There are so many of you who aren't food photographers, but over and over again, you're in situations where you're capturing images of food, usually wedding cakes, glasses of champagne etc.  Often times the request is from a client who's involved in some aspect of the food world and asks you if you can help them with an image for a menu or a website.

I love this series "The Breakdown" with Miguel Quiles. I grabbed the video above, because it's the perfect way for you to get started and raise the bar on a few of your food shots. And, while we all recognize a Big Mac, pay attention to the way Miguel has accomplished the lighting and chosen depth of field.

On a totally unrelated side note - I can't help but wonder how many of those I ate as a kid, usually two at a time with a shake and fries - 2000+ calories - Ouch! LOL

There are fifteen videos in Miguel's series - each one a short introduction to another technique and skill set!

I've written a lot about Adorama's new Learning Center. To check out this new and amazing resource, just click on the ALC banner to the right. You won't be disappointed. In fact, they are so diverse in their topics, it's a great place to scroll through any time you have a new project you might not be totally familiar with.

As always, Adorama lives true to their tagline - "more than a camera store!"

Since the launching of Adorama's new Learning Center, I've had a blast exploring each topic, webinar, and blog post. To just say "there's a ton of great content" would be a serious understatement. What I love the most is the way they've managed to stay true to their goal of being a terrific educational resource. That means they're soft-sell, not an easy thing for any retailer to do, but it's what makes Adorama true to its tagline, "more than a camera store."

I stumbled into their video "Gear" section which is loaded with product reviews like the one below. They're by imaging artists actually using the products and sharing their experiences. There's also a product review section covering just about every gear application in their blog.

I especially like the video below, because it not only gives you a great example of how to put together a documentary story, but the Behind the Scenes component introduces you to the artists involved; shares their experiences in working with Panasonic's DVX-200 and explains how the vision in their mind's eyes became a reality.

So, before you buy any new gear, check out this section of the Learning Center. Just click on the "Gear" header at the top of the page or, to wander through the front door of the Learning Center, click on their logo to the left.

A big congrats to Steve Remich and Reiley Wooten for "Breaking Through" and Sal D'alia for the Behind the Scenes of the video with Steve and Reiley sharing thoughts about the product and their production.

By Skip Cohen

I don't usually post very much about contests, but Adorama has teamed up with Nigel Barker and it's going to be a kick!  What an experience for five participants, as well as the exposure for the winner. We're all familiar with reality shows, but this one that takes full advantage of your skill set as a photographer.

But, it's not just the contest I love. It's the way they packed the excitement into a 29 second video and the presentation on the contest page itself. Just click on the collage of images above for more information to submit your entry!

I've written a lot about Adorama being so much more than a camera store. Well, here's a prime example of an event coming up that's about to become so much fun to follow. They're carving out their own little piece of photo industry history and it's your chance to get more involved!

Adorama's new Learning Center is loaded with great content covering virtually every challenge in photography and here's a prime example. 

We're coming up on the July 4th weekend and so many of you are going to attempt to capture images of fireworks displays. Whether you're a working professional and just need a refresher course or you're a serious hobbyist trying to capture a fireworks images for the first time, David Bergman's two-minute list of tips is perfect to help you set the stage for capturing great images.

Like all of the educators in the Adorama Learning Center, David is one of the very best:

David Bergman is a New York based music and sports photographer. He has worked with the likes of Bon Jovi, Barenaked Ladies, and more. He has acheived 13 Sports Illustrated covers, pioneered the GigaPan technique, and produced still and video projects for some of the most reputable companies in the world. 

Just click on the image above to visit Adorama TV and check out this amazing resource. It's loaded with thousands of videos, blogs and webinars, each helping you raise the bar on your skill set.

Now, click on the banner below and bookmark the new ALC. Also, many of you work out of your home, there's a terrific blog post on managing a home studio. It's highlighted right on the ALC home page!  

Living up to their tagline, Adorama is so much more than a camera store!

by Skip Cohen

Going back to my Hasselblad days and working together with Tony Corbell to build Hasselblad University, I learned the importance of being soft-sell along with developing great partnerships. I realized early on that everyone knew about Hasselblad. So, we focused on helping photographers build a stronger skill set. We knew if we could help make them stronger artists, they'd increase revenue, strengthen their business and eventually buy Hasselblad gear when they could afford it.

Adorama's focus on education is very much the same, except they have something we didn't have back in my Hasselblad days: the Internet! Their reach is remarkable, but not just for viewers, but within the industry with terrific manufacturer and supplier relationships. Their expanded focus on education through the new Adorama Learning Center offers artists what might well be the largest industry resource of videos, posts, and webinars in imaging today. They cover virtually every topic, but they don't stop there.

​LIVE programming is important and just about every week there's something going on in their store. Here's a perfect example:  Tony Gale is an outstanding, award-winning portrait photographer and on Monday, June 27 he's teaching two workshops thanks to X-Rite Photo & Video and Adorama. It's FREE, but you need to register. He'll be teaching at 3:00 PM and again at 5:00 PM - LIVE in the store.

