SmugMug Development Lab

Have you ever noticed that some of the most impactful images feature a contrast of some kind? Maybe it’s the use of contrasting colors or two elements that seem to oppose yet complement each other simultaneously. These images use an element of composition called juxtaposition; if you’re looking to create strong and compelling images, you’ll want to master this practice.

What’s the definition of juxtaposition?

Juxtaposition is placing two or more objects or concepts close together to contrast them or create an interesting effect. For example, a photo showing a sunny, green field backed with a black, stormy sky juxtaposes both color and weather. Juxtaposition often occurs naturally in shots but can also be created by strategically staging the scene.

Knowing how to identify juxtaposition naturally will help you compose your images and take stronger photos. Using juxtaposition isn’t just about having contrasting elements in a photo; it’s also about the story those elements tell.

Let’s look at some examples of photos that use juxtaposition effectively.

Examples of juxtaposition.

The best way to learn about using juxtaposition is to see some examples of how it can be used. Here are photos where contrast is created in a variety of ways. Sometimes contrasting colors are used, while other times the subjects tell contradictory stories.

1. Modern versus old architecture. This photo uses the contrasting architectural styles of the buildings to create juxtaposition.

2. Contrasting concepts. This photo shows a contrast between the ancient stonework and the ultra-modern smartphone.

3. Death versus life. This photo not only has contrasting colors but contrasting subjects as well. The bright, vibrant flower is juxtaposed with the dead bloom.

4. Large versus small. The comparison between the looming, out-of-focus buildings in the background and the sharp, tiny bird in the center of the frame make a perfect juxtaposition of size.

5. Old versus young. This is a contrast that evokes emotion showing both the early stages of life and its later days.

6. Natural versus man-made. This composite image juxtaposes natural and man-made objects, combining them into one image.

7. Wealth versus poverty. A powerful juxtaposition often used for social commentary. It makes the viewer stop and think, evoking an emotional response.

Juxtaposition is all around. Learning how to see it and use it will help you to create images that are not only beautiful but powerful as well. Using contrasting elements can create images that tell stories and give more meaning to your photos.

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Event photography seems simple enough: Your job is to take photos of a special occasion. Where it gets tricky is in reflecting the actual experience from the participant’s perspective, whether it’s a professional conference for business owners, a product launch cocktail hour, or a wedding’s late-night dance party. Of course, the basic lighting techniques still apply for every event—adjusting shutter speed, aperture, and ISO for correct exposure—but utilizing the advanced lighting techniques listed below can take your event photography from pretty good to print-worthy.

First things first: Do your research.

As part of your pre-shoot preparation, think about the vibe and location of the event itself, as well as who the participants are, then plan some shots accordingly. For example, formal events (trade shows, conferences, business meetings, speaking events) might require crisp, clean images that reflect the scene as accurately as possible, while more personal events (weddings, family reunions, cocktail parties) might allow for an artistic approach and more experimentation. Communicate with your client about their expectations, and how your photographic style and vision for the event will fit.

Identify potential ambient light sources.

The sun, windows, streetlights, tabletop candles, colorful strobes, a stage spotlight, lamps, sparklers, neon signs, and overhead lights can all be used on their own to create interesting exposures. Look up images of the venue and talk to the client about what ambient light sources there will be, and have an idea of how you might utilize each of them. 

One important advanced lighting technique is knowing how to balance artificial lighting with the ambient lighting of any given scene. For a sunset cocktail hour, you might use a soft flash to highlight people having a good time while preserving the rich colors of the sky in the background. A live concert might require direct flash on the lead singer to freeze her jumping in mid-air, but with a slow enough shutter speed to include stage lighting that highlights her bandmates.

Choose the right external flash—and know how to use it. 

There are countless options when it comes to supplemental lighting for event photography, but what’s most important is thinking through what the pace and location of the event will be, then picking out appropriate equipment for the event. Will you have an assistant to operate an off-camera flash, or are you on your own? Is the event fast-paced with unmissable moments, or is it a bit slower with more time to set shots up and play with lighting? 

In addition to those factors, make sure you have full mastery over whatever lighting equipment you’re using. Event photography is all about real people (not models!) experiencing one-of-a-kind moments, so you’ve gotta be ready and have all your settings dialed for those split-second opportunities.

Pro-tip: Once you have the external flashes, practice photographing friends in a space similar to the event so you are ready for the big day.

One advanced lighting technique for event photography is to utilize multiple external flashes to provide a key light and fill lights for specific exposures. Knowing how your flashes can work together to layer the light in a frame will take your imagery to the next level. Here are a few things to consider with artificial lighting:

• On-camera flash: No, we’re not talking about the built-in flash that comes permanently attached to your camera (which is practically useless). Instead, we’re talking about a speedlight that mounts to the hot shoe on top of your camera and has adjustable settings. These are portable and inexpensive, and they provide endless versatility for whatever lighting conditions you might encounter. If you’re trying to isolate a subject or create close-up images that make the viewer feel like they’re part of the scene, tilt the light down toward the subject for hard, direct light. To add a touch of fill light, point the flash in a higher direction for a softer look, keeping in mind that the light will bounce off whatever is nearby, like the ceiling, wall, or a mirror.
• Off-camera flash: These are speedlights, strobes, ring lights, or other artificial lighting equipment that are remotely triggered. If the event photography job includes head shots or professional portraits, consider setting up a small photobooth with a nice backdrop and pre-arranged lighting so you can grab subjects when they have a spare moment. This will ensure continuity and quality for the images, as well as peace of mind for you as the photographer. One advanced lighting idea for events that have a party-like atmosphere would be to set up a strobe to backlight a dance floor and capture interesting silhouettes of high-energy dance moves. (Think feet jumping, hair waving, and clothes swinging!)
• Flash modifiers: DIffusers, soft boxes, bounce cards, honeycombs, and color filters/gels add another layer of versatility to any lighting equipment you already have. Diffused light will provide a softer look that’s great for nostalgic, intimate, and romantic moments, while direct or hard light can provide a more dramatic look with bold shadows and enhanced texture. Adding a color gel to your flash can create warm or cool tones, depending on what type of mood you’re going for.

Be creative and think outside the box.

With event photography, you have the benefit of being present for a special time in a person’s life—after all, it’s an event that stands out so much from daily life it warrants hiring a photographer! You’re there to document the people, the place, and the moments in a cohesive way that reflects the feeling, meaning, and importance of it all, beyond simply taking photos. Event photography is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Great event photography captures the essence of the experience, not just the facts.

Here are a few last ideas to try: silhouetting people against a bright background (look for interesting body positions), using a slow shutter speed for motion blur in the background with a flash to freeze the action of the subject, and painting with light (slow shutter speed + moving light source) to highlight a place setting or write something meaningful (like a wedding date + the couple’s initials). Be creative and think outside the box for how you can use advanced lighting techniques, and you’ll create images your event photography clients will cherish for years to come.

Sports photography is about capturing “the moment” and all of the raw emotions that come with it.  Whether the moment is a loss, a win, a goal, or a save, sports bring out the full spectrum of human emotion. There’s passion and intensity with every move, so it's important to be ready to “tackle” everything that comes your way.

Below you’ll find 6 things to know and keep in mind that will help you capture the perfect sports photography shots, whether you’re wanting to immortalize your kids’ tournaments, sell to sports fans, or you’re simply doing it for the love of the game. 

Use the right camera modes and settings.

The right camera mode and settings are crucial for all forms of photography, but maybe even more so for the fast-paced world of sports photography, where every second counts. The most important settings and functions to understand and know how to use when shooting motion are aperture priority, burst or continuous shooting mode, shutter speed, and ISO.

• Aperture priority mode allows you to set the aperture (the size of the hole which light passes through to the camera sensor) on your camera while the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed for you. Because you are shooting things moving quickly and trying to capture as much as possible, the less fidgeting with your settings the better.
• Burst or continuous shooting mode will take anywhere from 3-8 frames in one second, depending on your camera. The benefit here is pretty obvious—just make sure you have a sizable and fast memory card.

• Understanding shutter speed as a function is important when shooting quickly moving targets. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t be shooting slower than 1/1000 of a second, unless you’re going for some motion blur (which a lot of sports photographers are!). A fast shutter speed (1/1000 and above) is how you can capture an athlete as they’re kicking a goal or catching a ball, or a gymnast breaking from a twist mid-air while coming off the vault.
• Your camera’s ISO refers to the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor to light. The lowest ISO – usually 50 or 100 – is going to be the least sensitive setting, and good only in bright overhead sunlight. You can set your camera’s ISO to auto, but if you’re shooting indoor sports, we recommend manually setting it before the game so that you have more control. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive it is, meaning the more range you have to adjust and change your aperture and shutter speed. We recommend having your ISO somewhere between 500-1200 while shooting motion.

Do your research.

You’re likely already watching videos of the sport you’re about to photograph, but have you considered going to YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to study videos of key players, and to get a better understanding of the game? By watching videos the athletes post of themselves, or that fans post from the sidelines, you can learn what parts of the game are important and worth looking out for.  

Being familiar with the game is important. Without knowing the game, you won’t know where to stand or what the right angles are—and knowing the behaviors of the players themselves will give you a better chance at knowing where to be at the right time.

Practice shifting depth of field without looking at your camera.

Professional photographers adjust and shift depth of field with muscle memory, but not all of us are pros. And even pros can be caught off-guard with sports photography because they cannot control where athletes are on the field, how a coach instructs their team members to form, or when a cyclist is about to sprint. They could want the subject in sharp focus and the audience in the stands blurred, but another object coming across their path will throw the entire capture off.

