Art of Photography

Expectations in ICM are very different from traditional photography. The advice – the teaching - is also different. Those of us sharing how to approach ICM to do it differently than traditional photography instructors or group leaders. The process is so very different. I remember being at photography sites like a waterfall in Yosemite, the Mormon [...]

I belong to a local photography club. Every month we have a photo competition with an assigned subject. During the winter months, one of the assigned subjects was action figures. This subject is great for indoor photo opportunities, but I don’t really own any toys, and the fact I don’t own them might also show my [...]

Bird Photography If you like nature and you are looking for a bit of a photographic challenge, you might want to consider photographing birds.  Maybe you are already into bird photography, but you are quite getting the types of shots you are hoping for.  Here, I will take some time to share some tips and tricks [...]

When we shoot blur, we are taking away that element most people rely on when looking at photography – sharpness.  One of my favorite ways to compose ICM shots is using lines and shapes as guides for my movement. They also provide elements of clarity or sharpness that make the image much more relatable than an [...]

Critique - A Path To Creating Exceptional Photography I was given a helping hand at the beginning of my photographic journey. I was taught the value of critique and more importantly, how to use it to advance my skills. It is my compass. My own journey would be less rich without it. And much less successful. [...]

Want to kick your photography up a notch, but you’re unsure on which rules to apply? Making sense of all the many “composition” rules can be challenging sometimes, especially if you’re not a theoretic type of person.  However, once you get them down, they will make wonders for your artistic expression without you even noticing it. [...]

Look around you and all you are going to see are shapes. There are very few things in this world that don’t have a shape. In art and in photography, shape definition is one of the six classic design elements, such as line, form, texture, color and space. As a photographer, you have to know how [...]

It’s surprising what we can do with a camera once we quit coloring between the lines and start thinking outside the box.   Whispers are caught as we let time gather on the sensor.  In the case above a full second passed while the camera dipped and weaved a bit gathering its data.  It takes practice [...]

The figure to the ground relationship is one of the most important, but often overlooked concepts in photography. Painters have been using it for ages, but with photography, the methodology is a bit different, so it’s not always easy to translate painting tools. A good figure to the ground relationship is considered when the line between [...]

All of my life I’ve been chasing what I see out of the corner of my eye; those elusive visions, slightly blurred and a bit magical. But when I turn and focus on them, they disappear into ordinary. I wanted to learn how to capture that state of blur. It’s what caught my eye in the [...]

Travel photography always creates a sense of urgency in me. When I arrive at a new place I can easily be overwhelmed with awe. Sights, sounds, smells and fatigue all conspire to overpower my brain. My urge is to try and capture it all, and it takes conscious effort to slow down and organize my thoughts. [...]

Everyone feels a little bit under the weather sometimes. Maybe you’re feeling sick or just tired and you aren’t able to push yourself to go out today. But you don’t always have to go outside to take pictures, sometimes the best moments are hidden right in front of your nose. To get started, try out some [...]

If you have been working with photography for a while, you’ve most likely considered preparing a photo exhibition of your work at some point. Showing your photographs publicly can be incredibly satisfying; it gives you a sense of accomplishment and boosts your confidence. But preparing a photo exhibition can bring a lot of work and stress, [...]

There’s nothing quite like smoke-bomb photography. Exuding a sense of mystery, it automatically draws viewers in to wonder what is really happening behind the image.  From dark, mystical, urban shots to ethereal engagement photos in the woods, smoke bombs have been making a major appearance in photo trends; and while they look straightforward to use, they [...]

Street photography is all about being in the right place at the right time. You are creating a portrait of a local community, a city or a whole country. You have a chance to document a part of history or to send a powerful message over social media with just one shot. So don’t waist your [...]