How to Take Photos Like the Great Joel Meyerowitz

Photographer and YouTuber Frederik Trovatten has just released episode three of his popular “How to take photos like…” series. He started with Vivian Maier, moved on to Robert Frank, and this week he’s breaking down the style and philosophy of the great Joel Meyerowitz.

When it comes to the work of Joel Meyerowitz, it’s really hard to “put him in a box.” The 82-year-old living legend has had an expansive career that’s hard to sum up in one “instantly recognizable” style. This fact, a virtue for Meyerowitz, made it difficult for Trovatten to narrow down the one or two aspects of Joel’s photographic style that he wanted to focus on in this video.

In the end, he settles on “35mm color street photography” and “street portraits,” making the first time he’s focused on color in this series.

As with the previous videos, Trovatten discusses these aspects of Meyerowitz’ style, shows some examples of his most iconic images, and then goes out to try and emulate the style in his own street photography. For the “35mm color street photography” portion he uses his Fujifilm X100F; for the “street portraits” portion of the program, he uses a classic Rolleiflex 2.8f.

Time and again throughout the video Trovatten returns to the same thought: Meyerowitz’ “relentless work ethic” and his mastery of the “fundamentals in street photography.” These things, combined with Meyerowitz’ ability to see every one of his subjects as a unique expression of their fundamental humanity, leads to the kinds of images that he has been able to capture.

Street portraits that seem almost too perfectly timed, or portraits too unassuming and candid, to be taken without some sort of magic helping to guide his lens… just visit his website to see a plethora of mind-blowing examples. The kind of street photography that makes you want to take street photos; the kind of portraiture that makes you want to take portraits.

Meeting these people and listening to them tell me a little bit about themselves… and if possible, I want to see if I can see your secret, whatever your hidden mystery is. If they can deliver something of their humanity—their compassion for themselves and others—they became more and more real.

[…]

If I’m walking down the street in Provencetown, people are just coming past me, and suddenly one person for some reason, has a kind of vibration that touches whatever my core vibration is, and I sense the possible harmony.” – Joel Meyerowitz on The Candid Frame Podcast

Check out the full video for more clips, examples, and Trovatten’s thoughts on what makes Joel’s work so iconic, or head over to his YouTube channel for more content like this. And if you really want to learn how to take photos like Joel Meyerowitz, keep in mind that the photographer himself has put together a Masters of Photography course.

(via ISO 1200)

Documenting the Life and Culture of Traditional Shepherds in Hungary

Photographer Zsolt Repasy describes himself as a photographer of “folklore, traditions & forgotten values,” and nowhere is that passion more obvious than in his images of Hungarian shepherds. After discovering that traditional shepherds are still alive and well in Hungary, he set out to immortalize their lives in a spirit of curiosity and openness.

Speaking with PetaPixel over email, Repasy’s respect for these cultures is palpable. There are no shortcuts, he explains, you have to put in the time and let your subjects reveal their own story. It’s a message we’ve heard from other talented documentary photographers as well.

“I’ve always been drawn to documentary photography, where people were in the focus, they were the subject matter. Their lives, feelings, battles, traditions, cultural backgrounds,” says Repasy. “I believe that the key to success in such “projects” or mission is curiosity and openness. You can’t barge in and ‘drop a bomb’ by starting to shoot photos right away. You need to build rapport, build connections and human relationships, ideally friendships.”

“You need to invest time, a lot of it actually. It happened and still happens sometimes that I literally take only 5 or maximum of 10 shots a day and maybe 1 comes out great,” he continues. “You need to accept that in such communities attention and time is valued more than in urban communities.”

This is the approach that he took when he went to document the traditional shepherds in Hungary.

“I’ve always been a bit nostalgic and just like most people, I was not aware that traditional shepherds still exist. In fact, fewer than in the past centuries, but they are still actively working almost the same way as their ancestors,” he tells PetaPixel. “Most shepherds I met in rural Hungary grew up in families that were shepherd dynasties for generations. […] In fact, they are the keepers/preservers of traditional rural culture in so many ways.”

“These shepherds take a lot of pride in what they do, as they preserve knowledge about the livestock, the animals, nature, weather, healing and so on, that was built up across centuries… or longer,” says Repasy. “Apart from the daily chore, I also like to photograph their special events, shepherd gatherings with live folk music. It provides a great contrast in mood, colours and atmosphere. Simplicity vs richly ornamented traditional clothes, silence and calmness vs music, singing and dance.”

