPlus East, PMA, WWPI and ImagingUSA, and for good reason. Trade shows, especially those that feature top-notch semiars, can be really fascinating. It's a perfect opportunity to see the newest and best products, and to actually get a moment to get some hands-on time with really pricey equipment. (And
sometimes seeing how something will feel in your hands makes all the difference.)

But when you've gone to trade shows for a while, they become some of the most grating, irritating places on earth. This year marks the fifteenth year that I've been going to trade shows, though my attendance didn't really pick up until about a decade ago. These days, I'm at about eight a year....

Continue reading "Getting Away From It All " »

Posted by David Schloss at 07:25 AM | Permalink

Every now and then you stumble onto something that helps everyone - one of those classic “win-win” situations. That’s happened to me over the last few years through my son ’s Nathan’s involvement with the local Youth Symphony of Kansas City. When Nathan he first became involved in the group, we , as his parents , got tapped for to help out with various volunteer activities. As a photographer, I offered to help with any photos they might need to promote the organization. “Thanks, but no thanks,” I was told, because as they already had someone shooting group shots who took care of the only photos they needed, group shots each year...

Continue reading "Doing Good by Doing Good" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 07:17 AM | Permalink

Continue reading "2006 Digital New Year's Resolutions" »

Posted by Reed Hoffmann at 07:36 AM | Permalink

Marco Buechel of Liechtenstein in action at the Men's World Cup Downhill Final here in Lake Louise, Alberta, Saturday 26, November 2005. Photography Nick Didlick/EPA

When people find out what I do for a living I usually get one of three replies. The first is, "wow that's a really cool job! " though often I hear "how can I get a job like you have?" The one the one that gets my blood pressure up though is "are you Paparazzi?"

Well the last one is easy to answer No! I am not a paparazzi, I am a Vancouver based Editorial and Commercial photographer. "You never really see paparazzi photographers" I tell them "just the pictures they have taken appear, they hide bushes and trees like monkeys....

Continue reading "Life on the Steep Side of the Hill" »

Posted by Nick Didlick at 07:32 AM | Permalink

When super producer Mark Burnett asked me to shoot his new reality TV show, The Contender, I viewed it with a bit of trepidation. Who will watch a show about boxers. I kinda thought that too when he told me of The Apprentice. Survivor in the boardroom, but who would like Trump!

Boy was I wrong. This past weekend I shot a sanctioned series of fights in Los Angeles for Burnett of the winners of The Contender TV show. This time, a real fight, at the Staples Center, live on ESPN...

Continue reading "Reality TV becomes reality..." »

Posted by Kevin T. Gilbert at 07:14 AM | Permalink