Whether you're a working pro, aspiring to be a pro or a dedicated hobbyist you've got to learn to manage color. Just eyeballing it and saying, "That's good enough!" will NEVER help you in your quest for the ultimate image. 
 
I had some fun wandering through Tony Gale's galleries and pulled a few personal favorites below. Check his galleries out for yourself, by clicking on any image. Then, if you're in the NY/NJ area put his workshop on your calendar for Monday at Adorama. You won't be disappointed. And, when it comes to color calibration, check out X-Rite Photo & Video. It's so important to put the same quality into your output that you do into the capture of every image!

I'm a huge fan of environmental portraits and loved these two images from Tony's galleries. A great environmental portraits tells the story of the subject without a single printed word and color quality is a huge part of making that story work!

Intro by Skip Cohen

Technology is constantly changing.  Every day there are new opportunities to expand your skill set. In fact, in the 175+ years of photography there have never been more creative tools to help you capture outstanding images. Making sure you understand all of those tools is the team at the Adorama Learning Center.  They've developed a never-ending stream of new videos, blog posts and live programs, helping photographers raise the bar on their images, business and skill set.

Here's one of their newest additions, with Dirk Dallas. A few weeks ago I shared the first in the series as Dirk went through the process of unpacking a new DJI Phantom 4.  Working with a drone might not be in your skill set today, but somewhere down the road you're going to have an application and need to know what you're doing.

In this newest video, Dirk does an outstanding job taking us through some of the key features of the DJI Phantom 4. It's remarkable how smart this new drone is. Even more remarkable is the potential for new business, depending on your application.

My favorite talk show host is back and this time with one of my favorite people in the industry, Andrew Funderburg. And, even more fun, and relevant, is the topic of street photography. It's summer time and many of you are going to be traveling and there's always an opportunity to capture a completely unplanned image. I love the logic behind Fundy's passion for street photography, which he shares in the interview.

Two years ago Fundy shared what's become one of my favorite guest posts here at SCU. Put this post together with Tamara's interview and you'll have a terrific foundation for getting to know one of the industry's most diverse artists.

Speaking of diversity, put the Adorama Learning Center on your radar. They've created one of the strongest, most diverse educational resources in photography. The new learning center makes it easy to find help on hundreds of different topics, each designed to help you build a stronger skill set.

Check out Fundy Designer, it's just a click away. And, there are 72 episodes of the reDefine show in Adorama's archives. Each one is loaded with great content about people you need to know - the movers and shakers of imaging!

by Skip Cohen

There's a great joke I heard years ago - "Do you know why does it takes millions of sperms to fertilize one egg?"
"None of them will ask for directions!" 

Okay, so it's on the edge of being inappropriate content, but it does make a point about a stereotypical guy thing of never asking for directions/help. However, I've noticed with photographers, both men, and women, when it comes to new gear, most of you jump right in rarely reading the instruction manual. You never ask for directions!

This is a new video from AdoramaTV's new website. It hits on a topic I never thought I'd find not only relevant but interesting. Drone photography is an art form and skill set all its own. This is the first episode in this new series with Dirk Dallas.  He takes us through the first step - the out-of-box experience with a new DJI Phantom 4.

Put Dirk and this new series in your favorites. Drone photography, regardless of your photographic specialty, is a completely new adventure. For many of you it's going to be a necessary skill set to grow your business and expand the creativity of your presentations. 

As an example, we're in the process of selling our home. I took the original photographs which I was pretty proud of. A few weeks later the realtor brought in two professionals. The images of the interior made mine look like the work of a complete amateur.  Even better were the drone images they included showing the house from an elevated view from the front and a few hundred feet up, showing the entire neighborhood. These images have made a huge difference in the interest we're seeing from potential buyers.

Adorama recently launched their new learning center and AdoramaTV now has its own website. They're both loaded with great content and focus on education, helping you raise the bar on your skill set. And, with each new video and article they never sway from supporting their tagline - "more than a camera store!"

by Skip Cohen

We all tend to look at most of the photographic retailers the same way - they're gateways for us to get the gear we need. Critical issues with any retailer are always price, service and availability. Adorama nails all three, but there's one more ingredient that's important - support of education. Last week Adorama expanded their commitment to photographers at all skill levels with a new site for the Adorama Learning Center.

The great thing about the Internet is that you don't have to take my word for it or anybody else's. Check it out for yourself with a click on their new logo to the right.

The new ALC is sharing new content every day. Put it together with their new Facebook page and you've got two outstanding points of contact to stay in touch with what's new, great how-to support and events going on in the industry.

The banner at the top is a screen grab I did under the "How-to" photo category. Sharing space in the same drop down was video along with audio, tech and accessories. In fact, those five categories tie back to all four of the main tabs. You'll also find a link directly to AdoramaTV,  home of over 1600 videos all in support of education.

What a kick to have so much great content in one source!  Adorama's tag line says it all..."more than a camera store."