 Intro by Chamira Young While it's great to know the technical aspects of your camera, it's just as important to understand how to masterfully execute your vision within your chosen niche as an artist. That's why we're featuring the high key imagery of fine art photographer Lisa Langell today. With every beautiful image she creates, she understands who it's best suited for. Her target market is the home decor buyer who wants to adorn their sunroom, kitchen, or bedroom with tasteful images, and her pieces fall under the category of decorative art. With her craft comes a deep understanding that her perfect client desires softer, more gentle images that intelligently use negative space. Rather than a super-realistic photo, they want an artist's interpretation of that image. Lisa has found her niche, and she's such an inspiration to her fellow creatives! Using her Tamron SP 90mm VC Macro and the SP 24-70mm VC G2 zoom lenses, she's able to capture stunning images that will make you want to fill your home's walls. Click on either image below to learn more about these great lenses. We love the constant inspiration the Tamron team brings to the table. Check out the post below!
How to Shoot: High-Key Photography Lisa Langell uses the Tamron SP 90mm VC Macro and SP 24-70mm VC G2 lenses to create minimalist decorative art for homes and offices. By Jenn Gidman Images by Lisa Langell A variegated tulip sprinkled with dew, a hummingbird flitting about a fuchsia, a daffodil basking in the morning light, its creamy yellow corona stretching skyward. These are Lisa Langell’s subjects for her high-key imagery, delicately positioned in front of her camera and ready to be exposed to the masses—or overexposed, in this case.  “I love high-key photography because it's so simple,” Lisa says. “Not necessarily always simple to photograph, but simple to enjoy. It’s so minimalistic, light, airy, and pretty, allowing your subjects to stand out on their own.”  The high-key images Lisa creates with her Tamron SP 90mm VC Macro and SP 24-70mm VC G2 zoom lenses are targeted toward clients who are looking to enhance their home decor. “I like to call these pieces decorative art—once you hang one of these images on your wall, it becomes just that,” Lisa says. “Most of my clients who go for this type of photo don’t want super-realistic photography in their home. They’re looking for something softer and gentler, images that have plenty of negative space and work within their decor. I can see many of these images in someone’s sunroom or kitchen or bedroom.”  Lisa has a DIY indoor studio she uses for her close-ups, using white studio boxes lit from the outside in as her backdrop. “I light it from three sides and create a diffused light,” she says. “I tend to use less light in front of my subject, so that when I expose my subject, it’s exposed properly and my background gets blown out.” For her outdoor shoots, Lisa takes advantage of natural light, either with or without a white backdrop. “You want a bright background, and subjects that are much darker than your background,” she says. “You also want a diffused light background, with your subject backlit, so avoid full sun. Hazy, gray sky days are perfect for high-key photography. You don't want any direct light on your subject.”  On occasion, Lisa will use flash, such as when she’s photographing hummingbirds, but as a steward of nature and wildlife, she’s done her homework on how to use such lighting ethically. “I use a five-flash setup for my hummingbird photos, using extremely low-powered flashes,” she says. “I've done extensive research in peer-reviewed journals on birds and flash photography, and I have a link on my site explaining my research. I’m very cognizant of photographing ethically without harming the birds.” Read the rest of the post here.
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  Learn more about this great lens! Intro by Chamira Young As the economy and world slowly opens up post pandemic, it's important to foster your creativity as an artist. That's why we're excited to share a healthy dose of inspiration that will take you across the globe! Today we're proud to feature photographer Shawn Ogulu as he traverses the South African terrain using the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD lens for Sony E Mount. This video is truly an adventure as Shawn travels by both foot and kayak to capture breathtaking images from dynamic vantage points. With a flair for the cinematic, you get a taste for this photographer's creativity as well as what this great lens can do. This ultra wide-angle lens is perfect for both regular use and travel photography because it's light weight and compact. It will truly help you bring your vision to life while maximizing your enjoyment as a photographer. We love the great content the Tamron team constantly brings to the industry. Check out the video below!  Images copyright Taylor Brumfield. All rights reserved. If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you - like a fever. Sam Walton by Skip Cohen One of the unique things about the last year with the pandemic is that we all went through it. We all learned to "hunker down," an expression I never used before 2020. We were all dealing with a level of controlled isolation and social distancing, and a lot of us learned to "pivot." There's another word that was only in my vocabulary when talking about basketball. Chef Taylor Brumfield, while hunkered down, needed to expand her skillset and pivot into product photographer, which included a touch of animation to many of her images. But here's a fun part of Taylor's backstory - she learned to pivot long before the pandemic. She expanded her teaching skills with her retouching classes just after becoming a new Mom and needing to be home with her daughter. And her husband is in the Navy, and she's had to pivot each time they've moved over the years because of relocation. As a Tamron Image Master, Chef Taylor is shooting with a variety of Tamron lenses. We featured some of her images with the SP24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 lens in last week's post. Tamron's SP 90mm F2.8 Di VC USD Macro lens is another favorite, and we've included it in today's gallery. Just click on the banners below for more information about these remarkable pieces of glass! Check out her website, galleries, and retouching schedule with a click on any of her images in this post. And if you're headed to IUSA in January, I'm sure Taylor will be involved at what promises to be an outstanding convention. The pandemic didn't slow Taylor down from capturing and creating beautiful images, and Tamron never slowed down either. They're making some of the finest optics in imaging with the quality needed to help raise the bar on your images. Click on the banner below for their special savings program going on through July 4, 2021. Things are easing up, and slowly, we're getting back to normal. So, it's time to get back out there and start rebuilding your business and make it even stronger than it was before the pandemic.   
Images copyright Taylor Brumfield. All rights reserved. 