All of these juxtaposing elements make an appearance in his images, which feel at once intimate and removed… captured by a participant on the one hand, and a respectful observer on the other:

For Repasy, these images are the beginning of a broader project—a bigger story—that he would like to share with the world. When asked what his goal was with this project, he told us:

Primarily I would like to ‘open the window’ to a wider audience to show this hidden culture, lifestyle and world. In the long-term, I plan to photograph shepherds across Europe, then later in other continents as well. Apart from my social media profiles, photo exhibitions help with this goal a lot as well. I had several exhibitions in Hungary in the past years in the most prestigious venues, and also in Prague earlier this year. I’d be super happy if my work could be exhibited and shown in art galleries in more countries to reach even more people.

Of course, right now galleries aren’t much of an option. So if you want to see more of Repasy’s work and explore the rest of this photo series, give him a follow on Instagram or check out his online portfolio.

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Image credits: All photos by Zsolt Repasy and used with permission.

Michael Sasser Talks About Dealing With Negativity in the Photo Industry

Many of you, like myself, have gone through the journey of putting yourself out there as a creative. It’s a part of the territory that goes into showing people your work: whether that’s having an Instagram profile and networking, or opening up a YouTube channel. Some of us may go even further and begin teaching and becoming a person that others go to for information about our craft.

In my own journey, I was warned that I’ll never escape horrible comments from people who don’t have anything better to do than to try to tear people down. Eventually, no matter what it was, it was impossible to escape the odd comment here and there that fit that description. Unfortunately, this is just a reality we have to accept in our industry. Even writing for photography blogs, we saw them in moderation where quite a few adults could not control themselves and act like decent humans. With that being said, there were also quite a few great ones, but it’s always the bad ones that stick out.

Recently Michael Sasser made an Instagram story that really connected with me. He shared the comments he received and he started making screenshots of them. Here are a few:

His strategy was was to put comments into two groups: Those who critique as a way to help you, and those who critique as a way to tear you down. Knowing which is which allows you not to waste your energy on those people who only want to see you fail.

We decided to speak over the phone and talk about it in-depth! Not only did we speak about haters in the public but in our private circles as well. Here are a few key takeaways:

1. Are the haters paying your bills? Are they your target client? If not, focus on people who ARE going to hire you. If you shoot boudoir and a 50 year old man says your pictures aren’t worth what you charge. Who cares? He isn’t who you are catering to.
2. Negative comments are often a projection of their own personal issues.
3. When it comes down to success of business, there may be jealousy at play. For instance, they may believe their work is amazing, and seeing someone who they don’t respect as much do better and get more clients can cause them to lash out as a form of projection. Quality of photographs don’t often reflect the prices of a photographer because that is only one aspect of a successful business. They use the wrong metric to decide why someone is worth their rate.
4. The hate not only comes from the outside but from family as well. When it doesn’t align with their social or moral views, they may lash out at times. Their own personal values instill their feelings toward a topic without taking the time to understand and ask questions. This knee-jerk reaction is unwarranted usually. It also opens up the opportunity to reach out and talk to them about it rather than being reactive.
5. With boudoir photography, we spoke about how even after trying to educate close friends and family about the industry, he mentioned how some have said that “women shouldn’t need those services to feel validated”. They may never truly understand and that’s okay too. Don’t let that be a reflection of why what you do is valid. Your journey does not require everyone to understand. You can only be available to give them the opportunity to understand.
6. Speaking of which, fear also plays a role. Their own fear of not being able to pursue their own path causes them to project and judge what you do in hopes it makes their unrealized efforts valid.
7. You also have to remember why we started, it wasn’t for the likes or comments. Whatever your reason was, keep reminding yourself of that in order to keep going through it when these times test you.
8. When you really look at it, we all usually receive more positive comments than negative ones even though it may feel quite the opposite. Keep those thoughts in mind and put more weight on them and keep going.
9. The person leaving negative comments often does so as a form of taking out what they are going through on someone else even if it has no relationship to the comment itself. They will often forget what they said moments later when they move on to the next thing they get annoyed with. So to let it linger on you longer than it is within them is useless.
10. Even when dealing with clients, negative comments often aren’t attacks as much as they are comments that help them reach the goal of getting a great end product.
11. People are usually non-confrontational so when it comes time to be confrontational, the initial message usually comes through with high energy that gets amplified when we see it. Similar to what people experience in customer support. They are used to raising their energy to get change. But you can absolutely change the energy of the interaction based on how you respond. This is useful in client situations in particular. It also works when someone is just being horrible, responding positively puts them in a position to reflect on it and adjust their tone too.

