Photographing wildlife can be one of the most rewarding activities in photography.
But how do you deal with the unpredictable nature of animals?
How do you position yourself to get the best shot?
And what can you do when you’re left to the lighting effects of Mother Nature?
In this episode, we talk to wildlife photographer Scott Bourne about why he photographs wildlife, his approach to wildlife photography, the story behind the amazing image he spent 13 years chasing, why birds are the hardest thing to photograph and how to do it, what really makes a great wildlife photo, what most photographers are getting wrong, where the good places are, how to get great shots at a zoo, working around glass and fences, the importance of pre-visualisation and camera settings/focus.
Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process.
Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. . . .
What kind of photographer are you? When I ask you this question, I don’t mean what genre you shoot, portrait, still life, documentary or landscape. I’m asking about how you execute your images and this is not to be confused with gear or your editing style, that’s your technique.
The way you execute your images will determine what kind of photographer you are and understanding the differences will help you to grow and evolve as a photographer.
There are five different kinds of photographer:
1. The Karaoke photographer This is a great way to learn about great photography by impersonating the subjects, lighting and editing techniques of the photographers that inspire you.
It’s kind of like a painting by numbers approach to taking images. This is how every great artist starts out.
2. The accidental photographer As the name suggests, this kind of photographer will stumble on good images rather than plan for them. Every accidental photographer will get lucky several times in their life because the photography Gods are generous and want all accidental photographers to experience the joy . . .
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” –Ansel Adams
I’ve combined my four great loves, photography, Sicily, travel and teaching to create the ultimate photography experience.
I’m so excited to show you my beautiful Island of Sicily and share the lighting, posing and post-production techniques I use.
I’ve partnered with the best Sicily tour guide in the world, Carmel Ruggeri of Sicilian Food Tours. We’ve been doing these tours together since 2013 and having a blast!
Carm will take care of us during our stay and take us to authentic Sicilian villages and locations off the beaten track.
Carm is a successful and much-loved restaurateur so we will be privy to some of the best Sicilian food and wine and hospitality.
How do you shoot groups and still make everyone look natural?
When you’re a newbie photographer, your friends often ask you to shoot 21st birthdays, weddings, school events and so on. In other words, groups of people. But this can be a challenge if you’re not sure of the basic rules you need to adhere to when you’re shooting groups.
In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to know in terms of location, posing, styling and direction.
Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process.
We chat to fine art landscape photographer Tom Putt who went from photographing birds to sport and eventually landscapes.
Tom spends many months of every year creating new photographs for upcoming limited and open edition prints and book projects.
You’ll discover: What makes a killer landscape image and why, how do you connect with the landscape to create an image that is more than just a generic shot, aerial vs drone photography, how you prepare for a shoot, preferred gear, techniques, the pros and cons of working with galleries, tips for shooting, tips for printing and much more.
Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process.
“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life.” –Joan Miro
Do you daydream about taking amazing photos like the ones you see in magazines, galleries or social media/ The ones that stop you in your tracks and make you gasp in wonder and green with envy at the same time? What do these photographers have that’s missing in your images?
Is it the gear they use? Is it the locations or talent they work with? Is it technical knowledge or postproduction skills?
What if I told you all these photographers have in common has nothing to do with the factors listed above.
What if I were to tell you that technique, talent or gear has very little to do with greatness and that one of the main reasons you have not achieved your goals comes down to one person – Dave. That’s right, I said Dave is the reason you haven’t reached your goals yet.
Who the hell is Dave? I’m glad you asked, let me explain.
Dave has been living with you your entire life, you just didn’t know it. I’m not sure how to say this politely, so I’m . . .
Getting sharp images is a perennial problem – even if you’re following all the rules! So why aren’t your images always pin-sharp? Before you get your eyes checked or take your camera back to the shop, consider whether these 5 issues could be the reason your pictures are “soft”.
Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process.
Motion blur is when the subject you are photographing moves.
Above: photographing a moving subject with slow shutter speed (image right) will cause motion blur. A faster shutter speed (image left) will freeze the action and eliminate motion blur.
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” Fuji x100f +Godox AD200 and @garyfong Lightsphere
Ep 252 is out!
This week @valeriekhoo and I discuss techniques you can use to take more meaningful, authentic and memorable photos.
A great portrait is so much more than nailing the lighting and focus. If you want to take your portraits next level then you want your images to have the x-factor or soul. The stuff nobody really talks about much.
How many images have you seen once and still think about years later? Why is that?
I can guarantee it had nothing to do with the lighting, pose or model.
Some of the topics discussed include
* Remember that one size doesn’t fit all.
* Photograph the person, not the style
* Find a background that supports what you are trying to say
* Light in a style that flatters or brings out the features of the person you are photographing
* Pose the person in a way that suits their body type and personality.
* Learn the art of natural posting and give your model the confidence to “own’ the pose
* Learn the art of posing different body types
* inauthentic poses
* Keep poses simple
* Learn to read non-verbal cues
* Matching energy
* Master one go-to set up you can do confidently as a starting point.