Both images above captured with Tamron's SP 90mm F2.8 Di VC USD Macro lens  
    by Skip Cohen For those who never shot with film, the expression "right out of the can" meant everything was done in camera. The "can" referenced a roll of film. According to Google, today, that's "Straight Out Of Camera," simply meaning that an image can be good enough to print straight from the camera without further processing. Jonathan Thorpe shared the image on Facebook yeterday with the following "how-to" explanation: Portrait I shot last night of my good friend and talented Daniel Duffin The cool part about this shot it it’s all done in camera! How? It’s actually fairly simple, the background is a Westcott FJ400 in a large parabolic umbrella, gelled with a mix or orange and yellow. The key light was another FJ400 into a beauty dish camera right. The affect you’re seeing is called dragging the shutter. I’m shooting at 1/10 of a second here and also using rear curtain sync. Rear curtain means the flash fires at the end of the shutter movement, not the beginning. So it is exposing, you move the camera, causing the background light to bleed into the image, then right before the exposure is done, the flash fires, freezing the face. Viola! Shot with the Fuji GFX 100 and my Tamron Lenses USA 85/1.8VC
Click on either banner for information on both of these outstanding products! Jonathan Thorpe needs to be on your radar. Check out his website and then follow him on Facebook and Instagram. He's always sharing great content!
 Images copyright Taylor Brumfield. All rights reserved.
 Missed any of the previous episodes of Tamron Recipes? They're all just a click away. by Skip Cohen When Chamira and I started the Tamron Recipes project, we completely underestimated the diversity of the "Chefs" who would be sharing their journeys with us. The analogy of comparing artists to chefs becomes more and more appropriate with each post and podcast. And just like great chefs, there's always a common denominator in their focus - their love for the craft. For May and episode twenty-nine in the series, we're moving to an entirely new cuisine with Chef Taylor Brumfield. Based out of Virginia and a Tamron Image Master, she's a photographer, retoucher, and educator. Passionate about growing her skill set and business, she started her journey in portraiture, fashion, and beauty, but as you'll hear her discuss in the upcoming podcast, the pandemic made it necessary to pivot into product photography and animation. Contact with every Tamron chef always starts with a phone call and a conversation about the project. Talking with Taylor, it was so easy to find a great quote that matches her dedication and love for the craft. If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you - like a fever. Sam Walton I'll admit it's a quote that coming out of a pandemic might seem inappropriate, but after that first conversation with Taylor, her love for the craft, Tamron, and the industry was contagious. She believes in education, expanding her skillset, and helping other photographers to do the same. About the Lead Image: I had already been experimenting somewhat with adding active elements to my photography in order to elevate and broaden my client offerings. But those initial experiments were mostly stop motion where the actual product or aspects of the product were in motion or engaging with the environment. I decided to start playing with the idea of “portals” where I open up pockets of the scene or of the product and introduce a second scene that strengthens the visual concept of the scene but isn’t necessarily something that would or could happen organically without digital manipulation. I think it brings a fantastical element to the scenes and engages the viewers imagination in a way that leaves them wanting to see more and really stretches the possibilities of what I am able to do with my personal work as well as my client work. We hope you'll take the time to visit Taylor's website, and if you've got an interest in expanding your skills to retouching, check out her classes.
 While Taylor has a number of favorite Tamron lenses, for all three images in today's post she used the SP24-70mm F2.8 Di VC G2 lens. Click on the thumbnail to the right for more information, and join us on her podcast next week when she'll talk about the importance of diversity in your skill set and knowing when to pivot. Tamron never slows down in their programs to help artists raise the bar on the quality of their images. Check out their listing of local events, all within the appropriate safety and physical distancing guidelines. While I'm looking forward to the day when I don't feel the need to mention anything about the pandemic, some of you are still missing the point. Business is slowly coming back and creating some incredible opportunities for photographers to demonstrate leadership in creativity and marketing. Hunkering down has always been about your health, NOT about growing as an artist and expanding your skillset. Growth only happens outside your comfort zone. Now it the time for you to increase activity in social media and spend time with your camera in your hands every day, capturing images for your most important client...YOU! There are eight different lenses featured in Tamron's new rebate program - going on now through July 4. Click on the banner below for more information.   Chef Taylor's new podcast is just a click away!
  Click on the image above to learn about this great lens! By Chamira Young It's no secret that we're big fans of the work of macro photographer Rhonda Coe, and for good reason. Her photography is as stunning as it is creative! Her body of work draws in the viewer's eye with her technical knowledge, as well as her attention to every detail. In today's post, we offering a fascinating glimpse into Rhonda's macro world as she describes her creative process during this past spring. Her lens of choice is the Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 VC macro lens, with one of the big reasons being its vibration control feature, which allows her to shoot handheld much of the time. Read the full post below, and take note of how she seeks to find the unusual no matter where she is. She also describes some challenges she's had to overcome while shooting. So whether you're in your own backyard at home or traveling across the state, remember to look for inspiration everywhere! We love the inspiration the team and Tamron is constantly bringing to the photography industry. How to: Shoot Backyard Macro Rhonda Coe’s Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 VC macro lens helps her create extraordinary photos in the most ordinary of places. By Jenn Gidman Images by Rhonda Coe This past winter seemed especially long, and no spring has ever felt so welcome. For macro photographers like Rhonda Coe, one respite during the long season was the ability to keep taking pictures, whether it was in her driveway, out in her yard, or in her kitchen at her Ohio home. “The goal I set for myself while shooting macro, no matter what time of year I’m shooting, is to seek out the unusual—the things you don’t usually see people taking pictures of, like weeds or ugly insects,” she says. For the past several years, Rhonda has relied on the Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 VC lens to compose her macro creations. “It’s difficult to shoot macro on a tripod, because I’m climbing into the bushes, chasing after bugs, and getting down low, so most of the time, I shoot handheld,” she says. “The 90mm’s Vibration Control (VC) feature ensures I get the compensation I need for any camera shake. I also appreciate the focus limiter switch on the side of the lens, which helps me achieve focus more quickly when I know the distance of the subject I want to have in focus. Another bonus with this lens: I don’t use it just for macro. I’ve taken landscape photos and portraits with it as well. I can keep the 90mm on my camera all day and take so many different types of pictures. It’s very conducive to getting my creative juices flowing.” Enjoy some recent macro photos Rhonda has shot with the 90mm, as well as her explainers on how she compensated for some of the challenges that popped up during her sessions.