The first step is to create a list of situations with shots you’d love to capture, and the depth of field required as the scene could change. Next, watch team practices and scrimmages to get a feel for the distances you’re photographing at. Last is to set up at a location with tons of unknowns (local tracks are great for this) to get some practice adjusting your depth of field in real time.

If you don’t have an extreme team sports venue like BMX tracks or roller rinks, head to a location where the captures on your list could happen and see if you can develop muscle memory to hit the exact depth of field.

Depth of field and sports photography take practice, and when shifting camera settings becomes second nature, your photography will climb to new levels.

Have a friend or two mimic the game for practice.

Much like the athletes themselves, being prepared for game day as a photographer is all about practice, practice, practice. Get a couple of friends to rehearse some specific plays and moves for you, and experiment with your positioning and angles while they “play.”  

Now position yourself about the same distance from where you’ll be when you’re at the event, and try capturing the right moment without knowing what they’ll be doing.

Ditch the flash.

Stadiums, coaches, and even players may ban flash photography from sporting events. Flashes can distract the players and negatively affect the game, not to mention it’s an extra piece of equipment that can delay your ability to capture the action quickly. See if you can visit the arena, track, or venue during events with the same types of lighting that will be available when you’re there, and practice shooting with the ambient light available.

Play with angles.

Photography is full of surprises, and sports photography is one of the most surprising subjects to shoot. Someone could dive for a catch, or spring higher off a trampoline because of adrenaline, or launch further from a platform. Look for “action angles” where you can capture the distance, height, or a measure point to drive home the impact of the moment.

Try lowering your tripod or taking a shot from the ground up. See if you can access the roof and focus downwards to the field. Maybe you noticed a signature emblem or static team memorabilia like a championship flag in the background, and the athletes will be crossing by during the event. By lowering your camera even a foot you can capture the action with this signature symbol in the frame.

These angles help you capture a miraculous moment and gain recognition in the field with unique work. By standing out and being original, you can make a name for yourself. 

Sports photography is all about practice, and these six tips will help you up your game.

If you’re looking to capture eerie images with ghostly figures, then ghost photography is for you!  Photographers and hobbyists have been creating spirit photos since the mid-1800s, with their popularity increasing after the civil war. 

Many people believed that these photos captured the spirits of their dead relatives. Americans grieving the loss of a loved one paid a high price for the chance to be photographed and see if their dearly departed would show themselves in the photo. Flash forward a couple hundred years and ghost photography is still an in-demand and fun artform to master.

We’ll show you step-by-step how to capture photos that appear other-worldly without expensive equipment. But first, what exactly is ghost photography?

What is ghost photography?

Ghost photography, also known as spirit photography, is capturing photos with images of ghosts or spirits which can appear as human forms, orbs of light, auras (like kirlian photography), and using camera settings like low shutter speeds, wide aperture, and low ISO to create fun and spooky effects in-camera.

This genre of photography has been around for hundreds of years and that gives it a rich history. The most well-known spirit photographer and the man credited with the genre’s origin is William Mumler .His photos earned him fame across the country as he “captured” the ghost of Abraham Lincoln which was so believable that even his widow Mary Todd Lincoln came to William to be photographed.

The resulting image of Mary Todd with President Lincoln standing behind her is one of the most famous spirit photographs ever taken. So how did he do it? While his exact method has never been proven, the most likely method is a double exposure. 

Other famous ghost photographs include an 1800’s image that appears to have Henry VIII’s fifth wife Catherine Howard in it, The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall from 1936, the Spirit of the Terrier from 1939 showing a large dog’s faithful terrier friend that died hovering over it, and the Tulip Staircase Ghost from 1966.

With the popularity of horror movies and TV shows, people flock to filming locations and historic landmarks to recreate scenes and try to capture spirits. And why not? It’s a fun way to practice your photography skills while learning local and national history. So let's learn how to do ghost photography. 

How to create ghosts in photos.

You cannot guarantee a spirit will show up for a photoshoot, but you can create ghost photos with a bit of creativity and planning.  First is the right camera gear.  To do ghost photography you’ll need a:

• Camera capable of shooting in manual mode
• Lens that can also operate in manual mode
• Flash
• Sturdy tripod

Once you have your equipment ready, it’s time to have some fun! 

There are three main types of ghost photographs:

• Orbs and specks.
• Haunted buildings and landscapes.
• Ghostly apparitions of humans and animals.

Here’s how to capture each one, step by step.

Orbs and specks.

Lots of times the ghosts in photos appear as bright balls of light known as orbs or backscatters. These are mainly particles of dust that aren’t seen by the naked eye but reflect the light of the camera flash.

Here’s how you can create these fun ghostly images:.

1. Position your tripod where you want it and lock focus on the subject. Set up your exposure based on the conditions that you’re shooting in. Here are some basic settings to help you get started.
   1. Shutter speeds of 8 to 10 seconds
   2. ISO around 400
   3. Dim lighting works great, or shooting just past Golden Hour or Blue Hour if you’re outside
2. Take a few test shots to make sure that your photo is exposed and composed the way you want.
3. Just before shooting, walk around within the frame and try to kick up a little bit of dust, and bring your own if you will be somewhere without. Just make sure to clean it up after.  Let it settle for a few seconds in the air, then go to your tripod and take a shot with the flash on.
4. The flash should reflect on some of the particles still hanging in the air creating a photo similar to the one below.

Haunted buildings and architecture.

Historic buildings are prime places to stage spooky shoots, and there are LOTS of ways to dial up the ghostly vibes.

Start with the same settings as above, but consider adding your own elements to the scene, like out-of-place paintings or objects. Invite a friend to wander through the frame during exposure to capture their ghostly image. You can even bring additional light sources to add strange visual phenomena to your shot.

Another method is to use dry ice or anything that emits vapor to create a ghostly mist in your photo, like the one below. Position the dry ice by a window, on the roof, or somewhere where the wind can blow it across the area you’re photographing.

How to make ghostly apparitions.

For photos that appear to have a full-body apparition, you’ll use the same equipment as above minus the flash, and you’ll be shooting with long exposures.

1. Position your tripod where you want it and lock focus on the subject. 
2. Set up your exposure based on the conditions that you’re shooting in and take a few test shots to make sure that your photo is exposed and composed the way you want.
   1. Keep notes of how long you’re exposing the shots so you can recreate and know how to adjust settings if you need to return and reshoot.
3. Position your model and have them hold still at first.
4. Next have the model move out of the frame after a few seconds. some text
   1. A good rule of thumb is to have the model stay in the frame for ⅓ to ½ of the amount of time of the exposure. For example, if you’re exposing the shot for 10 seconds, the model would move after 3 to 5 seconds. The longer they’re in the frame, the more pronounced the figure will be.
5. Try repeating the same shot but have them move a second earlier or a couple seconds later.
6. Review each photo and decide which is creating the best effect, and what you can make work during processing.

Experiment with different exposure times and see what other effects you can create.

That’s it! Now you know how to create your own ghostly images and master the art of ghost photography. So if you’ve been stuck in a rut or just want to try something new, give ghost photography a shot.

While your camera is undeniably a technological wonder, it's not a mind reader. Even if you're cruising in full Auto mode, don't make the mistake of assuming it knows your photographic desires.

In this guide, we'll uncover five common pitfalls to steer clear of during your next shoot. Because, let's face it, even the best gadgets need a little human guidance now and then.

Lie #1: You nailed the exposure.

Your camera's got a range of automatic metering modes, saving you the hassle of manually calculating exposure. But are you picking the right one? Whether it's spot, center-weighted, or multi-zone metering, each has its use, so make sure you're familiar with them.

Take, for instance, snowy scenes. Ever snapped a pic only to find your snow looks more like sad, gray slush? Instead of trusting your camera’s meter, lean toward overexposure to capture that pristine, fluffy white snow we all know and love.

Don’t be afraid to let your inner artist run wild, either! Drown those summer portraits in light and leave in a touch of flare for a sun-soaked daydream. On the flip side, underexpose for moody clouds, mysterious shadows, and gritty urban snaps. Remember, your camera's got the tools, but you've got the vision.

Lie #2: You got the subject in focus.

Even with the reassuring beep of your autofocus, it's not foolproof. Motion blur is a common culprit, especially when the lights are low. Quick tip: make sure your shutter speed is at least 1/(focal length) if you want a shot that's sharp. If the room's a bit too dim, don't hesitate to give your ISO a little boost to compensate for the lack of light, too.

Another common culprit is when shooting wide open with those low f-stops. Your depth of field shrinks quickly, meaning it's easy to accidentally focus on your subject's nose instead of their eyes, so always double check before you press the shutter. Bokeh can create a beautiful background for a portrait, but not if you end up sacrificing sharpness where it counts.

Lie #3: You can keep shooting.

Your camera might claim you can snap 386 more photos, but here's the truth: it's not always accurate. The actual size of each photo file depends on the complexity of the image. A serene, monochrome seascape takes up less space than a vibrant, fish-eye view of Times Square. If memory card space is a concern while you’re out and about, keep an eye on the content you're capturing.

When unsure, play it safe and pack extra memory cards. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Lie #4: You're a great/horrible photographer.

Ever been praised with a “Great shot! What camera was that?” If so, here's the truth: it's not the camera that's the secret, it's you! Contrary to the belief that upgrading your gear automatically improves your photography, the truth is, you don't need the newest toys to create the best images.

