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! 

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. 
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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!  ​
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Spring Savings! In need of great optics and new gear? Check out Tamron's new Spring savings program going on until May 2, 2021.

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

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.

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!
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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.

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.  
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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! ​

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. 
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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!

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!

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.

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​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.”

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.”
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​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.

 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!

One year ago yesterday, the first case of the Coronavirus was diagnosed, and the government assured us it was all under control. There was nothing to worry about. Well, they were obviously wrong. It was hardly under control, but over the last year, we've all learned a lot about what is within our control. As artists, you've got control over your creativity, and even with the pandemic, there are plenty of opportunities to capture and create stunning images.​

Nick Irwin is this month's featured Tamron Chef, and his specialty of landscape is perfect for safety during the pandemic. And while doses of the vaccine have started and there's more optimism going into this new year, things aren't going to change overnight. That keeps the power of developing your creativity in your hands, and being outdoors is one of the safest venues to be in now.

Nick shares a lot of great insight on his passion for the outdoors during this new podcast. He's also a relationship builder with a serious focus on the people he's met along his short journey in imaging so far. The minute he starts talking about photography, you can't help but catch his love for time with a camera in his hands.

Chef Nick's recipe is a click away, which we shared last week. And for more information about Tamron's 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RDX lens, click on the banner at the bottom of today's post. Follow Nick on his Instagram page, where he's regularly sharing great images from Michigan and as the ease of travel comes back into our lives, you'll see more from all over the country!

​Are you looking for new gear? Check out Tamron's "New Year, New Gear" savings program. For all the information and the products included, click on the banner to the right.
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With each podcast post from the Tamron Kitchen since the pandemic started, I've shared the same kind of comment. It's so important to stay focused on your passion for the craft and your dreams as an artist. For the first time in history, we're all dealing with so many of the same challenges. There are so many levels of freedom we've taken for granted in the past. However, the pandemic has given us something remarkable, TIME. Use the downtime to build your skillset, 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! ​

by Skip Cohen

​It's 2021, and what a kick to launch a new season of Tamron Recipes with a chef whose specialty is outdoors and pandemic-perfect. We started this series in 2019 when words like "hunkering down" were pretty removed from our vocabulary.

While the pandemic changed everything in our lives, it hasn't dampened any of our chefs' enthusiasm. Many of them have used the challenge of downtime to expand their skill set and mix up the "cuisines" they're best known for.

Michigan based artist Nick Irwin joins us on this first Tamron Recipes for the new year. He's a part-time fine art and landscape photographer with a full-time love for the craft. His website and Instagram page especially present one outstanding image after another. It made it hard for us to pick a favorite for this first part of his series!

After the first few chefs in the series in 2019, I started sharing a quote that seemed to describe each featured artist best. For most of them, like Nick, the quotes have been based on my first introduction to them through both their images and a phone call or two. One phone call with Nick, and it couldn't be easier to find a quote that describes his love for photography and the outdoors!

Passion is energy.
Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.
Oprah Winfrey

About Chef Nick and This Image: When I first spoke with Nick about his love for photography, the energy of that passion came through loud and clear! It's obvious how much photography, the outdoors, and Michigan are part of his life. What's impressive is how short a time he's been working with "real" camera gear. His love for imaging starting through photographs he was posting using his phone. People liked what he was sharing, and somebody suggested it was time he got a real camera. 

Scott Bourne once wrote about photography being the great equalizer. To paraphrase, It doesn't matter what your background is, your financial status, what you look like, etc. - the quality of each photograph is how you're judged. ​

About the image above: This was last July. I went to shoot the comet Neowise as I did the night before at a different lighthouse. I did not expect the Northern Lights to show up. I was actually done shooting the comet which was in the north sky and walked to the other side of the lighthouse for milky way shots towards the south. Then I saw the green glow in the sky. Off I went back up the opposite dune and took several shots, even helped a couple other photographers with their settings.

​Little Sable Point Light in Michigan is one of my favorite places to do night photography because the sky is dark and it’s only an hour away. This photo was published by National Geographic with another one of mine this past August.

Take the time to visit Nick's Instagram page. You'd never know he was relatively new to the industry when you scroll through the images he's shared.