Dandelion seeds can be challenging to photograph, as even the tiniest breeze can cause your picture to go out of focus. I’d taken photos of the entire dandelion shown here, but it looked a little chaotic, so I started focusing more on the core. I liked how you could see how all of the seeds were attached in the middle. In post-processing, I gave the image a more bluish-orange tone and cropped it real close so you couldn’t see all of the grass and other stuff behind it, which would’ve been distracting. This paper wasp was flitting about with the bumblebees I was photographing. These wasps are somewhat aggressive, so I had to stand about 2 feet back. Luckily, even though the wasp wasn’t feeding on the nectar, it hung out on that flower for a few minutes, giving me enough time to fire off several shots that I was then able to focus-stack.  Epalpus signifer is a species of bristle fly, and one of them was flying from flower to flower on the holly bush in my yard. He was pretty big, about an inch long. Because it was timid and seemed afraid of me, I took this photo from about 4 feet away, then cropped the image. I love how the 90mm macro was able to pick up each tiny hair on its body. Read the rest of the post here.  Intro by Chamira Young One great way to learn more about photography is to listen to in-depth interviews featuring your fellow photographers. There's nothing like taking a deep dive into how they create their images, as well as why they love doing what they do. That's why we're excited to feature a fascinating interview with nature photographer and Tamron ambassador Alyce Bender. David Johnston from Outdoor Photography Guide serves as the gracious host as they discuss how Alyce got her start in photography and developed her passion and technique over time. Personally, I love when they discuss her creative process and how she decides on the type of image she wants to create, and how her various locations effects her decision-making process. David is an outdoor photographer himself, and so he asks fantastic questions! One thing you'll notice is that Alyce has plenty of patience when out on the field. Her lens selection is paramount, and she always carefully considers which lens is best to capture what she sees. She typically carries five Tamron lenses in her bag at all times. For landscapes, she generally uses the Tamron 10-24mm lens and the Tamron 18-400mm lens. For wildlife, she favors the Tamron 100-400 lens and the big Tamron 150-600mm zoom lens. Check out these great lenses below, as well as the full interview!
 Image copyright Lewis Kemper. All rights reserved.  Missed any of the previous episodes of Tamron Recipes? They're all just a click away. by Skip Cohen If you've followed Tamron Recipes for even a short time, you'll notice a common denominator with every "chef," their absolute love for the craft. And the analogy of comparing great photographers to fine chefs keeps getting more and more accurate. This month we're bringing in a new "cuisine" with Chef Lewis Kemper. Lewis is all about capturing beautiful images outdoors and often shares photographs that simply take our breath away. Although I doubt there's anything he can't photograph, it's landscapes and wildlife that seem to own the biggest piece of real estate in his heart. He's a photographer, educator, fine art printer, and author, plus a good friend to so many people in the industry. The fun of having Lewis join us this month is the history my co-host, Chamira Young, and I both share with him. Chamira had Lewis as her guest on one of her first podcasts, and Lewis and I did an episode of "Why?" on the SCU site in March 2018. Then there's another element that made working with Lewis so much fun; we share so many of the same friends. New photographers don't realize what a small industry we are. We've all been to many of the same conventions, rubber-chicken dinners, stuck in airports over the years, or just waiting in line for an event. We've worked with many of the same vendors, and when people use the expression, "It takes a village," we're all part of that team. Every episode of Tamron Recipes starts with a phone call, and the conversation with Lewis couldn't have been more on point. It was easy to find a quote that fit his love for the craft and how much he wanted to share in the podcast as both an artist and educator. Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, but learning to dance in the rain! Unknown Author About Chef Lewis: In the upcoming podcast, scheduled to air on April 27, Lewis was very open about the challenges through the pandemic. One of the benefits of focusing on the outdoors is not being restricted by social distancing. He was out every day in his kayak with his camera. That pandemic also gave him time to start working with and developing some new techniques in night photography. He definitely learned to "dance in the rain." About the Image: I have been taking night images for quite some time, but recently have gotten more interested in trying new techniques. In the past, I had done all my images as one exposure, but that is very limiting. Now I am experimenting with stacking images and also with using a star tracker. I am learning new things every day! Take the time to visit his website and especially his galleries. And if you've got an interest in outdoor photography, check out his workshops. Between his teaching modules and live workshops, there are already eight programs on the calendar for the rest of 2021 and an extraordinary trip to Kenya in 2022.