Whether it's a high-end DSLR or a well-loved point-and-shoot, what matters is your skill, not the brand name. Take pride in learning every button on your device and grasping fundamental principles. Case in point: the above shot? Snapped with a 4-megapixel Canon Powershot point-and-shoot.

‍Lie #5: You’re safe with auto mode.

Even if you're cruising on autopilot with auto modes, keep your brain in the game. While these modes do a stellar job in many situations, they're not infallible. Tricky scenarios like blindingly bright scenes (cue snow), deep shadows (hello, backlit subjects), or lightning-fast action can leave your camera’s auto mode a bit confused.

Before you hit that shutter button, take a beat. Consider the scene, visualize the shot you're after, and tweak your settings accordingly. Most auto modes give you the flexibility to make a few manual adjustments, so don't hesitate to play with over- or underexposure to nail the shot you're envisioning.

Even in the world of auto modes, a little manual finesse goes a long way.

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Renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson once said your first 10,000 pictures are your worst, but we gathered a few tips from pro photographers to make the journey to honing your craft a little quicker.

Here are the top tips from pro photographers:

1. Leave it to f/8.

Without delving into details about optics and light paths, your lens has a sharpest point within its aperture range. The largest and smallest ends of that range are the softest, and f/8—which is in the middle—is where you’ll most often get the sharpest images. This does vary by lens, so we recommend shooting some test shots to find your lens’ sweet spot. Once you’ve got that dialed in, experiment at different apertures to see how each f-stop affects your image.

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2. When in doubt, crop it.

In the world of photography, you have probably heard a lot about getting the image right straight out of camera, or SOOC. And there’s wisdom to that thinking. You don’t want to “fix it in post” if you can save yourself time by getting the shot right in-frame. But cropping your photo after the fact to create a better, stronger composition is a quick and easy way to improve an image after it’s taken.  

Maybe there was a fence in your way that prevented you from getting closer to the shot, or perhaps you were capturing a split-second street shot and didn’t have time to change your lens. Either way, it’s your artistic decision to improve a composition with a little post-process cropping. And unless you tell someone you cropped, no one will ever know! Consider it a trade secret.

Pro Tip: You don’t have to crop your photos before you upload them to SmugMug. Use built-in photo tools to crop your images, or copy a photo and crop the copy so you can compare it to the original and see which you like best.

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3. Take gear for a test drive.

You don’t have to own the gear to shoot with the gear. Can’t afford to drop $16K on an 800mm lens to shoot the next game? No problem: pay a pittance to rent one for the time you need, then send it back and call it a job well done. This is also a great way to test out new gear you might be considering for your full-time kit. Not sure if that 85mm f/1.2 is worth the extra dough? Rent it and try it out. A small upfront investment can save you a big financial headache down the line.

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4. Polish in post production.

While getting photos right SOOC (straight out of the camera) is good practice, it’s rare that a photo looks better unedited than edited. Even a perfectly-lit, powerfully-composed photo can benefit from a few finishing tweaks to the white balance and saturation to make it pop—especially if you shoot in RAW. Think that sunset shot couldn’t get any better? Give it a boost in post and see what happens. 

Pro Tip: You’ve got color effects available in SmugMug's photo tools. Or you can take your editing a step further with Lightroom and publish the results directly to SmugMug without ever leaving the program.

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5. It's okay to make mistakes.

Backlit subject? High-contrast sunset? White dress, red wall? These scenarios (and countless more) can throw a wrench into your shoot, but you can still capture the photos you want with practice. Study hard, stay inspired, experiment, and make mistakes—lots of mistakes. Then learn how to fix them. Try using a fill light for that backlit subject. Experiment with a neutral-density filter during that sunset. Move your model or your lights farther away from that red wall. Discovering what doesn’t work will help you learn what does work, and will result in better photos—and technique—in the future.

Pro Tip: You’re not alone! Chances are another photographer out there has run into the same challenge you have. If you’re struggling to find a solution, don’t hesitate to consult the Internet for answers. SmugMug also has some great resources in the Development Lab.

It's that time of year when folks fire up the oven and start whipping, baking, simmering, and roasting. With all those great things coming out of the kitchen, you're going to want to share every delicious morsel with friends, fans, and family who can't personally make it to dinner.

Here's how you can take delicious, reach-through-the-screen-good photos of your cooking using any camera—even your smartphone.

Savor the main course.

Your culinary creation is the star, so let it shine! Crop out the non-essentials cluttering your scene—say goodbye to salt and pepper shakers, spare chairs, and the eager anticipation of hungry guests waiting for you to wrap up the photoshoot.

If you can’t physically remove a distracting object, play the angles game. Capture your dish from every perspective imaginable—get low, go head-on, and even shoot from directly above. By exploring various angles, you'll discover the perfect viewpoint that makes your dish the undisputed hero of the frame, ready to tantalize taste buds through the screen.

Let there be (soft) light.

Position your food near a window and let the natural illumination work its magic. Natural light is your secret ingredient to showcasing your latest culinary triumph.

If you're shooting during the morning, embrace the cooler tones, but any soft, bright light from the side is a win. Consider overexposing a tad to let those delicious details bask in the limelight.

For those early-winter evenings when darkness descends with dinner, bounce your flash off the ceiling or a nearby wall to create an even spread of light. When executed with finesse, this technique mimics the serene glow of a perfect spring morning, bringing warmth to even the darkest winter nights.

Snap before you savor.

Capture the essence of your culinary creation before you dive in, leaving fingers and utensils out of the frame. You're orchestrating a moment of delicious anticipation, so why spoil the fantasy with teeth marks and someone else's hands?

Exceptions exist, of course. When documenting the step-by-step cooking process or showcasing the joyous atmosphere of your guests enjoying the feast, feel free to bend the rules. Just remember, for that initial, mouthwatering reveal, keep it clean, crisp, and hands-free.

Revel in the details. 

Bring your dish to the forefront by getting up close and personal. Fill the frame and let the textures take center stage. There's nothing sadder than a small, blurry burger lost amid the expanse of a huge table. Your food deserves to be larger than life, just like the moment before that first bite. So get as close as your lens allows and capture every savory detail.

To accentuate this, play with a shallow depth of field. Nail the focus for crystal-clear details or elevate the ambiance by enhancing the bokeh during post-processing, giving your food the attention it truly deserves.

Add a splash of color.

Elevate your food photography by embracing a spectrum of colors. Say yes to vibrant berries, lively herbs, and a parade of ingredients that add a burst of brightness to every corner of your shot. With a harvest of bold, beautiful choices like pomegranates, persimmons, currants, and squash, you have a palette of options to make your plates shine.

Don't forget to give your favorite dinnerware its moment in the spotlight, too. Whether serving as a neutral backdrop or injecting extra visual interest into the scene, the good china is ready to complement your scrumptious meals.

Bonus: Share the love with recipe cards.

Why hoard the culinary magic? After capturing your favorite creations in photos, take it a step further and turn them into recipe cards printed on our user-friendly 5x7 card templates. You can find blank templates in the Other Occasions category in Greeting Cards.

Spread the joy by slipping these gems into your annual holiday mailings or attaching them to the ribbon of every present you give. Recipes are the gift that keeps on giving—a personalized touch that warms hearts and tantalizes taste buds.

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Happy shooting! Here's to capturing delicious moments and spreading the joy of fabulous food photography this holiday season.

Bella Kotak’s fascination for capturing moments began while she was young. Influenced by her father who brought a camera with him everywhere, she inherited the habit and became known for it among her friends. This obsession for capturing moments eventually led to creating her own—and she found herself shaping worlds, stories, and characters around the moments to help evoke the moods she wanted her images to convey.

SmugMug had a chance to peek behind the veil of Bella’s fantasy worlds and learn a bit about the magic she creates in front of the lens. Discover more of what captures her imagination in our latest SmugMug Film below, and read on for a few of her tips about creating a little magic of your own.

Tip #1: Try everything once to learn what you like—and what you don’t.‍

Whenever you’re starting out with something, give everything about it a shot. That was my own approach with photography. I was vaguely interested in it, so I tried photographing families, portraits, pets, weddings, and a bunch of other things. Unless you try it, you won’t know if you like it or not. The more I tried, the more I could rule out what didn’t bring me joy or the sense of fulfillment I was chasing. Eventually, my interest narrowed to storytelling and escapism. But I got there by first trying many things and narrowing them down to my core interests—and then seeing what I could do in that world.

Tip #2: When you find a focus, begin with what’s familiar.‍

If you want to get started with photographing portraits but don’t want to start with photographing your family or friends, start with yourself. I started taking self-portraits to build up my confidence to begin shooting with friends. And I used Flickr to share those images, which helped me connect with like-minded people and get feedback to improve my work and continue building my confidence. Then I started to shoot with my friends and the people I would meet through Flickr. Just start building your portfolio from there and see where it goes.

Tip #3: Be crafty; be thrifty; and be social.‍

I recommend to anybody who’s starting out with this type of photography to place a lot of their effort into creating their portfolio. By that I mean whatever you can do on your own, do it. For example, I didn’t have access to stylists or designers when I first started out, so I would visit thrift shops for clothes and I would reach out to designers online on the off chance they might lend something to me. Initially, I placed my effort into capturing images I knew I could execute beautifully; once I had a decent portfolio, I used that to reach out to designers and other creatives within the industry. This approach gives them a chance to see what you’re capable of.