Ultimately you end up becoming numb to them or you figure out how to manage negativity in a way that doesn’t impact your drive. Negativity comes from all angles but how we manage it and learn when to expect it can be the key to success.

I hope you found this useful, and thank you to Michael for getting in depth with this topic! It’s much needed. Be sure to follow Michael on Instagram.

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About the author: Pratik Naik is a photo retoucher specializing in commercial and editorial work. To see his work, head over to his website or give him a follow on Instagram and Facebook. This article was also published here.

10 Easy Macro Photography Ideas You Can Try at Home

JT from the YouTube channel Run N Gun has put together a quick video that takes you through 10 easy macro photography ideas you can try from the comfort of your own home. If you’re looking for some weekend inspiration that won’t take you out of the house or wake you up at 4am, this ought to do it.

Macro photography tips/ideas/tutorials have been pretty popular this year, what with everyone stuck inside. But if you’re still stuck for ideas, or you’ve exhausted some of the other tutorials we’ve posted, JT shares (and shows) a few fresh options above.

Admittedly, a few of the ideas are pretty predictable—think leaves and jewelry—but he includes some interesting ones like using a big block of ice to capture abstract images or exploring the macro surfaces of your car. In short, the 10 ideas covered in the video are:

1. Plants & Leaves
2. Fancy glasses
3. Backlit water droplets
4. Jewelry (watches)
5. A block of ice
6. Musical instruments
7. Neon lights
8. Wood grain
9. Mechanical parts (nuts, bolts, gears)
10. Cars

And here are some of the images he captured while exploring each of these options:

Check out the full video up top to see all of these ideas in action—and more sample photos—and if you want need more ideas when you’re done dive into the PetaPixel archives. Whether you’re shooting macro or just looking for some “weird and creative” photography ideas you can try at home, we’ve got you covered.

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Image credits: All photos by Run N Gun and used with permission.

Tutorial: Make Your Own Hard-Cover Photography Portfolio

When I started freelancing as a professional photographer, I knew I had to put together a printed portfolio. Unfortunately, I found it very hard to find useful resources on the Internet on how to actually do this. As I had some experience in bookbinding I managed to bind my first book by myself, but after three books I realized that in this stage of my career, I needed to have something a little more flexible.

I was aware of books that worked with book screws, but I always thought they don’t open that well and I disliked the look of the screws going through the cover. After some research, I found some books that hid the screws behind the cover, and I realized that this will also help the whole opening mechanism. As I didn’t want a standardized book, I decided to create one myself.

In the interest of sharing, I filmed the creation of my latest book and put together a tutorial.

To follow this tutorial, you’ll need:

• Cardboard
• Glue
• Bookbinding linen
• Book screws
• Folding bone
• Hole puncher
• cutting machine (or a box cutter)

The book consists of a cover and a body, which function according to the same principle: gluing three cardboard elements to some bookbinding linen to create a hinge. After completing the two parts, they can simply be glued together, and the pages can be printed and added to the book. For a full, step-by-step breakdown, check out the video up top and follow along.

The process is pretty easy, and I’m certain that if you’re a little handy, you can create your own portfolio as well!

If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Instagram.

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About the author: Nicola Tröhler is a photographer and director based in switzerland. You can find more of his work on his website, or by following him on Instagram.

How to Make a Home Portrait Studio for as Little as $20

Pye Jirsa from Lin and Jirsa Photography and SLR Lounge dispels the idea that making a great home studio is expensive. In this 20-minute video, Jirsa explains how you can make a quick studio at home for as little as $20.

Though the whole video is 20 minutes long, much of it is spent going through a post-production regimen. You only need about 3.5 minutes to glean all the info you need to make that cheap studio in your own home.

Jirsa’s steps are fairly straightforward. First, you need to find a door that leads outside. The goal here is to take advantage of the bright, flat light that is generated during the day. Next, get a background. This is where that $20 comes in, as Jirsa recommends purchasing a large multi-sided reflector for this. As a note, that reflector is going to be far more useful than just in this application. Every kind of photographer and videographer has a use for a reflector in some capacity with nearly any shooting situation, so the $20 is going to go a long way.

Multi-sided reflectors will zip open to allow you access to those extra reflectors, and the interior of those reflectors is a translucent mesh called a scrim. Pye says that scrim will serve as a great background in this application.

The next step is to place your subject in front of that scrim and use that diffused ambient light as your background. From there, the last step is to just dial in your settings to your preferred look and take the photo.