 Even through the pandemic, Tamron has never slowed down in their efforts to help photographers raise the bar on the quality of their images. Check out their listing of local events, all within the appropriate safety and physical distancing guidelines. The lens Lewis used for the image above was the SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2. Click on the thumbnail to the right for more information, and join us on his podcast next week when he'll talk about the challenges with doing long exposures of the night sky. He also used Starry Landscape Tracker. Knowing many of you have an interest in the capturing the night skies, here's the link. While I'm looking forward to the day when I don't feel the need to mention anything about the pandemic, some of you still are missing the point - Hunkering down is about your health, NOT about growing as an artist and expanding your skillset. Growth only happens outside your comfort zone. So, stay active in social media and spend time with your camera in your hands every day, capturing images for your most important client...YOU! There are eight different lenses featured in Tamron's Spring Rebates - going on now through May 2. Click on the banner below for more information.   70-180mm (180mm), F/2.8, 90 seconds, ISO 1600  Click on the image above to learn more about this great lens! Intro by Chamira Young Whether you're a wedding photographer or a wildlife photographer (or anything in between), it's important to get out of your comfort zone once and a while. Not only does it keep you on your creative toes, but the additional skills you learn from experimental projects may actually come in handy when you're out shooting your main subject matter later. Or, it may simply continue to keep your passion for the craft fresh and fun! In any case, it's worth exploring something difference and a while. That brings us to today's featured photographer, Frank Kuszaj. A professional real-estate photographer by day, he's a passionate astrophotographer by night. Using his Sony mirrorless camera with the Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD telephoto lens, he takes amazing captures of the night sky that will take your breath away! Check out the post below, and take note of the practical tips he gives to those who want to try their own hand at astrophotography. We love that Tamron is making some of the finest optics in photography, while at the same time providing fun, educational content that is second to none! How to Shoot: Astrophotography Frank Kuszaj uses the Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD telephoto lens on his Sony mirrorless camera to capture the deep-space beauty of galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters. By Jenn Gidman Images by Frank Kuszaj During the day, Frank Kuszaj is a professional real-estate photographer. When the sun goes down, however, he looks up toward the sky and into space. “I’ve always loved the stars,” the Missouri photographer, who’s been specializing in night sky photos for about a decade, says. “I remember in 1997, when the Hale-Bopp comet was visible to the naked eye from Earth—I was fascinated.” Frank has been shooting of late with his Sony mirrorless camera with the Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD telephoto lens. “First, I like that this lens isn’t too heavy, so it’s easy to carry with me out to the remote areas where I’m shooting,” he says. “Its focal-length range is also handy for astrophotography. I can go somewhat wide at 70mm, but then zoom in to 180mm when I’m doing my deep-sky photos. Plus, when I shoot in crop mode, that 180mm effectively becomes 270mm with the 1.5x crop factor on my Sony’s sensor.”  70-180mm (180mm), F/2.8, 2 minutes, ISO 1600 For those who want to try their own hand at astrophotography, Frank suggests first using a star finder app like Star Walk or Stellarium to help you pinpoint where the Milky Way and other celestial objects will be in the sky and at what time. Checking the weather in advance is also crucial, as clouds that roll in right as you’re about to start shooting can ruin the whole night.  70-180mm (180 mm), F/3.5, 90 sec., ISO 1600 Looking for a place with as little light pollution as possible is also key, perhaps with the help of a dark-sky map. Frank lives in Eureka, a suburb of St. Louis, and he usually heads to a town called Cook Station, about a 2.5-hour drive from home, for his night sky photos. “There’s something called the Bortle Scale, which measures how much light pollution is in different areas, and Cook Station is about a 3 out of 9 (with 9 being the most light pollution, like what you’d find in the middle of a city),” he says. “It’s one of the darkest places in Missouri.”  70-180mm (180 mm), F/2.8, 1 minute, ISO 1600 Once you’re there and ready to shoot, turn off the image stabilization on your camera. Make sure you have a sturdy tripod, as well as a remote camera release or intervalometer. “You don’t want to be touching your camera, to avoid shake,” he says. “I usually have my camera on an intervalometer so it takes the photos automatically. I also have a star tracker, which slowly moves in unison with the rotation of the Earth, so you can take a much longer exposure than you’d normally be able to. A star tracker is especially important when you’re shooting two-, three-, or four-minute-long exposures of galaxies while doing deep-sky photography.” Read the rest of the post here.   Click here to learn more about this great lens. By Chamira Young As visual storytellers, the ability to create high quality video is becoming an increasingly essential skillset to have these days. Whether you're on a Zoom call for a meeting, or taking video footage for your wedding clients, it's essential you know how to leverage this important medium. While most cameras come with the ability to simply flip a switch to record video, there are other components that are also important, such as the lens you choose to use. That brings us to today's video feature by Tamron Student Ambassador Noah Bullock, titled “L O V E”. It's a short film that features his home town of Dubuque, IA and follows a short story of a couple on their journey to find each other. Footage shows off the versatile capabilities of Tamron’s advanced standard zoom lens 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III VC RXD on a Sony A7III with drone segments to end their story from above. Among it's many qualities, you'll get a firsthand look at the VC stabilization in the film’s panning footage. As you watch the video below, consider the possibilities for your own business! It's also a great way to get a feel for the 17-70mm's capabilities with video. You can check out more of Noah's work at www.noahbullockphoto.com. We love how Tamron is constantly raising the bar on both imaging and video quality, which in turn helps the industry as a whole!  Keep up your enthusiasm. There is nothing more contagious than exuberant enthusiasm. Harry Houdini by Skip Cohen Eugene Manning joins us in the Tamron kitchen this month. His focus is all on fashion photography. Based out of NYC, he's in one of the most competitive markets in the world for fashion. But as you'll pick up in the podcast, nothing slows down his love for the craft or goal to keep raising the bar on the quality of his images. Over the last almost two and a half years, we've shared chefs' stories from so many different "cuisines," but Eugene is our first exclusively from the fashion world. He shares a lot of great insight into his craft, especially the importance of relationship building. Chef Eugene's recipe is a click away, which we shared last week. Eugene was shooting with Tamron's SP 90mm F2.8 Di VC USD Macro lens. Just click on the banner at the bottom for more information about this remarkable piece of glass! Follow Eugene on his Instagram page; He shares both new images and information about his shooting schedule regularly. As things start to improve, There are so many levels of freedom we're all realizing we took for granted. But the pandemic has also created opportunities to demonstrate leadership and have your work stand out from the crowd. Tamron never slows down making great products with the quality needed to help raise the bar on your images. Remember, "hunkering down" is about your health, not about your business, skill set, or your creativity! Spring Savings! In need of great optics and new gear? Check out Tamron's new Spring savings program going on until May 2, 2021.   Images copyright Eugene Manning. All rights reserved.