I’d also recommend participating in online social groups. I created a Facebook group called Fairytales and Fantasies Photography (with Bella Kotak). It’s a bunch of us who are interested in this type of photography and share images, but it also includes people who design things. It gives us a way to collaborate and help each other. Don’t be afraid to reach out to creators you find inspiring on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. That way you start to create a relationship that can then, in the future, lead to working together.

If you like making things at all, don’t be afraid to craft things on your own, either. I make props whenever intuition strikes. For one of the shoots we did for the SmugMug Film, I had loads of newspapers and the brown packing paper that you get from Amazon, and I thought, “Let me see what happens if I make something from this.” I started rolling the papers up and using masking tape to hold them together, and suddenly a butterfly emerged. I decided to use that butterfly as a headpiece, and it became the starting place for the whole look of that shoot. That image didn’t exist until I created something from scratch.

Tip #4: Fashion helps tell the story.‍

Fashion is just as important as every other story element in your image. It sets the scene for the character we are playing with for that shoot. For example, one of my favorite shoots is a girl wearing a simple linen dress, because that evokes a sense of freedom and child-like innocence, and then we set her up in an elaborate scene. There’s a really nice juxtaposition of the stories and elements. Then there are other shoots I’ve done where the background is plain and I use fashion as a way to create a dominant character. Perhaps she’d wear something akin to armor and have an elaborate headpiece, and then we’ll style her wig so it’s fierce. Suddenly, a very soft-looking model can turn into quite a dominant character. And all that can be achieved through fashion choices.

Tip #5: Don’t get stuck chasing the vision.‍

When creating fairytales, you can have these fantastic visions in your head of what the final image should be. Sometimes you can get a bit overwhelmed by what you want to create and then feel underwhelmed by what you end up actually creating. It can feel like you didn’t do the vision justice, or you didn’t have the right skill set or the right tools. That’s something I know I struggle with.

I get around it by giving myself a break. It’s okay if I don’t realize the full vision; it’s important to have a rough idea. And I treat that as a starting point. If I’m chasing the initial vision while I’m shooting, and I’m not getting the right feeling when I look at the back of the camera, I switch it up. I know when I feel a particular way on a shoot that whatever comes from it is going to be a good thing, so I always end up chasing that feeling instead of the original vision. It’s okay if it doesn’t match, because ultimately that feeling leads me to a better idea.

Tip #6: Make the goal to please yourself—no one else.‍

Many of my favorite shots have happened on days where the initial vision had to be scrapped because conditions didn’t allow for it. For example, our goal was a dark, moody shot and the weather was bright and sunny that day. However, all that meant is I had to look elsewhere and figure something out. Then something beautiful resulted that wasn’t planned, but it’s more special because of that. Because what I’m always looking for is mood—an emotion. Something that speaks to me as I work on it. If I love a particular shot I captured, then I know it’s probably going to move somebody else viewing it. Sometimes images say more about us as a photographer than they do about the subject itself. Trust in yourself, and you can surprise yourself. I look to be moved by my own images, and that’s why they’re all so special to me. Because I cannot control what other people think of them, but I can control what I think of them.

Tip #7: Don’t fix it in post.‍

I originally started my career in architecture, so I was comfortable using computer-graphics software. When I first started shooting artistically, because I was so used to Photoshop, I was really relaxed with lighting, hair, and makeup, thinking, “Oh, I’ll fix it in post.” Then I learned more about what I could and couldn’t do in Photoshop, and I began to demand more control from myself when it came to planning and working through issues during the shoot.

For example, if there are any distractions in the background, I’ll clean them up during the pre-shoot because that’s one less thing to do in Photoshop. And if the hair doesn’t look quite right, I’ll make sure it’s corrected on set instead of taking it into Photoshop. Knowing my limitations in post-production has helped me tighten my creative eye when I’m shooting.

I look to be moved by my own images, and that’s why they’re all so special to me. Because I cannot control what other people think of them, but I can control what I think of them.

Tip #8: Be vocal.‍

This relates to trying to do less in post. In order to evoke the right mood, I have to communicate with the model. I try to be really direct — I think it’s just part of my personality. And if I’m looking for something in particular, I will say it as clearly as possible: “Can you look that way? Can you gaze this way? What about if you close your eyes and tilt your head back?” Whenever I’m on a shoot, I’m consciously looking at what the body’s doing, what the head is doing, the facial expressions, are the hands right. I’m looking at all the pieces and how they flow together. The model cannot see what I see, so my voice and my words are the only guide. We are working together to capture something.

Tip #9: The right mind-set matters after the shoot, too.‍

When it comes to editing on the go, I struggle. Usually when I’m traveling, I’m very present at that moment in time. And I find that when I’m editing, I need to be at a desk, sitting properly, with my things around me: a cup of tea, a candle, some music. The stage needs to be set for the magic to happen. It’s important.

Post-processing takes me around an hour—hour and a half—per image. Lately I’ve been placing pressure on myself to have it take less time. One of the things that really has helped me is creating actions of my color-toning processes. A lot of the time I spend looking at the computer wondering which color direction the image should go because there’s 500 options, and color is just as important as everything else in that image. If you come into it with cool blues and greens, it’ll give you a totally different atmosphere than if you color-graded with warm yellows and soft oranges. By using my actions I can cut down the time I spend editing by 70%.

That also helps when I’m traveling. I have a main hard drive I work from, a second hard drive as my backup, and then all my final images go onto SmugMug so there’s a safe place online all the finished images live. That also helps whenever I’m on the go doing interviews, or if I need to send a client an image, because I don’t need to grab my hard drive for images. I just go to my SmugMug account, locate my image, and send a link to it.

Tip #10: Never be afraid to play.‍

Move around, shoot from the side, shoot with things in front of you. Get some props and make little challenges for yourself. Shoot through things like a jar, a prism, or a bush. I find that when I’m working with a client, they will often have a strict idea of what they’re looking for. But usually the best images are created when they give me 15 minutes to play and I change it up: change the poses, change the location, change the angle I’m shooting at. I had a shoot recently where I set up people on these steps and it was great, but it wasn’t until I moved behind a bush and shot through a gap in the bush that we got the shot. That was really fun. Be playful when you’re shooting because you never know what you’re going to capture. Sometimes the camera sees very differently to the human eye.

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Find Bella online:
Portfolio
Flickr
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

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Andy Best grew up with art in his blood; his grandmother was a successful oil painter, and he followed in her creative footsteps, sketching and drawing. His love for sharing emotion through visual mediums expanded into filmmaking and eventually photography, both of which led him to his outdoor adventure lifestyle. We caught up with Andy and his family on the road to learn more about what inspires him and how he decides where his next adventure lies.

Tip #1: Look for the ah-ha moments.‍

I grew up playing outdoors all the time, and I kept finding moments that would stop me in my tracks. I always found that a pretty compelling reason to stop and take a photo. But then there’s the challenge of using your tools the best you can to share a 2D image of what you’re seeing that can evoke the same emotion that made you stop. If you’re able to keep your radar up and witness those moments, really feel them, then capture them in stills or in motion, you’re kind of a wizard in a way — a magician.

Tip #2: Take time to enjoy the moment.‍

The greatest picture I didn’t take is always the one when I first get to a location. Instead of jumping right in to getting my gear ready, I tell myself I’ll ease into it the next day. For the initial day or evening, the “image” is only for my own eyes. I take a moment to enjoy the setting for myself without worrying about capturing it for anybody else. You know the film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, when Sean Penn is sitting up on the cliff edge getting a photo of a snow leopard? Ben Stiller asks him why he didn’t take the shot he was waiting for, and Penn basically says, “This one’s for me.” Those are probably the images that mean the most to me.

I have a friend I reached out to once for advice and he said, “I don’t really know if I can give you any advice but this: Just remember to put your camera down from time to time, and enjoy where you are.” I’ve taken that with me everywhere.

Tip #3: Do what you love and the rest will follow.‍

My career in adventure-lifestyle photography was a complete accident. I love filmmaking, and I love telling a visual story through images. I’ve also always felt very protective of landscapes. It wasn’t until a commercial-video client saw my side work that they approached me and asked me to do some fly-fishing photography work. I tried explaining that that wasn’t what I did, and I didn’t even own a good still camera. But he challenged me. Told me to try it. Next thing you know, I was shooting all these brochures. Then, more people started calling me a photographer because I was building a stills portfolio simply to start conversations with brands like Patagonia. I really wanted to wow them, start a conversation with photos, and then mention, “Hey, I do video work as my specialty. I’d love to do any video work you might have.” But next thing you know, everyone wanted my photo work.

Tip #4: Get out of your comfort zone.‍

We live on the road in our camper van nearly 100% of the time, and I really like the discovery aspect of going to a new place: it’s fresh, and you see things in a new way. When you’re constantly moving, you’re constantly challenging your senses to see something new, fresh, and different. I’m about to head somewhere more tropical, which is totally different from what I normally do. Getting out into the grasslands, like Nebraska, is so different to me because I grew up in the mountains. When I get to these places that are so different to me, all my senses are firing, and I’m super excited. If you grew up somewhere, you might get complacent. So I think the process of roaming around invigorates creativity and creates a sense of wonder that helps me feel and capture a frame.

Tip #5: Plan ahead.‍

When we get a location or a direction in mind, I’m usually using a lot of different apps to plan for everything I can. One of the apps, Windy, has a lot of layers and filters you can put on a map so you can watch what the weather is doing — because that’s huge when you’re living on the road full time. It allows me to plan a route based on smoke, fog, temperatures, or anything else to ensure the trip works not just for the shoot but for us as a whole family. We’re mapping out where water is, groceries, gas, propane, things like that. Also, depending on what I’m shooting — such as stars — I’m also looking for what features are in the landscape. So geography is also important. And other apps help me track moon phases, the Milky Way’s visibility, sunset/sunrise times, and things like that. All that gives us a clear map of when we’re supposed to be at a location and how quickly we need to travel.