The next 15 minutes of the video are spent explaining post-production methods to get the most out of a photo you would take in this setup and is certainly worth a watch. If you liked this video, you can get more tips from Adorama’s YouTube channel here.

(via SLR Lounge)

This is How a Match-Needle Exposure Meter From a 1971 Canon Works

Technology Connections, a YouTube channel that covers a wide array of interesting technology stories, has shared this 28-minute video that explores how the Canon F1 from 1971 works, with special detail focused on the camera’s light meter.

In addition to learning specific details about the Canon F1, the host actually goes into a lot of detail about both the history of terms like ISO and how f-stops are calculated, and how shutter speed and aperture work together to create an exposure. If you’re new to photography and want a fairly fast yet thorough explanation of how all the settings on modern cameras work, this video is a surprisingly good place to start.

The main topic of the video, though, is a technology called a match-needle exposure meter. It is the only part of the Canon F1 that requires a battery to operate and works differently than modern exposure meters. Match-needle exposure meters, also called selenium meters, are based on the photoelectric properties of the element selenium. According to a detailed breakdown of the technology here, selenium meters are an instrument “which is connected to the anode and cathode of a selenium photocell that produces more or less electric power when exposed to more or less light.”

It’s a fascinating old camera technology that isn’t used much today. They did not age well, as selenium cells tended to generate less current as they were used over the years and were exposed to the elements like light, heat, and moisture. As a result, many old selenium meters are not accurate today or are completely dead. However, it’s possible if a selenium meter was never used, it could still function perfectly fine despite its age.

For more information on match-needle exposure meters, you should read this detailed article here, and for more deep-dives into technology, you can subscribe to Technology Connections on YouTube.

How To Best Use the Powerful New Color Grading Tool in Lightroom

In the latest Lightroom update, Adobe removed the Split Toning tool and replaced it with Color Grading, a move that photographer Mark Denney explains in this 12-minute video has forever changed the way he develops color – for the better.

Denney says that of the three factors that make for a compelling landscape image – composition, light, and color – the most important of those is color. Since what you can do with composition and light is pretty limited in post, how you work with color is critically important during editing.

Lightroom’s newly-added Color Grading tool is, in Denney’s opinion, the most exciting update the platform has seen in a long time.

“If you’ve already updated to the newest version then you might have noticed that the section titled Split Toning has been removed, which may be a bit alarming,” Denney says. “But what it was replaced with is so so much better – more color control and precision then ever before. There’s even another much overdue and welcome change in the new Lightroom 10 update that has nothing to do with color that I’m pretty excited about as well!”

Denney covers details on how he uses the Color Grading tool, which should be familiar to anyone who has worked in Adobe Premiere in the last few years. It allows you to color the tone of shadows, midtones, and highlights independently, and also has controls for blending and balance. If you have been wondering how to best take advantage of the update, Denney’s instruction will prove invaluable.

For more from Denney, you can subscribe to his YouTube Channel or his host of photography tutorials.

(via Fstoppers)

Three ‘Foolproof’ Beauty Lighting Setups Using a Beauty Dish

Lindsay Adler is an accomplished portrait photographer and educator, and in this 11.5-minute video she explains three different, versatile, and easy-to-master lighting setups using a beauty dish as the key light.

With all beauty images, Adler makes a point that to get an outstanding result, you need to have great lighting, makeup, model choice, and retouching. All four of those factors are important, but in this video, Lindsay shows how to specifically manage the lighting aspect.

Portrait and beauty photographers often utilize a beauty dish because of the style of light it produces on skin. It works by reflecting light off an interior plate and back out onto a reflective, curved dish and onto your subject. When properly employed, it projects a soft, enveloping light that also has a fair level of contrast to it: a soft look that also has, as Adler says, some “pop.”

Below are detailed explanations for three different looks made possible by the beauty dish as a key light.

Clean Beauty

Adler says that this setup is her go-to for creating a glowing, high key image that sue utilizes for showcasing skincare. To mimic this setup, you are going to need three strobes.

Step 1: Begin by placing a 3×4 foot softbox directly behind your subject. This gives you a high key white background and creates rim lights that wrap around your subject and beautifully flatters their jawline and cheekbones.

Step 2: Add your main light (a white beauty dish) on a C-stand so it is centered in front of your subject.

Step 3: Put a 1×4 foot strip softbox underneath your subject’s chin to fill the shadows. This is called clamshell lighting.