 
    Missed any of the previous episodes of Tamron Recipes? They're all just a click away. by Skip Cohen When Chamira Young and I started this series, the idea of comparing photographers to great chefs just seemed like a novel approach. After all, just like your favorite cuisines, there's always a chef involved, creating the presentation and the flavors. Even the legendary portrait artist, Don Blair, used to refer to using a hair-light as the "garlic-light," always stressing that you only needed a small amount. Like great chefs, the photographers we've featured are passionate about their work and love for the craft. Fashion photographer Eugene Manning joins us this month, and his passion for the craft matches any great chef you've ever heard about. The process of featuring a photographer starts with a phone call. We wanted to feature Eugene after a story about his work was featured in the Tamron Newsletter. (You need to sign up for this publication if you don't already receive it.) Eugene and I talked, and a few days later he sent me several of his favorite images. Loving black and white, like so many of us do, I decided to try something a little different and feature two of his favorite photographs side by side. While the pandemic has changed so much in our lives, it hasn't slowed down Eugene's quest to capture and create! Early into this series, I started having fun finding a quote that seemed to fit each artist. It's often based on what comes out of that first phone call. Eugene was excited about the Tamron Recipes concept, and combined with his enthusiasm for imaging it wasn't hard to find a quote that fits. Keep up your enthusiasm. There is nothing more contagious than exuberant enthusiasm. Harry Houdini About Chef Eugene: Eugene's based out of one of the most competitive fashion markets in the world, New York, and without question, he focuses just as much on his skillset as he does relationship building with each subject. His work has been featured in Elle India and L'Officiel Baltic plus Vogue Italia's "PhotoVogue" curated fine art website. About the Images: I love the images for different reasons; for example, the texture of the garment in "Cyrene" is just amazing, as well as the hint of skin. I am my own worst critic, and while I love the image, I use it to remind myself that I have a lot further to go. I would have shot it differently today. For "Kinetic Energy," I love the movement in Lailanni's hair, and the peacefulness in her face. Lailanni is another very gorgeous model, and we wanted to create an image that was interesting and would have people stop scrolling and look at it. In contrast with "Cyrene," I really love the final image, and I'm happy with how it came out; I'd only make a few minor tweaks. There's something interesting in Eugene's comments about both images - his quest to keep growing his skill set. Again, think about our comparison to a fine chef - not satisfied with the flavors he put together, he's continuing on a quest for different results. Each Tamron "Chef" has shared the importance of their growth and the never-ending changes they've seen in their own work over the years. It's all part of the journey! Take the time to visit Chef Eugene's Instagram page. He's regularly sharing images from his fashion shoots.
 The pandemic may have changed travel plans for many of us attending the various first quarter conventions each year, but that isn't stopping Tamron from being accessible! Online and off, in small programs around the country, they support imaging artists as best they can. Check out their listing of local events, all within the appropriate safety and physical distancing guidelines. The lens Eugene used for the image above was the SP 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro. Click on the thumbnail to the right for more information, and join us on his podcast next week when he'll talk about why he wanted to use this particular lens on a fashion shoot. With more and more people getting the vaccine, things are starting to open up a little more each day. However, that doesn't change my need to remind you about staying focused on your skills and business. Hunkering down is about your health, NOT about growing as an artist and expanding your skillset. Nothing grows if you stay in your comfort zone. That means the downtime you're still experiencing is an opportunity to raise the bar on the quality of your images. Stay active in social media and spend time with your camera in your hands every day, capturing images for your most important client...YOU!  There's less than a week left to take advantage of Tamron's FLASH SALE! Click on the banner for more information.  Focal Length: 28mm Exposure: F/2.8 1/80sec ISO: 100  by Skip Cohen I wanted to share the video below for more than just introducing you to Tamron's 17-28mm F/2.8 lens for Sony full-frame cameras. With the world slowly coming back to life after the pandemic, so many of you need a better story on your website about your skill set and your love for imaging. I LOVE the way Tamron tells the story sharing the work of photographer Frantisek Zvardon as he takes the lens for a test drive. Pay attention to how much information Tamron has packed into just over a minute. Now think about how you'd tell your story in the same amount of time and demonstrate your love for photography and the support of your clients! Tamron is making some of the finest optics in photography, and at the same time, the quality of their videos and support for education is also right at the top! Check out the 17-28mm with a click on the thumbnail to the right. There's an outstanding promotion going on now with Tamron's Flash Sale but only until March 28! Just click on the banner below for more information.   150-600mm (600mm), F/6.3, 1/1000th sec., ISO 800 Intro by Chamira Young After getting through 2020, there's no question that all of us will face challenges in our lives. What matters most is what we do with those challenges. In today's post we feature photographer Greg Wickenburg, who turned an overwhelmingly difficult life circumstance into creative inspiration. When Greg was 17, a car accident rendered him a C5 quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down, and with only partial arm movement and no use of his hands, fingers, waist, or legs. Fast forward to today, and as a photographer he creates his own unique workflow and makes double eye-catching, award-winning double exposures that really stand out from the crowd. Talk about inspiring! Check out the post below and gain insight into Greg's workflow. It's so cool to see his unique creative process as he uses both the the SP 150-600mm VC G2 and the 18-400mm VC HLD. Also, click on the images below to learn more about these great lenses from the Tamron team!