Tip #6: Go where the story takes you.‍

Each shoot offers me a different challenge, and that’s why I select them: to help open myself up as a storyteller, a craftsman, and a creator. But there are a lot of times you set out with a specific goal. You feel like you learned so much from previous shoots that you’re going to go into a project and do it the best you’ve ever done it. But then circumstances change — like weather or talent — and the expectations you set for yourself can go awry. You get back from the shoot and you wish you coulda, woulda, shoulda. But you can’t let that stop you. You plan one movie, and you end up shooting a whole other one. Then, when you get to the editing process, you create a whole different one still. When you make a movie or build a shot, you really end up creating three, and you’ve got to roll with it, especially in the outdoor space.

Tip #7: Organize ahead of time so you can grab the shot.‍

For this particular lifestyle, I have really stout backup drives, a very capable but size-efficient laptop, multiple battery sources with solar, multiple tripods, a wide range of variable lenses, a whole bag of prime lenses for video and for when I want faster glass for a certain shot, a gimbal, and a few different drones. I also have a time-lapse system that I take with me everywhere just in case. As well as a really good audio setup so I can go full production mode and kind of do it all. There’s a lot of time if I’m doing personal projects — so as long as I have a tight kit — I can replicate a lot of cinema. But a good camera pack allows me to stay organized. If you’re not organized, you’re never ready for the shot.

You have to have a checklist. I always keep the same routines no matter what I’m doing, whether it’s a billion-dollar commercial film project or my own. It’s important to continually use those best practices or else you’ll find yourself in rookie positions like, “Oh, I forgot to charge the battery,” or the SD card’s full up.

Tip #8: Composition is key.‍

I like to talk about motivated design: principles of visual communication by way of controlling the eye. It’s really big when you’re sketching or painting, and a frame is the same way. It takes 30 frames to create one second of video — or a single frame — so you better get it right. I’ve always been taught to look for elements — be it a value or features in the shot — that lead the eye because you want to control the eye to stay on the image. It’s important to think about those things, because that’s the way you can manipulate the viewer to get lost in an image and feel intrigued by it. In motivated design, you’re designing with motivation, rather than just snapping a photo because it looks pretty. If it looks pretty, then you start getting into those principles and looking for those obstacles and values in light, dark, and color theory so you can craft a nice image.

Tip #9: Change your perspective.‍

We’re all in the height range of about four and a half feet to six and a half feet. That’s where we all walk around. The easiest way to get creative is to get yourself away from that perspective. Get a ladder. Lie on the ground. Get high. Get low. Get away from that standard perspective and instantly, no matter what you’re doing, you’re going to capture something that’s a little bit different.

Tip #10: Do the work but don’t lose the love.‍

Photography is a lot of sacrifice and a lot of hard work. If you’re not willing to do either of those, and you’re looking for instant gratification, I don’t feel like this industry is cut out for that. There’s a lot of romance in a nomadic filmmaker/photographer lifestyle in general. Now more than ever, young people are getting inspired by a movement that took place via social media, and it looks a certain way. But it’s a highlight reel. I’ve seen a lot of people fail because they leave high school or college, buy a van, and emulate what’s being done. They find they might not have all the tools to be doing it and get into really bad situations. You have to open one door at a time, and you never know where the next door will open, but you can never open the end door at the beginning.

Remember where you came from and why you got into this in the first place, whether it’s video or photo. I’ve seen people imprison themselves because they’ve done something that worked online, and then they’re in fear of doing anything else because it doesn’t get the likes. People then are afraid to share what they truly love to share, and what got them to success in the first place. Make sure you’re always comfortable and happy with what you’re shooting. Don’t shoot for any other reason.

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Find Andy online:
Portfolio
Flickr
Instagram

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SmugMug Films is excited to present Where the Fire Is, featuring Mike Mezeul II. Keep reading to get to know Mike and his tips for photographing the power of nature.

Photographer Mike Mezeul II doesn’t like to take it easy. In fact, he pursues some of the most challenging and dangerous situations to photograph, resulting in images that astound and awe with the power of nature. During a rare, calm moment, Mike shared with us, in his own words, his top tips on what it takes to capture nature at its wildest.

Tip #1: Look beyond the surface.

I look for a scene that is more than just “pretty” — finding a frame that tells a story, conveys an emotion, and brings someone into that moment as if they were the one looking through the viewfinder. I’m stubborn, so if I don’t come across that scene right away, I’ll wait and wait and wait for it to happen, even if that means coming back a dozen times.

Tip #2: Patience is your friend.

The biggest challenge in my work honestly comes down to being patient. I have a laundry list of images that I’ve wanted to capture for years but they haven’t come to fruition just yet. It does test my patience, but I know it’ll eventually happen. And that will make me appreciate it that much more when it does. You also have to be persistent. It takes time, hard work, and many failures, but it’s absolutely possible.

Tip #3: Be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

I plan my travel very spontaneously. In terms of severe weather, I take every spring off from documenting anything else but severe weather. That provides me with the best opportunities to travel across America in search of the worst, yet best, weather to photograph. When it comes to volcanoes, I have a bag of gear ready to always go in hopes of being able to get on a flight as quickly as possible if there’s an eruption I want to document. If there’s a volcano that’s more consistently erupting, like Fuego, I primarily plan around moon phases and weather conditions. But things can always change in an instant, like with the 2018 Kilauea Volcano eruption in the Lower East Rift Zone.

It was such an extremely dynamic event that provided incredible visuals among horrible devastation. It was challenging to document as each day was quite different from the previous. Roads that were there the day prior no longer existed. New fissures were opening each day, providing amazing visuals but an extremely uncomfortable environment to be in. And the hazards weren’t just from the lava but copious amounts of sulphur dioxide gasses, septic tanks exploding, emotional residents, and more.

Tip #4: Have the right gear for the job.

I always carry my Nikon cameras and lenses, especially the Nikkor Z 14–24mm, a ton of lens cloths, and a tripod that can withstand being thrown into a volcano. But the best camera is the one in your hand. It doesn’t matter what camera it is, brand, or how new or old. Someone, somewhere in the world, is creating amazing content with less than what you have.

Tip #5: Get uncomfortable.

Besides having a deep and understanding knowledge for the subject you are photographing, it’s a must to be able to put yourself and keep yourself in some uncomfortable positions. Where others are running and seeking shelter, your feet are firmly planted on the ground, and your mind and camera are ready to tell a story.

Tip #6: Keep it real.

I’m not one to fake skies, color, or warp a scene into one that’s more dramatic than what I saw. I think it’s a lie to the audience to do so, and nature is already amazing, so why is there a need to exaggerate it? I want my audience to see and feel what I saw, not what I wanted to feel. I also think back to those who laid the foundation for photography, like Ansel Adams. How hard he worked to create a single frame. The patience, persistence, the grueling techniques of capturing and developing his images. It would be a slap in the face to guys like him if I faked a scene in post [sic].

Tip #7: Take advantage of every situation.

My dog is a diva and won’t pee on anything but grass, so when we got backcountry permits at White Sands, I tried to get her to use the bathroom before we went to bed. It was a complete fail. At around 2AM, she’s crying at the tent door, and I knew if I didn’t take her out I’d be waking up in a puddle. So we hopped out for her to go pee and, of course, she wouldn’t. I refused to go back in the tent until she did, then I noticed a flash of lightning off in the distance. I also noticed the Milky Way was out above the storm so I thought I could get lucky with another strike while waiting. I set up my camera and tripod and a big bolt landed under the storm, but I was so excited I must have moved the sand under the tripod as it happened. The frame was a complete blur. I repositioned the tripod and shot again, and again, and again. I was about to give up on both the image and my pup going to the bathroom, but then it happened: two beautiful bolts came out from the bottom of the storm with the moon setting behind the clouds, Milky Way shining above, and the stunning white sand dunes reflecting the ambient light. I remember cheering and looking over at my dog Joplin right as she was peeing. It was a win all around.

Tip #8: Pursue your passion.

I love that I see a career I pursued because I was passionate about it, when so many people told me I shouldn’t. I had people tell me I was making a mistake, that the photography industry is too competitive, or I would never last. Now, when I look at my work, I love that I see my passion reflected in my work and that I didn’t take no for an answer. Think about what you’re truly passionate about and let your creativity fly. It may take time to get that yes, but if you take no as an answer, you’ll never get that yes.

Tip #9: “Bob Ross” it.

If you don’t know who Bob Ross is, hop on YouTube and watch one of his shows. I refer to him in every workshop I teach. He was an amazing painter, and he would tell you exactly what he was going to paint, what the landscape would look like, where the light would be, and, of course, about the happy trees as well. He would then talk about some of the colors he would use. All of this before a single drop of paint hit the canvas. The point of this was he had a vision for what he wanted to create. So I always teach my workshop students to “Bob Ross it.”

Watch Mike in action in the latest SmugMug Film, Where the Fire Is. Mike takes us along on his journey to photograph Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala. See if you can spot where he’s applied his own photography tips.

Visit https://prints.mikemezphotography.com/ to purchase his prints and follow @MikeMezPhoto on Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr.

