Documentary Photography
In this episode of B&H Prospectives, we take a look at the vision and workflow of professional food photographer and director Andrew Scrivani. The video begins with an introduction to Scrivani's background and the events that led to his working in the food-photography world. From here, Scrivani talks about some of the technical aspects of his work, including lighting styles and his sources of inspiration, as well as his learning process and how he overcomes challenges, from shooting to post production.
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Video: Sharing the Stories of Your Travels, with Bob Krist
In this B&H Event Space video, visual storyteller Bob Krist discusses the transition from thinking like a photographer to having the mindset needed to be a video maker. While sharing his experiences shooting stills for magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Islands, and Travel & Leisure, and video for clients like the Geographic and the British Museum, Krist offers insights about the gear and technical considerations required for moving from stills to 4K video.
In this B&H Event Space video, New York-based street photographer Harvey Stein shares aspects of his photography career, spanning more than 40 years of consistent and impressive work. Using the images from his new book, Briefly Seen New York Street Life, and his previous books, Harlem Street Portraits (2013) and Coney Island 40 Years (2011) he discusses how to maintain a creative drive and edge over a long span of time.
In this B&H Event Space video, Meryl Meisler discusses how to publish personal projects, referencing her self-published book Sassy ’70s: Suburbia & the City. Meisler offers insights on the importance of networking, how to use social media to get your work noticed, and getting to know and trust your publicist in the mirror.
In this B&H Event Space video, dance photographer Lois Greenfield talks about the techniques she employs to capture her distinctive, dramatic, and poetic dance images. Greenfield is known for her stunning images of dancers in flight. In this presentation, she discusses her 40-year career and her new book, Lois Greenfield: Moving Still.
In this B&H Event Space video, world-renowned photographer Sam Abell answers the question: “What makes a lasting photograph?” In compelling slide-by-slide sequences, Abell discusses the ins and outs regarding how many of his famous images were made. This is not a “greatest hits” slide show, but a hands-on, step-by-step demonstration of how—through simplified technique and critical vision—lasting photographs can be made.
Peter Turnley is a renowned photojournalist who has been witness to most of the major conflicts and international news events of the past thirty years. His influential work has been featured in the world’s most important publications, specifically on more than forty covers of Newsweek, and he has produced several books of documentary photography, including his most recent, Cuba–A Grace of Spirit, which is available here. On November 13, he will be honored with a retrospective exhibition at the
While their approaches are distinct, photographers Dennis Livesey and John Harris both have benefited from taking the long road. As their experience exemplifies, there are many joys and successes to be found in approaching a photo subject with a long-term commitment in mind. Relationships grow, errors are made and improvement is organic as you spend significant time working with one subject. Eventually, the harvests are reaped and the time put into your project is paid back many times over. Citing examples from their work (Livesey’s train
I fancy myself as an industrial photographer. I know, pretty fancy. In March of 2008, National Geographic ran an article, “The Search for All Matter,” about the search for the Higgs boson, popularly called the "God Particle," being conducted in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland and France. Accompanying the article, the cover shot was an image taken of the LHC's ATLAS particle detector in an underground lair, 300' below the countryside. My reaction to the photo, taken by
Photos, photos, photos! Frank Smith’s talk on travel photography is one beautiful image after the other. Some of the images deal with difficult situations, as he often works for philanthropic organizations, but he is able to use the language of his craft to find beauty in even the saddest of environments. As Smith shows his work, he offers simple explanations of how he captured the images, some were found in his backyard and others from halfway around the world. The points he stresses, regardless of the locale, are the universal truths of
In this B&H Event Space video, rock-and-roll photographer Mick Rock shares the images illustrating his latest book, “Exposed.” Join Rock for a look through his definitive collection of images and hear the story of his early career and the larger-than-life characters with whom he mixed. In this retrospective of his work, Mick Rock takes you on a cultural journey through a time when rock ruled.
Editor’s note: Bluegrass rules!
by Ryan Brenizer ·Posted
There are a lot of reasons to like the New York City area, but weather usually doesn’t make the top 100. Every summer, we are reminded that we are the Northernmost U.S. city considered “humid subtropical,” and every degree of heat gets compounded with sticky wetness, reflected from concrete and asphalt on all sides like the interior of an Easy-Bake Oven, and filtered through the smell and collective grumpiness of closely huddled masses. But each winter we miss summer, because that same humidity makes the cold settle into our bones. There are
Andy Biggs is an accomplished African wildlife photographer, but he provides an incredibly comprehensive talk on all aspects of photography from composition decisions, to format choices to storytelling and printing. He discusses his “adjective-driven” approach to getting the best shot and also demonstrates how he converts RAW files and color-corrects for printing, all the while demonstrating his color work and gorgeous foray into medium format black-and-white photography. Biggs also leads photography safaris, and his ability to teach his
by Susan Seubert ·Posted
As an assignment photographer for National Geographic Traveler for the last 10 years, I’ve learned that being prepared prior to leaving is the most important thing.
Research, Research, and More Research
The Internet has become my essential tool. I use a Google image search to help identify good locations for making iconic images. I also use it to find locales for an insider’s perspective. Locating a good paper map is also critical, particularly if you are heading to a place where satellite connectivity might be an issue. I also look at as many
And I’m not a pioneer of any style: I am just taking the kind of photos I like to take, using the principles of composition embraced by Cartier-Bresson and the street photography style forwarded by Klein and Winogrand, and applying them to a wedding.”
Some may beg to differ—after all, the “Ascough style” is a phrase often thrown around, referring to his black-and-white documentary wedding photography, and he is often mentioned as being one of the best wedding photographers in world. He is one of the