Double-Exposure Inspiration Greg Wickenburg uses the Tamron SP 150-600mm VC G2 and 18-400mm VC HLD lenses to seamlessly merge silhouettes with nature. By Jenn Gidman Images by Greg Wickenburg When Greg Wickenburg was 17, his life changed dramatically: A car accident left him a C5 quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down, with only partial arm movement and no use of his hands, fingers, waist, or legs. Greg had always enjoyed photography as a spectator, and in the '90s he picked up a film camera in the hopes of launching a new hobby—but having to finagle the camera and other equipment was challenging. "I couldn't hold the camera right, couldn't change the settings myself, couldn't zoom in and out," he says. "It got so frustrating that I eventually just quit." Flash-forward more than 20 years later, into a time when digital cameras and other technological advances have settled in to the imaging landscape, and Greg saw another opening to jump back into his long-lost passion. "Two years ago in December, I saw a picture of a double exposure online—a photo of a silhouetted face filled in with pink blossoms—and became inspired all over again," he says. "I realized that if I could do the double-exposure process in-camera and not have to mess around with Photoshop too much, this could be my path back into image-making."  18-400mm (400mm), F/9, 1/400th sec., ISO 1600 That's exactly what Greg has been doing since, creating award-winning double exposures that merge silhouettes with wildlife and nature scenes (you can check out more of his work at www.gregwickenburg.com). "I've been mostly self-taught, and one of the first things I had to do was determine which cameras could do multiple exposures, since they don't all do so," he says. "Once I got my Canon 70D, I went online and watched YouTube videos and tutorials to get up to speed on how to do them. After that, there was a lot of trial and error on my part, because you can't know how to piece the images together correctly until you actually do it yourself—it took a lot of practice on my part." Early on in his double-exposure adventures, Greg found himself drawn to wildlife, which proves challenging to photograph, and which necessitated lenses that he could adapt to his unique workflow. "I can't change lenses while I'm out there, so I need versatile zooms that allow me to capture a variety of images," he says. "My power wheelchair can sometimes scare wildlife if I get too close, and I've also had instances when my wheelchair has become stuck in mud or gravel, so I need zoom lenses with longer reach so that I don't have to venture too close, or too far off the path."  18-400mm (400mm), F/7.1, 1/500th sec., ISO 800 Greg's two picks from Tamron: the SP 150-600mm VC G2 and the 18-400mm VC HLD. "The 18-400 is by far the lens on my camera most often, due to its terrific range," he says. "I can use it inside my home, in my yard, and when I travel further into my neighborhood. I'll often use that lens to take the first shot of my double exposures, which is typically a silhouette of a person. Then I'll tap into the 150-600 when I go out to take wildlife and nature photos and need a slightly longer reach." Read the rest of the post here!   Click on the image above to learn about this great lens! By Chamira Young While it's all well and good to know how to handle your camera, actually having a passion for your particular subject can make all the difference in the world. Possessing an in-depth knowledge and fascination with your subject tends to bring your image-making process up to the next level! This is certainly the case for photographer Mony Gless as she takes amazing captures of grey whales in Baja. She has a passion and compassion for the animals that really shines through, and we couldn't resist featuring her today! In the video below, you get the chance to peek over her shoulder as she uses the 70-180mm F/2.8 FE lens. Click on the image above to learn more about this great lens from the Tamron team. Mony describes her love and passion for the beautiful creatures, as well as the importance of researching them beforehand. She gives valuable lessons we can all learn from. Get ready to be inspired!  “Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” Don McCulin  by Skip Cohen Because of the coronavirus and the pandemic, there are more people online than at any time in the history of the Internet. I'm one of those millions out in cyberspace looking at photographs and meeting contemporary artists. In my travels a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across this phenomenal black and white image by Marc Morris. I was blown away by the texture of the image and went off in search of the artist. Since the photo was tagged with "Tamron," I knew there was a possibility of a new guest for Tamron Recipes.  click to view in the SCU Lightbox In this podcast, Marc shares a lot of great insight into his love for the craft, especially landscape photography. And when I mentioned how much I loved the texture and feel of the image above, he sent me one of his favorite examples of texture with the simplicity of the toast with raspberry jam to the left. Hey, he's the Chef in this series! As I laughed about the image, I thought about what he'd sent me - and it was perfect for showing his love for that defining search every artist is on. In Marc's case, it's texture and a feeling, which he talks about in this new podcast. Chef Marc's recipe is a click away, which we shared last week. Check out Tamron's 17-35mm F/2.8-4 lens with a click on the banner below. Follow Marc on his Instagram page, but don't just look at his photographs - he often writes about what he's feeling at the time, which gives his images more depth.  Are you looking for new gear? Click on the banner to the right and then bookmark the page. Tamron's current "New Year, New Gear" promotion ends on February 28. It's been almost a year since the pandemic took hold. Over and again, I've shared the same kind of comment. It's critical to stay focused on your passion for the craft and your dreams as an artist. Everyone is dealing with the same challenges and the loss of so many freedoms we took for granted. Even with the challenges, especially in business, the pandemic has given us something remarkable, TIME. Use the downtime to build your skill set, expand your creativity outside your comfort zone and become a more diverse artist. Remember, "hunkering down" is about your health, not about your business, skill set, or your creativity!   Check out Tamron's programs for rebates, online education, and even some terrific contests to share your work. The Tamron team isn't slowing down and continues to support the imaging community the best they can. There are programs taking place all over the country, and especially in Cyberspace! Images copyright Marc Morris. All rights reserved. 