And then, tell us what you think! Did you learn something new? What do you think of the SmugMug Film? Leave a comment on our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

An artist at heart from a young age, Lizzy Gadd found her way to photography when her father brought home a small digital camera when she was twelve years old. From there, she discovered Flickr communities and dove into a world of exploration and experimentation through her lens. The journey has led her to far-flung lands and hidden oases buried in the back country, where she seeks new stories to be told with herself as the main character. Watch more about Lizzy’s journey below in our newest SmugMug Film, and read on for some of her tips about the magic of storytelling through photography.

Tip #1: Focus on feeling.‍

I’m quite particular about the mood in my work. My favorite photos involve moody weather, mist, sunrises, or sunsets. Weather plays such a huge role in conveying mood. As do locations. Seeking out and hiking to these beautiful, epic locations is all so I can capture the right feeling in my photos. Trying to get the timing right so the weather aligns with the location I want is always the biggest challenge in my work.

Tip #2: Be in the moment.‍

Self-portraits are a bit of a challenge, but they’re also a therapeutic process. I time-lapse my photos, so I set up the tripod, manually focus my composition, and program the timer to take a photo every few seconds. Then I walk out in front of the camera. I might stand out there for up to 100 photos, thinking I look epic or graceful, then I come back and find that maybe one photo out of a hundred looks the way I imagined it. Often it’ll take me several tries, going back and forth.

More often than not, I won’t take photos. I tend to enjoy being in the moment and connecting with nature. That’s always been my first love. I like to soak in the surroundings. Then, if I feel inspired, I’ll try to capture the mood I’m feeling. But I have to feel it first. Be in the moment. That’s most important. Once I feel that connection, that’s when I’ll try placing myself in the photo to see if I can capture the feeling through photography.

Tip #3: Let the light enhance the mood.‍

I love soft light. My favorite time to photograph is usually first thing in the morning around sunrise, especially in the fall when there’s fog. Once the sun comes up and shines through the fog, it creates a beautiful, gold, misty moodiness. I love warmth in photos, but I also love cold, dramatic tones. There’s a different kind of mist that comes from rainy days. As long as it isn’t clear, blue skies and contrasty, I’m happy.

Tip #4: Find an anchor for the scene.‍

When taking in a location, I like to find a place where there’s an object — whether it’s a tree or a rock — that stands out within a scene. I’ll instantly envision myself interacting with that object somehow, standing next to it or sitting on it, and can see the photograph in my head. Even if there’s nothing there except a beautiful backdrop, I can become the point of interest by incorporating myself within the photo. It gives a focus for the emotion I’m feeling. A frame for what I’m seeing.

Tip #5: Don’t be afraid to break the rules.‍

I very rarely follow the rule of thirds. I’m often centered in my photographs. And even though I always bring my tripod out with me, I rarely use it. Often I’ll shoot with my camera very low to the ground so there’s a soft foreground of grass or rocks that creates a dreamy effect. The out-of-focus foreground gradually leads to the center of the photo, where I’ll be in focus with the background behind me. I always try to find a way to frame the photo so I’m not lost among the landscape but also don’t stand out in a way that fights against the nature I’m trying to capture.

Tip #6: Find a community.‍

When I was 12 years old, my dad bought a point-and-shoot digital camera, which I picked up and started shooting with. A year later, I joined Flickr and started getting inspired by the people posting there. Photography became my biggest passion; I was shooting landscapes and animals every day. Then I started seeing some of my new friends on Flickr do these 365 projects, where they would take a self-portrait every day for a year. So I decided I would attempt one myself in 2010. I shot self-portraits every day, and it was a year of experimenting. I grew the most that year out of any year from the constant practice and feedback.

I didn’t have a style during that year; every self-portrait was totally different. But on the last day of my project, I went out to this mountain range and lake on New Year’s Eve. It was freezing — like –10º — and I took what I thought was going to be my last self-portrait because I didn’t necessarily like them. But on that last day when I was out there in the mountains, connected to nature, standing in the lake and freezing cold, it clicked. I loved that moment so much. That’s what brought me to where I am today.

Tip #7: Share feedback; get feedback.‍

In that Flickr community, we would all share feedback on each other’s work. Even if we didn’t give specific feedback on how we could improve, the constant support helped us build each other up. I think that’s what brought us all to where we are today. Many of us started meeting up in person as well, doing little photo meetups. The community I found there, they are like my family today. That has had a huge amount to do with my growth as a photographer — knowing I have a family of photographers that’s standing behind me no matter what I do with my work.

Tip #8: Choose the gear that fits your vision.‍

I switched to Sony three and a half years ago. The main reason for that is they’re a lot lighter. I do a lot of backpacking for my photoshoots, often going into the back country for a few days, and I was beginning to think lighter gear would help considerably with the weight I carried. The upgrade in quality was also considerable for me — from my original Canon 60D, which I think was 18 megapixels, to the Sony a7rIII, which is 42 megapixels. Seeing that huge jump in image quality was overwhelming and awesome, because I suddenly had so much more detail to work with.

Tip #9: Don’t be afraid to not take the photo.‍

When you feel pressured and don’t know what to capture, put down the camera, step back, and enjoy the scene. Don’t worry about it. Often, that’s when inspiration will come back to you. When you’re focusing so hard to see the scene through the lens, you forget to look at it through your own eyes and enjoy it that way. I find inspiration comes to me more when I put my camera down and simply enjoy being there. That’s when the ideas start coming to me.

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Find Lizzy online:
Portfolio
Instagram
Flickr

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What's "sportraiture?” Simply put, it’s unique portraits of fervent athletes showing themselves doing what they do best. Pro photographer and SmugMug educator Levi Sim has a place in his heart for the passion and thrill of this type of portraiture, and today he's sharing three key tips on how to make it work for you.

When I started photography four years ago, a local photojournalist, Eli Lucero, opened my eyes to sports photography. He said, "You know when you make a great portrait that shows emotion and it's awesome? Athletes are finally performing what they've been practicing, and powerful emotions show on their faces all day. It's great to be a sports photographer."

Ever since then, I take every opportunity I can find to shoot sports.

Still, I'm a portraitist at heart, and I can't help making portraits of people everywhere I go. Here are three tips that let me maximize every opportunity I get to shoot great sports portraits.

1. Know your game.

Athletes spend many hours every day for many years learning to perform flawlessly. They have worked incredibly hard to have the body and the skills to do what they do. It is disrespectful to put them in front of your lens and then mess around with your camera, trying to figure out the best settings. You owe it to them to be proficient at what you're doing because you're photographing other passionate people.

I'm not saying you have to be a pro who knows everything before you photograph someone. I'm saying that you do your practicing before you shoot the athlete. At the very least, grab a kid from the sidelines and practice your stup right before you invite the athlete over. Then you can be confident that you'll get a good image from that same setup.

I'd also recommend quitting while you're ahead. If you've just taken a good picture with a test setup, don't say, "Let's try this other thing," unless you've also practiced the other thing, too. They'll think you're the best photog in the world if you fire off two frames and have a great picture; if you mess around with the unknown, they'll be frustrated and disappointed.

Practice your setup, take a good picture, and say thank you.

2. Seek passionate subjects.

I'm not likely to get the opportunity to spend a few minutes photographing a famous athlete, like John Elway or Danica Patrick. But, if I go to the open track day at the local race track, I'll definitely be able to photograph some very passionate people, and they are likely to let me spend more than a few minutes taking pictures of them.

This is my pal, Jeremy. He's the one who told me about the open track days, so he invited our photography group down to make pictures. The track is crawling with guys and gals who are so passionate about racing motorcycles that they travel across the country to race on a world-class track.

These people spend their lives working to earn money so they can blow it on a few tanks of fuel and a few sets of tires in a single weekend. They aren't the kind who ride because it's cool. They ride because they can't not. These are the kind of people you really want in front of your lens, and they are the kind of people who will be pleased to help make a picture.

3. Use technique, timing, lighting—anything it takes to create a memorable shot.

It's interesting that when talking to athletes, they can describe the winning goal of a game they played ten years ago. Passionate athletes remember the intricate details of a split second for their entire lives. And if you think about it, that's exactly what we do as photographers, too.

When you make a picture after a game, that picture will be part of their memory and an important piece of the experience. I recommend that you prepare a few techniques that will allow you to create a memorable image—something your subjects will be happy to show off to future generations.

In these motorcycle portraits, the guys just got off the track where they broke speed records passing others around the turn, one knee dragging on the ground and sending sparks flying. They have the courage to get back on their bikes after tipping over and sliding through gravel for a hundred yards. I'm just taking it for granted that you have the courage to approach them and ask to take their picture.

After chatting for a sec about the bike, or the game (or whatever), I usually say, "There's some really good light right over here, and I wonder if you'd let me take a picture of your bike—yeah, with you in it!"

I've never been turned down.

Now, put on your widest lens and get in close. No, closer! These portraits were made within inches of the subject, almost touching their bikes with my lens. I used the incredible Nikkor 14–24mm f/2.8. When you get in close with a wide lens, you make a picture that is distorted and absolutely not normal. And not normal makes it memorable.

The key to these pictures is the lighting. These are all made within a half hour of noon, so the sun is straight overhead, and there is no light in their eyes to fill the raccoon shadows on their faces from their eyebrows and ball caps. My solution is to use a speedlight to pound some hard light back into their faces and the shadows on their bikes. These are hard-looking guys with sunlight casting hard shadows all around, so using a bare-bulb speedlight really fits the scene.

