Editor's Notes

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George Schaub  |  Aug 01, 2010  | 

Point of view is determined by many factors, and is one of the most important aspects of making photos that define who you are and how you see. It can be where you stand, whether you are photographing from your normal height or elevating above the subject or shooting from kneeling position, the direction of light from your shooting position, and, perhaps most important, how much of the scene...

George Schaub  |  Jul 01, 2010  | 

Photography and travel have always been inextricably linked. As soon as a camera could be hauled about, by mule, porter, or on the back of the photographer, pictures from every locale were made. They might be exotic images from far-off lands, bucolic scenes away from the city’s strife, or just postcards that adorned a cathedral’s gift shop, but if it had trees, pyramids, or boats...

George Schaub  |  Jun 01, 2010  | 

One question I have heard posed recently is whether, in the Internet age, socialization and learning among like-minded individuals can’t be better accomplished via the web. Sounds stupid, right? Yet many folks would have you believe that you can learn everything you need to know in whatever the realm of discussion or experience from the net. Thus, the rise of “webinars” and...

George Schaub  |  May 01, 2010  | 

When pictures went digital it meant that images were information that could be treated as malleable things that could be edited like a text document. Along with custom processing programs with their attendant benefits came the ability to send and share images via the web, which for some meant that events and family pics could be easily shared and for others created a whole new approach to...

George Schaub  |  Apr 01, 2010  | 

More pro photographers than you might imagine have been forged by the fire of the wedding photography trade. There is little to compare with the challenges of that combination of business and shooting knowledge and skill required. A typical wedding day can include portraits, still life, posing, lighting, exposure, photojournalism, classic groups, action, low-light, night, and even candle-lit...

George Schaub  |  Mar 01, 2010  | 

In this issue we explore the myriad options for organizing, processing, and creating new visions from your digital image files. As with many things photographic, digital processing often stirs debate about the “purity” of the image, about what is real and what is “fake” when you begin to alter the image information. Indeed, some film photographers dismiss the entire...

George Schaub  |  Feb 01, 2010  | 
There are profound changes occurring on the exposure side of photography that will cause many of us to rethink how we read, and even approach light. As you know, contrast has always been the problem, one more or less attacked with the Zone System (exposure and development to place tonal values) and even slight overexposure of color negative film, where dye clouds rather than silver could be...
George Schaub  |  Jan 01, 2010  | 

As we come to the end of what could kindly be described as a challenging year, we look forward to lots of new photo developments coming in 2010. What began 170 years ago as a fairly provincial art practiced by a small group of scientists, dabblers, and entrepreneurs has turned into the most democratic of all forms of visual communication, with images made five minutes ago immediately available...

George Schaub  |  Dec 01, 2009  | 

’Tis the time of year when many magazines and newspapers and even websites hit you with their annual gift guide, tips for everything from stocking stuffers to big-ticket items. While the latter might have to wait until things improve, photographers and their kin and kindred have many such items available to them, being by nature collectors and, as Joe Farace says, tinkers who are...

George Schaub  |  Nov 01, 2009  | 

As the mixed bag of camera reviews in this month’s issue shows, there are many ways you can travel the photographic road these days. These range from the arcane to the elaborate, from pocket-sized digicams with extensive controls to full-fledged pro systems with interchangeable film/digital backs. The system you choose will necessarily match what you like or need to capture, be it casual...

George Schaub  |  Oct 01, 2009  | 

I tend to separate light into two distinct areas—that supplied by the one true light source, the sun, and the other by the inventiveness and ingenuity of people, namely flash, a controlled explosion, and continuous, usually some form of filament, spark, and vapor, or controlled burn. My tendency is to seek out natural or ambient light whenever I can, mainly because I like the hunt and the...

George Schaub  |  Sep 01, 2009  | 

Once upon a time we’d bring our roll of film into a lab and wait expectantly for the prints. Upon opening the envelope we’d be surprised or perhaps disappointed, but for the most part we’d accept what was given us, despite the fact that the sky was not as blue as we saw, or a face didn’t have quite the right tone. That was then. These days we have the right (some would...

George Schaub  |  Aug 01, 2009  | 

I have used just about every type of lens in my work, from super wides to fisheyes and PCs to mirrors. I have worked with super teles that focused “like buttah” to clunkers that when in AF mode chattered like hyperactive squirrels. While some lens choices are always dictated by the shot at hand, I thought I’d share some advice about lenses based on my experience with both...

George Schaub  |  Jul 01, 2009  | 

Many of the reports in this issue were generated by our team of reporters covering PMA, the recent US photo trade show. While some new cameras have come out in the last few months, many of which we now have under test, there were, quite frankly, a lack of same at what is usually the premier site for such announcements. I can’t help but feel that some new cameras are waiting in the wings...

George Schaub  |  Jun 01, 2009  | 

“Photographers owe nothing to reality.”—Fred Picker, 1988

An image sits in front of you on the monitor, something you caught on some stroll or an intentional trip into some world space that you wanted to share with the rest of the inhabitants, and there is something right about it and something wrong, something you missed along the way or that dropped out from...

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