 
 Click to view in the SCU Lightbox  Missed a past Tamron Recipes? Click to access every guest chef in the archives. by Skip Cohen Think about how we share images today versus twenty years ago. From Facebook to Instagram and even LinkedIn, we share photographs as often as we like. No waiting for a convention to catch friends, carrying a portfolio case, or putting prints in the mail - we've got instant fulfillment at any time. Marc Morris joins us this month, and it's thanks to Facebook that we first saw his photograph above. From FB, I headed to his LinkedIn page to learn more about him, which led to a great phone call. Besides a stunning image, there are two additional reasons to feature his work this month. First, we're still in the pandemic, and restrictions abound. However, it's not hard to physically distance when you're outdoors. Second, Marc's photograph crosses that line from landscape into fine art. I want to see his image blown up to a five by seven-foot print in an office or living room with a cathedral ceiling! The pandemic has changed everything in our lives, but not the passion of our chefs. Chef Marc couldn't be more proud to be a photographer, as well as help other artists raise the bar on their skill set. Finding a quote that relates to each chef became part of this series starting early in 2019. It wasn't hard to find one that fit Marc - in fact; he wrote a lot about the photograph and the feeling he wanted to capture when he clicked the shutter. “Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” Don McCulin About Chef Marc: Marc's based out of Denver, as a Sales Representative for Tamron USA. Members of the Tamron team don't often join us in the Tamron Kitchen, but the image was so powerful, it deserved to be shared. As Marc and I talked, it turns out he and I met a few years back at WPPI, and like so many people in this industry, we have a lot of mutual friends. About this Image: "I was in Hawaii on a work trip. There are many misconceptions about road warrior gigs, and one of the biggest (and most understandable) is that it’s a constant vacation, tourism mode activated 24/7, being that we do indeed travel constantly. However, I had never been to Hawaii, so when I was asked to head out in support of a fairly large workshop being hosted by Pro Camera Hawaii, I certainly didn’t turn the opportunity down. The trip was tightly packed, with very little room for “extracurricular activities.” Due to weather (a right proper morning to midday monsoon with flooding that the locals laughably took utterly in stride) and the workshop schedule, I was only able to find a few hours before my flight back to Denver to go exploring...I had never shot in a rain forest before...There were pockets of the trail that clearly had their own microclimate: rain would form and fall at random, and the oxygen-rich environment allowed me an energy and movement I’d not had for years. O’ahu. Island of eternal youth. I’m a highly tactile person, and this translates to my photography. When I’m scanning a subject or an environment, not only am I watching the light and its fluidity, how it fills this well, how shallow or deep others may be in their shadows… but I’m also seeking texture. Texture is what sells depth, scale, and to a certain extent, authenticity. I like images I can feel. If I’m looking at a photo and my hands itch, I know the photographer got something right: it’s in the fingertips. And the rainforest is if you’ll pardon me, absolutely saturated with texture. The image you see here is an expanse that opened up off a corner of the trail, and its dimensionality was so overwhelming I was rooted to the spot. A floor above the floor. A sky below the sky. It was unlike anything I’ve ever personally witnessed in nature, and I simply had to try to capture it to see if I could translate its depth to print. It took about 20 minutes of working that corner, about forty feet up and down the trail, changing lenses for perspective studies before I settled on the 17-35 at the wide end. It was the only lens that was truly able to fit the scene, corner to corner, at the points where I needed the photo to end while also keeping that world within a world feel I wanted to come across." Take the time to visit Chef Marc's Instagram page. He regularly shares great content and photographs that will tell you more about his love for the craft.
 In the world of photography, the first quarter of each year has always been a series of "reunions," as we all attend the various key conventions around the country. The pandemic has changed that for 2021, but it hasn't slowed Tamron down. Online and off, in small programs around the country, they support imaging artists as best they can. Check out their listing of local events, all within the appropriate safety and physical distancing guidelines. The lens Marc used for the image above was the 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD. Click on the thumbnail to the right for more information, and understanding why he made this choice for the coverage of the scene he wrote about. I write the same reminder with so many posts - hunkering down is about your health, NOT about growing as an artist and expanding your skill set. Nothing grows if you stay in your comfort zone. That means the downtime you're experiencing now is an opportunity to raise the bar on the quality of your images. Stay active in social media and spend time with your camera in your hands every day, capturing images for your most important client...YOU!   Chef Marc's podcast is just a click away!   Click on the image above to learn more this great lens! Intro by Chamira Young No matter how many years you've been in the game as a portrait artist, there's always something you can learn from your fellow photographers in the field. It's fascinating to see how they pose, interact with, and ultimately document their subjects' unique personalities. Being a photographer is a constant learning process! In addition to the skillsets mentioned above, it's also extremely helpful to see the glass they used. In today's feature, photographer Michael Butler uses his 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD lens to take dramatic portraits of his subjects. Check out the post below as Michael describes his creative process. He gives valuable lessons we can all learn from. Also, click on the image to learn more about the lens Michael used. We're all in this industry together, and it's for this reason we love featuring inspiration from the Tamron team. They're constantly offering the tools we need as photographers to make our work better than ever! How to Take: Dramatic Portraits Michael Butler reenters the world of portraiture with the Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD lens. By Jenn Gidman Images by Michael Butler In his early days taking pictures in his native Memphis, Michael Butler concentrated on portrait photography. He fell away from that a bit as he refocused his efforts on street photography, taking pictures at local restaurants (he used to run a local blog), and destination photos, but he recently decided to get back into portraiture with the help of the Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD lens. Although Michael typically used prime lenses for his early portrait work, he decided to try out the 70-180mm telephoto lens and immediately fell in love with it. “It’s so versatile—not only for my portraiture, but also for the street photography that I still do,” he says. “I can take it anywhere, because it’s compact, and it has macro ability, with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4.6. That makes it very useful when I’m shooting portraits in my studio, which is pretty small.” His approach to taking portraits remains the same as it always has, with his main goal being to tell a story. “When someone looks at one of my pictures, I want them to think about what my subject is doing, or what they may be thinking,” he says. “I also like a more dramatic portrait, rather than the brighter, airier ones you might see on Instagram. I embrace shadows, and to achieve the look I want, I’ve been using one large, continuous light source with a modifier on it. When I’m photographing men, I’ll usually place the light directly overhead, because I want more shadow in their faces. For the women, I’ll angle the light a bit to bring out more detail in their faces.” Read on to see how Michael used his 70-180 for some recent portraits around his hometown in Tennessee.  