Remember: the speedlight is not mounted to the camera; that would be obvious in the picture and ruin the look. The flash is off to the side, and high, as if it's a little more sunlight from a slightly different direction. Whether you use your camera's proprietary speedlights controlled by the camera, a radio trigger, or an extension cord, you've got to get the flash off the camera to control the direction of the shadows. When using a very wide lens (shorter than 35mm), you can even handhold the flash to the side and it will be enough. I prefer to have my buddy or my subject's buddy hold the flash.

‍One more thing...

For best results in sportraiture, bring a friend. Or two. The more the merrier! You'll have more people there to help make your vision happen, and more visions to make things happen. You help each other hold stuff, ask each other questions, make the rest of the town jealous by talking about "that great time you spent at the track," which then gets more people to join in next time. Photography is always better with friends.

Career highlights.

1. Serves 250,000–300,000 customers annually.
2. Shoots 40,000–50,000 gorgeous images per event.
3. 5 million+ images generated in five years.
4. Client list includes All American Baseball Youth, Youth Baseball Nationals, Youth Softball Nationals, American Youth Football, Babe Ruth League, World Series Cal Ripken Baseball, and The Ripken Experience.

Turning want to need.

Glossy Finish was born in 2006 when Haim Ariav was suddenly inspired to build a mobile photo lab in a trailer and cart it to sporting events, enabling families to view, purchase, and retrieve photos on site. Ariav, a classically trained photographer, saw an unfilled niche: he recognized that as a “want” industry, photography was taking a hit in a rough economy, so he set out to re-brand memorializing athletic moments as a “need” by making it easier to enshrine kids’ sports glory. Redefining how images are delivered on site is the foundation of Glossy’s business model, unique in the sports photography vertical.

The post-game show.

But on-site sales aren’t Glossy’s sole revenue stream. After an event, Ariav’s team uploads its treasures to SmugMug’s cloud and follows through with additional distribution via SmugMug’s labs. Online sales, a significant supplement to Glossy’s revenue stream, run smoothly on SmugMug, along with back-office functions. “We rely on the website for 100% of our revenue for events that don’t utilize the mobile lab,” Ariav said. “Using the SmugMug infrastructure, reliability and scalability are key for us. Having access to the various products offered by the labs is a huge opportunity for us to carry out our online strategy.” 

Ariav’s team uses online proofing to boost non-mobile sales. “Different events may not warrant the use of our patent-pending mobile lab,” he pointed out. “The success of those depends on customer satisfaction with images and ease of purchase. SmugMug allows us to deliver a successful experience.”

Scoring points with social media.

Ariav endorsed SmugMug’s decision to allow digital downloads to have watermarks. “We felt it would facilitate our ability to brand ourselves on social media,” Ariav said. “We wanted to have a presence on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, where so much photo sharing takes place. We know how important printmarks and watermarks are to both our business and our creativity.” 

Ariav milks every branding opportunity he can out of SmugMug’s tools, even while focused on image protection. “Printmarks turn images from just a photograph into a memory,” he said. “Our logo is also typically part of the printmark. Watermarks deter people from stealing, but we also use them as a way to show what [clients’] prints will look like with the printmark. We are always marketing and trying to keep up brand awareness.”

Owning it from field to checkout.

Outlining a strong customization strategy for site design and gallery organization, and a reliance on SmugMug’s advanced customization tools, Glossy also has the cart-branding feature firmly in the “on” position: “Branding is a huge part of what we do best, which can be seen in our website customization. We [use] cart branding so our customers know they’re getting a great Glossy Finish product. We also use the box sticker. We want customers to know who they are getting a package from and, most importantly, thank them for their order.”

Less work, more profit.

Ariav used to blanket events with trigger-happy shutterbugs. Now, by sending sales teams to pre-sign customers, he may only capture four or five kids out of 20, but the average order has increased from $25 to $125. “It’s okay not to photograph every player on every field at every game,” he said. “We focus only on those that want and love our photos. It works better for the customer and us

With SmugMug’s help, this focus on time-saving extends to online sales: “We try to keep pricing as uniform as we can to lessen confusion on our end,” Ariav said. “With the introduction of pricelists, it is much easier to organize pricing throughout the site. Now I can set up pricelists for sales and simply move galleries around once the sale is over.”

Making friends with the moms.

After cutting overhead and moving from the flea-market, on-spec approach to a more profitable, streamlined system scaffolded on a $20 deposit credited toward purchase, Ariav saw opportunities to reach a larger audience without snapping a photo. Envisioning his business as “an exclusive entertainment club,” Ariav created custom lanyards customers could don at soccer tournaments, showcasing that their kid’s athletic prowess was immortalized by Glossy Finish. The result? A flood of visitors to his trailer.

Taming the technology beast.

Photographers have never discriminated when it comes to capturing contacts; Glossy worked hard to collect home addresses and emails. Now, Ariav plays smarter, relying on texting select targets for marketing blasts. His on-site blitzes are wildly successful. “If we have a slow period, we can ping them and—boom!—the trailer fills up. We have a direct connection to our customers. And when we’re done with an event, we have more contacts in our database for future direct and instant marketing.”

Climber, world traveler, photographer, and author of Alaska Rock Climbing Guide Kelsey Gray is well-known for doing heart-pounding stunts like cliff jumping—stunts that most of us will only ever enjoy in his photographs. So we had to ask the burning question: Why do you bring the camera, and is it really worth the risk?

My first foray into climbing was back sometime around 2002, when I took an indoor rock-climbing course at the Alaska Rock Gym through the University of Anchorage Alaska. Before that time, I was purely a gaming nerd who had gained almost 65 lbs. after high school, eating cheeseburgers and pizza. With the occasional challenge of who can drink the most ketchup or eat the most salt packets, those were some very unhealthy years. 

During a routine doctor visit (also partially due to the emotional issues that come with being overweight and with an astronomical blood pressure), my doctor said that if I didn’t get off the computer and fix my blood pressure, I would probably have a stroke by 30. I was 20, and that didn’t leave me much time.

After the indoor course, I enrolled in the outdoor course and found that to be even better. Soon after, I began climbing outdoors with a friend from Era Aviation, where we both worked. Later that year, I began climbing with John Borland, who would introduce me to many areas around Hatcher Pass and become a great climbing partner and friend.

Enter: Photography.

Sometime during my first few years of climbing, I became more interested in hiking peaks. My uncle, Dano Michaud, had dragged me unwillingly up a peak called Harp Mountain and the 1,000+ ft. glissade (natural slide down the snow) hooked me. That summer I climbed peak after peak and soon realized that explaining the beauty of the areas was simply not enough. I needed to show it.

My very first camera was a small point-and-shoot with no screen and not enough megapixels to warrant labeling it on the front. I’m pretty sure it came free with a printer, which was also terrible. After a few trips, I realized I needed a better camera. I upgraded to a Fuji Finepix F700, which worked for me for a long time. I then moved on to a Fuji Finepix S9000 before finally making the jump to SLR with the Canon 20D. After the 20D, I moved on to the Canon 50D (which was later stolen from my car), and finally to my current camera: the Canon 7D.

During my years of climbing, I have learned some important lessons about myself, and how I view life. I am never more comfortable than when dangling from a cliff with the sun setting and the wilderness expanding in my view. I’ve often said that the journey is not the summit but in the adventure, which I’m pretty sure is a mashup of others’ quotes, but I can’t discount the great feeling of having made it as high as I can go without actually flying into the air. When I reach the top of a peak or climb and look out over the expanse, I have a ritual that I try to do as often as possible.

It is as follows:

1. Close your eyes and wait for at least 30 seconds. Let all the emotions, feelings, failures, and successes wash into you. Reject nothing.
2. Open your eyes and stare directly ahead. Everything washes away, and I can’t help but feel that I was not meant to have a wall in front of me. Cubicles were not meant for us.

Help or hinder?

There are times when I won't bring my camera climbing, and I usually regret it. The hairy times when the sheep dung really hits the fan are when the camera seems to really come into use, if not for just recording the trip for my own memory. The worst time to have a camera attached to you is when jammed into an off-width. This is the climber term for anything that you can’t wedge your body into but is too big to use a single hand or fist to climb. It’s probably the most uncomfortable situation most humans will ever find themselves in. A 60m off-width can feel like you’ve just run a marathon, sprinting, while holding a log over your head. (If you’re curious about just what an off-width has to offer, then Google for the video, Boogie Til You Poop.) Add climbing gear to your harness, and it becomes worse; add a camera, and you’ll pray it doesn’t shatter.

It is not easy to bring a camera as large as a Canon 7D up a climb, especially with consideration of the lens size. I usually stick with the kit lens that comes with the 7D: the 18–135mm. It’s not the best lens, but it is light and easy to carry. I would upgrade to a better lens, except I’m always spending all my money on traveling. I like to carry it in a waist pack that I often clip to my harness, just in case it comes off. I know others who use backpacks, but I don’t like having to take it off to get my camera out. That is my general kit for all adventures. Not much, but just enough so I don’t feel burdened by it. 

The camera is there for my use to record everything I wish to keep for myself or show to others, so I’ve had to take a rather lenient stance on its value. If I consider it gold, then I’ll never bring it to the truly dangerous adventures. There are times I almost have to convince myself that my camera is already gone before I bring it, then I just try and make sure it stays in one piece. This allows me to continue to bring it to the most dangerous situations.

Worth the risk?

There are others in climbing who are much more advanced in climbing photography than I. I’ve often marveled at their ability to get paid to do the things I’m paying for! But with everything comes risks, such as the photographer who was with Johnny Copp and Micah Dash, two amazing alpinists who died in an avalanche, their photographer (Wade Johnson) by their side. 