* Be decisive and confident.
* Connect and be authentic, talk open up be authentic
* Watch out for the moments between frames
* Learn how to get rid of photo face
Want to improve your photography? I'd love to work with you. Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything”
Fuji XT-3 “You never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you ,leaving a part of yourself behind”
2020 Sicily workshop on sale now info@sicilianfoodtours.com
#Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries #x100f #fujix100f #fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #fujiframez#fujilove #ig
#fujifilmxt3 #fujixt3
Want to improve your photography? I'd love to work with you. Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” Link in bio
Fuji XT-3
Seeing a fiat 500 in it’s natural habitat is one of the great joys in life.
Thanks to the amazing @kimpartridge_photographer for assisting me on this shoot!
Been shooting with my new XT-3 here in Sicily. I’ll share my warts and all review on the next episode of the podcast.
#Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries
#fujifilmxt3
#fujixt3
#fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #fujiframez#fujilove #ig#portraitphotographyl #portraiture#portraitmood #instagood #streetsgramer
Want to improve your photography?
Sign up to my newsletter for free tips and techniques.
Listen to my podcast or sign up for mentoring Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” LINK IN BIO
Smokin #Chennai #Fujix100f
This man is 92 and still going strong!
Want to know how to take images that stand out in a crowded market? This week on the podcast @valeriekhoo and I chat about
how to shoot images that stand out from the pack. Link in bio.
#Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries
#mirrorless#mirrorlesscamera #fujilove #timeless_streets
#x100f #fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed
Want to improve your photography? I'd love to work with you. Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” Link in bio
Holy man #Chennai #Fujix100f “Fate gives all of us three teachers, three friends, three enemies, and three great loves in our lives. But these twelve are always disguised, and we can never know which one is which until we've loved them, left them, or fought them.” #Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries #x100f #fujix100f #fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #portraiture
Birdman #Mumbai #Fujix100f
Spotted this man guarding the side entrance to The Gateway of Mumbai monument in Colaba. This is “The St Marks Square” of Mumbai and the Birdman looks after the two million pigeons that happily pose
for photos with the visitors.
This is a big job, some of these pigeons have been spoiled by their Instagram fame. They can be divas, no wonder he looks so stressed.
Thank you Birdman, we need more people like you in the world.
#Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries #x100f #fujix100f #fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #instagood
Want to improve your photography? I'd love to work with you. Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” Link in bio
'Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.’ If you walk past a stranger today, smile and say hello, everyone deserves to feel special and loved.
Canon 5DMK4
📷Fuji x100f Beach Boxer Bali
“Fear doesn’t go away. The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.” – Steven Pressfield 🙏
This week on the podcast @valeriekhoo and I chat about the 5 things every photographer must know. This has nothing to do with gear and everything to do with your mindset.
Oh and if you’re interested in learning how to shoot with fill flash I have a few spots available to my May Sicily portrait workshop.
6 Days
Intensive lighting, directing and post production
LINK IN BIO
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.” Samuel Ullman
I had the most inspiring day photographing members of the Brighton Baths Icebergers. These men and women, mostly over 50, enjoy a dawn and early morning ritual of bathing in the last remaining sea pool in Port Phillip Bay.
In winter the water temperature is close to freezing and the Icebergers are hooked on the benefits to both body and mind.
One thing I noticed in all the swimmers I photographed was a sense of joy and a positive energy. This is Jan, she is 79 years young and has been open water swimming for 30+ years, and is a regular winter swimmer.
Want to improve your photography?
Sign up to my newsletter for free tips and techniques.
Listen to my podcast or sign up for mentoring Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” LINK IN BIO
Fujix100F + Speedlight and Gary Fong “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ― Rob Siltanen
I spent my childhood feeling like a misfit and then I went to art school and found “my people”
Artists spend their lives seeing and feeling things the rest of the world ignore. I think we are the sane ones and the rest of the world is crazy.
FUJI X100F “A lot of photographers think that if they buy a better camera they’ll be able to take better photographs. A better camera won’t do a thing for you if you don’t have anything in your head or in your heart.” ―Arnold Newman
Ep 232 of my podcast with the amazing @valeriekhoo is out. eady to start a photography business? Here are some common mistakes to avoid.
Giving up your day job.
Quitting too soon
Ignoring social media
Only relying on social media
Placing all your eggs in one basket
Poor training and mentorship (learn how to shoot, how to charge etc)
Charging too little
Investing in gear too early
No networking skills
No basic business skills (TAX, insurance, contracts, cashflow)
Lack of Editing and workflow knowledge
A business name that nobody can remember or find.
#Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries
#x100f #fujix100f #fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #fujiframez#fujilove #ig#portraitphotography#photooftheday l #portraiture#portraitmood #instagood
#balitravel
Want to improve your photography?
Sign up to my newsletter for free tips and techniques.
Listen to my podcast or sign up for mentoring Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” LINK IN BIO