I had just received the 70-180 lens, and this was my first-ever portrait taken with a continuous light source. I had seen another photo my buddy Dalton had taken of himself against a pink background, so I asked if I could use him as a model against that same background. It was hard to stay serious, because we’re friends and were laughing and joking around during the shoot, but I didn’t want him smiling in the photo. I wanted a more rugged, serious portrait of him—especially against that pink background, which I think made his ruggedness and masculinity stand out even more.  I used the same pink background for this black-and-white photo of my girlfriend (I shot both of these images the same day). She hates having her picture taken, but I convinced her to do it—I promised her I’d guide her the whole way. To pose her, I showed her a picture I love of Halle Berry, where Halle is framing her face with her hands like that, and she absolutely loved that look. It made it much easier having a pose she could reenact.  I had a shoot scheduled on this day, but it unfortunately got canceled at the last minute. I didn’t want to completely scrap my plans, so I contacted a model I knew on Facebook who lived right around the corner and asked her if she wanted to meet me and take some pictures. She showed up with this gorgeous mask, and I decided to use as my backdrop an abandoned warehouse in the area to contrast and complement the mask. It was an easy, natural shot, taken in ambient light, with her simply leaning up against the building. Read the rest of the post here.  450mm, F/9, 1/1250 sec., ISO 400  https://www.tamron-usa.com/product/lenses/a022.html Intro by Chamira Young When fine art and photography intersect, a lot of creative magic can happen. It's always inspiring to see a photographic artist create a unique workflow that transforms their raw images into final pieces with their own style. That's why we're excited to feature the work of photographer Ed Kelly in today's post! With a background in commercial advertising photography, Ed found a new passion for aviary photography when he moved from New Jersey to South Carolina. By adding a twist to his editing process, he's been able to create his own unique signature style with his bird photography. In the excerpt below, we get a glimpse into the creative process of this creative image-maker as he creates fine art using his Tamron SP 150-600mm VC G2 lens. Click on the image to learn more about the lens Ed used. The dedication of the Tamron team is a tremendous asset to the photography community. They are constantly supplying us with the tools we need as creative artists to up our game! Check out the post below. Fine Art, Avian Style By Jenn Gidman Images by Ed Kelly Ed Kelly doesn’t just create bird photos with his Tamron SP 150-600mm VC G2 lens—he transforms them into Audubon-worthy pieces of art. Ed Kelly had been a commercial advertising photographer for many years when he moved from New Jersey to a more nature-oriented area in South Carolina. In his new environment, Ed found himself gravitating more toward bird photography, which he continues to this day, documenting his feathered friends both around the Palmetto State and in other bird-friendly areas like Florida’s Merritt Island. There’s a twist to Ed’s bird photography, though, involving a post-production process that turns his images into works of fine art, which he includes in his “Coastal Dream Series.” “The process is fairly straightforward in most cases,” he says. “I eliminate the background or alter it in some way, then add layers of complexity to the background and onto the main subject.”
Before the editing process can begin, Ed has to capture the photos—which he does with the Tamron SP 150-600mm VC G2 telephoto zoom lens. “The autofocus is faster and the color and contrast were enhanced over the previous 150-600 I owned,” he says. “The image stabilization offered via the Vibration Compensation (VC) technology is also very helpful, since I’m often shooting early or late in the day, when the lighting may not be optimal. With the 150-600mm, I’ve taken photos of birds handheld at 600mm at 1/15 of a second and achieved super-sharp images. I also like being able to get out of my car and start wandering the nature preserve with a lens that doesn’t weigh me down all day.” Ed envisions how he wants the image composed before he even sets the bird in his frame. “Even though it’s not the focal point of the image, I’ll know exactly how I want the branch, or whatever else the bird is perching on, to come into the frame,” he says. “When the bird finally sets down, I just wait for it to turn so that it looks as close to the way as I saw it in my mind as possible.”  600mm, F/7.1, 1/320 sec., ISO 400 When it comes time to transform his images into fine-art photos, Ed first considers the background and how he wants to alter it in the editing process to sync with the coloring of the bird. “I consider the overall color temperature of the shot, then think about complementary colors based on the bird’s appearance,” he says. “I’ll figure out what colors in the background will make other colors in the bird pop, then adjust it accordingly.”
Next comes the overlay process, where Ed will add layer upon layer onto the main image until he achieves the texture or pattern he’s looking for. “It could be tiny specks of sand or scratches on a piece of paper placed on top of the initial image, which I then massage until it looks the way I want it to,” he says. “Or it could be two or three skies blended together. I also tend to add noise to the image at the end of the process to make it look more realistic. I want my photos to match the mood I’m trying to convey, and having an image look too clear and sharp doesn’t do it for me. I want my photos to look a little rough and grainy.” Read the full post here.   Click the image above to learn more about this great lens! Intro by Chamira Young Want a fun way to foster your unique creativity, build your skillset, and stoke the fires of your passion for photography? Then take time to brainstorm and execute visual projects that interest you personally. Whether you're a portrait photographer, wildlife photographer, or anything in between, you should make time for the subject matter that most interests you - whether you're working with a client or not! That brings us to today's dose of inspiration. In the short video below, Charley Voorhis shows us how it's done as he heads to the wilderness of central Washington in search of elk for video footage with his Tamron 150-600mm G2 lens and 2x teleconverter. Check out how he uses this amazing lens to methodically and patiently search for these beautiful creatures. The video is below. The dedication of the Tamron team is a tremendous help as we all kick off this new year together! They are constantly making amazing glass to help all of us up our creative game. To learn more about the lens Charley uses, click on the image above! |
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