I’ve often had to decide just what it is I want to do; how far do I take this hobby that has become a driving force in life? I’m still figuring that part out. I have found that half the reason I travel is to take photographs. If I were to lose my camera today, it would probably take quite a lot of self-reflection to pull myself from the loss, even if I have the illusion that the loss is already imminent.

Like many other climbers, I am driven too heavily by emotions. I would love to say that most of my traveling began as a desire to see the world and experience new things. The truth is that many of my travels have been fueled by escape, the desire to escape the emotions that come with a loss, whether it is a relationship or the death of a loved one. Over time it has had to change as those emotions were hidden, or in my current case I found someone who truly makes me happy in life. Previously, I spent much of the time traveling the world alone, a few of the trips included others. Now I try to share it with others, those who I travel with and those who I get to show through the photographs I take.

Have you ever wondered what else you could be doing to get more sales for your landscape photography? Our friend Varina Patel has offered us great info about how to mix business and photography when you’re out and about. Here's what she says about keeping the customer at the forefront of your mind the next time you're out shooting.

You never know what a buyer will want—and each buyer is different. But, over the past several years, we’ve learned a few things about maximizing the potential of our portfolios. Here are a few tips for making sales.

Horizontal and vertical shots.

When we’re in the field, we usually find that a composition works best in either horizontal or vertical orientation. But in most cases, after capturing the most visually appealing image, we’ll work to find another shot that works with the camera turned 90 degrees. Why? Because sometimes the buyer needs an image that works in a particular orientation. Are they looking for a collection of calendar images? They’ll probably need horizontal images. Photos for a magazine? They’ll need a vertical shot to grace the cover

Since you never know who might want to purchase your images in the future, you can’t know which orientation will work best for their needs. Shoot in both orientations, and you’ll be ready no matter what they ask for.

Local images.

Not too long ago, Jay sold a shot of Cedar Falls (titled, The Looking Glass) as part of a collection of fine-art images. He has many shots of waterfalls, and it wasn’t one of his favorites. The image lacks the vibrant colors or grand vistas you typically find in Jay’s more popular landscape photographs. When the client asked about waterfalls, his first instinct was to send them samples of the most popular waterfall images in his portfolio. One of the first shots he sent was Arizona Dreaming, this brilliantly colorful “icon shot” from Havasu Falls in Arizona.

But the client passed on all those brilliant-color and famous locations. Instead, she chose the quieter image…one he’d never sold before. He was curious about her choice, and he asked her about it. The answer was simple: she wanted images of local places, no matter how ordinary they looked in comparison with those famous, iconic locations.

When you approach a potential buyer, make sure you have plenty of local images. Colorful photographs capture the eye of the viewer, but familiar places capture their hearts.

‍Collections.

When you present your images for sale, consider using gallery features that allow you to group your images into categories based upon similarities. For example, I have a gallery that’s dedicated only to black-and-white images and another that’s just for mountains. You can set up a gallery for images with a dominant blue-color theme or for photographs from a specific location. Your options are wide open.

SmugMug’s smart galleries feature lets you use keywords to create collections so potential buyers view images with shared characteristics. When a buyer wants more than one image, they often have a theme in mind. One buyer asked me for 30 detail shots she could sell as a wallpaper collection. Another wanted several waterfall photographs for decorating a newly opened hospital. In Cleveland, a buyer wanted images of local parks and iconic locations for the walls in an office building.

As you build your portfolio, keep an eye out for images that work well together, and be sure to present them as potential groupings.

Big prints.

Would you be surprised if I told you that giclée canvas prints are some of our biggest sellers? There’s just nothing like a really BIG print that makes a statement or ties a room together. In most cases, I don’t get to see a print after it’s hung, so it was a real treat to be able to see this one in its place of honor over the fireplace. This canvas print is hanging in a beautifully decorated home near Atlanta, Ga.. The colors in the room were actually chosen to match the print—the entire room is coordinated to match the colors in the photograph. I wish I could give you a tour of the whole house, which is a work of art itself.

Canvas prints are more expensive—especially really big ones—but most people hang them without a frame since they stand alone so well. They avoid the expense of matting and framing, making the price much easier to swallow.

Offer your prints for sale on canvas at the largest size available. A photo printed at that size packs a whole lot of punch!

Chris Dahl-Bredine isn’t your average aerial photographer — if there even is such a thing. Driven by a desire to connect with the world around him with as few barriers as possible, Chris straps himself into an ultralight aircraft and takes to the skies. Steering with one hand and shooting with the other, he captures stunning images of the American Southwest from above.

In our latest One Day, One Artist film, we accompany Chris into the high desert and mountains of New Mexico to see things from a bird’s-eye view. Watch the film below, and read on for a few of his tips about flight, photography, and elevating your perspective.

Tip #1: Go slow. Confidence, familiarity, and comfort are your friends.

One of the biggest hurdles I ran into when I started flying was people thinking, “You’re nuts! You’re going to kill yourself!” They basically tried to scare me out of it. But anything is possible if you really put your mind to it and do it safely. Aerial photography is something you want to take step by step and really build your skills — piloting, learning the weather, knowing your camera, knowing your aircraft — so when you get up in the sky, you feel comfortable and can relax.

If you’re up there and you’re terrified, then you did something out of order. The most important thing is you feel safe up there before you even worry about photography. From there, that’s where magic happens.

Tip #2: Look for your unique perspective.

I was always interested in photography, but I would only dabble in it. I never got that into it until I started flying. That’s when I realized what I was seeing was special and something not many people get to see. This was long before drones existed — almost 20 years ago — so especially then, not many people saw what I saw. Once I started flying, it was a natural progression to want to share what I was seeing through photography.

The main thing is capturing an image when you’re inspired by something — something that moves you when you see it. If it means something to you, it’s probably going to mean something to someone else as well.

Tip #3: Don’t be afraid to think big.

When I first started photographing, I had a tiny, 35mm point-and-shoot Olympus camera. Then I met a guy where I live in Taos who was a printer and a photographer, and I wanted to print my images bigger. When you print them big, they just come to life; they’re more dramatic. But I realized I was limited by my little camera. So I tried digital for a little while, which was even worse at the time — at least what I could afford. Then I went to medium-format film, and that started getting me the quality and resolution I wanted for big prints. You could stand in front of a big print and feel like you’re looking out a window and actually seeing the scene in front of you. It just comes to life.

Shooting medium format while flying was challenging, but it also made me want to make each shot count, so it was good training for me. And when I could afford a really nice digital camera and shoot a thousand frames in one flight, that changed things.

Tip #4: Stay flexible in your photography…

Photographically, I try to be flexible and open to learning new things. It’s easy to get into one way of doing things and stay in that rut of process. I try to keep an open mind when I’m up there with the camera because I know there’s a lot I don’t know. There’s always a new way to see things and a new way to capture things. Everyone can find their own way that’s going to be different from someone else. The story is an important part of the photo, too, so I think finding and taking photos that have a story is a good thing to have in mind when you shoot.

Tip #5: …but plan ahead with your gear.

In general, I make sure my camera gear is charged, I have plenty of room on my memory cards, and I have an extra battery. Then there’s the gear I wear: electric socks, electric gloves, long underwear, down pants, a down jacket, and a down suit over all that. It’s mostly having all the right layers so you can stay up there a while. If you forget one thing — say, your neck gaiter that keeps your face warm — then you have to land early because it’s so cold. Any bit of gear that fails or that you forget can basically end the flight earlier than you want to.

Tip #6: Hang on tight.

For my lens I usually use something pretty flexible, like a 24–70mm or 27–105mm, but I’ll sometimes change lenses. It’s totally possible to change lenses up there, but you have to be pretty cautious and aware of what you’re doing. I’ve seen a $2,500 lens fall out of a trike. A friend of mine didn’t get it on the camera right and we never found it. That was a big loss, but the biggest danger of shooting while flying is if anything falls and goes into the propeller…then you’re looking at more problems than your gear.

Tip #7: Watch the weather and follow the light.

I really love flying when there are clouds. There are so many variations of what could happen when there’s clouds in the sky, it changes everything. I wait for weather events that could have spectacular clouds: a particular kind of lighting, really clear air after rain or snow, new snow on the mountains or on the deserts — that gets me up early, too.

I’m always drawn toward the light whenever I’m up there. When you follow your gut feeling, you can find something even greater than you imagined below the clouds. Once I saw golden shafts of light coming through a hole in the clouds up in the mountains. It was all grey and drab down below, so I made my way toward this light. After probably 30 minutes, I finally got up to the hole and popped through. On the other side was the most beautiful, golden cloudscape. Trees and peaks were poking up out of the clouds, everything was glittering and wet, the golden light was shining down on everything below me as I went above the clouds. It was such an exhilarating moment.

Tip #8: Follow your passion, and use it to connect with the world around you.

The best advice I have come across is to follow your truest passion — whatever moves you to a place of feeling alive, happy, and grateful. Seeing the world with wonder and gratitude keeps you open to other people and experiences, which is so important.

Much of photography can be a self-centered, “look at the shot I got” kind of thing. Which is fine — there’s nothing wrong with that — but how can we make photography a contribution to the whole that makes us better as a culture and as a world? I hope to inspire people to see the wonder of this world that we live in and be moved to a place of “I want to take care of this” or “how can I make the world better for future generations?” instead of “how can I go get this shot and call it mine?”

Building connections between people and the natural world — promoting a cleaner, better, more sustainable future — is an important thing people often overlook. If you can find some way to make connections with the natural world and with other people through your photography, I think that’s really what’s needed these days.

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