Adler makes a note that this particular photo uses understated makeup to highlight the “fresh” and “glowing” nature of the image.

Warm Skin Look

In this setup, Adler says her goal is to create a warm image with a focus on healthy-looking skin and hair. She typically uses a beige or cocoa-colored seamless paper background based on the model’s skin tones. To replicate this look, you only will need two strobes.

Step 1: Set up a white beauty dish as your main light. It can be centered or slightly to the right of the frame.

Step 2: Add a strobe with a 20-degree grid to light the background.

Step 3: Bow or move the model’s hair to create energy or interest.

Luxurious Hair

Adler says that this look is meant to portray a darker, more dramatic look that has an element of luxury to it. She recommends a darker background, like black, for “richer” results. The focus here is on cosmetics, and making the image look expensive. To replicate this setup, you’re going to need three or four strobes

Step 1: Use a centered silver beauty dish for a bit more contrast. Switching to silver adds more contrast than the white does.

Step 2: Add two strip softboxes (1×4 feet) on either side of the frame as rim lights. Raise them up tall so they illuminate the top the hair.

Step 3: Place a silver bounce reflector under the chin to brighten the shadows or consider a fourth strobe if you have one.

You can see more from Lindsay Adler on her Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube Channel for more video tutorials like this one.

(via SLR Lounge)

Image Credits: Lindsay Adler and used with permission.

Instagram Temporarily Blocks ‘Recent’ Hashtags Ahead of US Election

In an attempt to prevent the “real-time spread of potentially harmful content” through its platform, photo sharing app Instagram has temporarily removed the “Recent” tab from hashtag pages ahead of the US Presidential election.

The change was announced through the Instagram Comms Twitter account (the irony…), where the company said that it will be making some changes that “make it harder for people to come across possible misinformation on Instagram […] as we near the U.S. elections.” First up: removing the “Recent” tab from hashtag pages.

Starting today, for people in the U.S. we will temporarily remove the “Recent” tab from hashtag pages. We’re doing this to reduce the real-time spread of potentially harmful content that could pop up around the election.

— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) October 29, 2020

This is cited as a “temporary” change that went into effect yesterday, although Instagram does not specify when the Recent tab will be turned back on. Ostensibly this will happen after the election on November 3rd, but given the contentious political climate in the US and widespread fear that election results could be challenged in court, it’s possible the feature won’t be back for some time.

Facebook CEO and Instagram’s owner Mark Zuckerberg voiced this exact concern during an earnings call yesterday, saying:

I’m worried that with our nation so divided and election results potentially taking days or weeks to be finalized, there is a risk of civil unrest across the country. Given this, companies like ours need to go well beyond what we’ve done before.

Translation: this is probably one of many changes coming to the world’s most popular photo sharing app as we near election day.

(via Engadget)

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Image credits: Header illustration created using photo by Element5 Digital, CC0

Shooting an NFL Game in an Empty Stadium During COVID

Photographer Paul Rutherford is back with another behind the scenes look at what it’s like shooting professional sports during the pandemic. Previously he took us to a spectator-free MLB game at Fenway Park; today he’s showing us what it’s like working an NFL game in an empty Gillette Stadium.

Just like his MLB behind-the-scenes video, Rutherford goes into quite a bit of detail on what he can and can’t do, where he can and can’t go, and how he’s able to work within those rules to shoot, edit, and submit the kinds of images that his editors (and the public) are looking for… all from the stadium’s empty stands.

He also explains how he and the other USA Today photographer coordinate to make sure that they’re not capturing the same sorts of photos, creating a helpful diagram that shows his two favorite shooting positions for NFL photography.

Here’s a quick peek behind the scenes:

Photo by Brian Fluharty -USA TODAY Sports

Photo by Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini

The video is titled a “Day In The Life of A Sports Photographer,” but of course this particular day is anything but typical. Shooting from the stands instead of the field is a new experience that is both good and bad. On the one hand, it changes the kinds of photos you can capture; on the other hand, Rutherford says he kind of enjoys it.

“It’s actually kind of nice shooting from the stands and being able to edit from the stands,” he explains. “Definitely you can’t get the same types of images, but you can still get a lot of great stuff and it’s still a fun time to go out there and shoot those games.”

Check out the full video up top to see what it’s like for yourself, and if you want to see more of Rutherford’s work, you can watch his MLB during COVID video here and explore his portfolio on his website or by following him on Instagram.

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Image credits: All photos by Paul Rutherford unless otherwise credits. All images used with permission.