​The most challenging adjustment many of us have had to make due to the pandemic is not being in physical proximity with our peers and the various vendors/manufacturers who support our love for imaging. While many companies have reduced their activities to a minimal presence, Tamron isn't slowing 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.

​​And, if you currently own any Tamron lenses, don't miss out on the benefits of the Tamron V.I.P. Club. Check out the short video below, highlighting just one of the advantages of being a member, but you only have a few more days to get your lenses registered!

​The lens Nick used for the image above was the 28-75mm F2.8 zoom. Specifically designed for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, click on the thumbnail to the right for more information. 
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I feel like I've written this same thing just about every month for almost a year - Remember, hunkering down is about your health, NOT about growing as an artist and expanding your skill set. There's very little that grows in your comfort zone, which makes the downtime we're all experiencing perfect for raising 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!

Intro by Chamira Young

With the New Year comes the excitement of new possibilities for your development as a photographer and artist. Given the challenges of the past year, it's more important than ever you roll up your sleeves and explore the many ways you can grow your creativity. Part of that process is drawing inspiration from the work of your fellow photographers and even exploring styles you may have never tried before!

That brings us to today's post. We're excited to present the work of photographer Russell Hart as he uses three of Tamron's great lenses to capture the world around him and play with the tonal scale of infrared photography. He has years of experience, and as you'll see below, his work is dramatic and eye-catching.

​Check out the article below. Also, click on any of the images of the lenses to learn more about the amazing glass he used! We love the dedication of the Tamron team as we all move into this New Year together!

For years Russell used a digital DSLR that was converted to capture infrared, but he’s since switched to IR-converted mirrorless cameras, using an adapter for his Tamron SP 24-70mm VC G2, SP 70-200mm VC G2, and SP 150-600mm VC G2 lenses. He had already found the focal length range of the first two lenses ideal for his type of photography, and once he added the 150-600 into his arsenal, it only enhanced his creative capabilities. “I’m typically not a big user of telephoto lenses, but this lens lets me zoom in and out to fine-tune composition, rather than picking up and moving back and forth all the time the way you have to with fixed focal lengths. That was really valuable when I was shooting surfers off of Long Island” he says. “Plus, all three of these lenses have Tamron’s Vibration Compensation (VC) feature, which is important in preserving sharpness since I shoot handheld [actually I always use the 150-600mm on a tripod—it’s too big to handhold, IMHO]. Plus they don’t create infrared hot spots in the middle of images the way many lenses do. My images with the Tamron trio always come out nice and clean.”

Read on for the backstory on some of Russell’s infrared images with this Tamron trifecta.
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by Skip Cohen

​While the pandemic has changed everything in our lives, it's also created some incredible opportunities, especially in online education! Every Thursday night, starting in January, there a FREE webinar to help you fine-tune and expand your skill set. 

Think about the timing - It's January and a new year. Distribution of the new vaccine has started, and while it'll be a long time before everything is back to "normal," it's the slow season. With or without the pandemic, you'd be working on ideas to build a stronger business.

Whether you shoot with Tamron lenses or not, here's a series you can't afford to miss. I've written a lot about how the Tamron team NEVER slows down on developing great optics - well, they also don't slow down when it comes to education.

For more information and to find out how to register, click on any topic you're most interested in. Then, circle the date on your calendar, and remember: growth only happens outside your comfort zone. Consider webinars with topics entirely new for your skills. You'll never be disappointed.

Intro by Chamira Young

It's no secret that we're all collectively looking forward to moving into 2021. With the upcoming New Year, we're excited to introduce a new lens to help you take your everyday and travel photography to the next level!​ 

In today's stunning video below, meet the new and versatile Tamron 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD. We get a fun peek over the shoulder of photographer Olivier Wong as he travels the streets of Paris utilizing this amazing new glass. For Sony E-mount APS-C mirrorless cameras, you'll see that this lens is fast, small, and has outstanding image quality. It's great for travel photography, and for those who are in areas where travel is still restricted due to the pandemic, it's also perfect for everyday photography as well! The Tamron team is constantly creating top-quality glass and sharing inspiring examples from your fellow creatives.

​Check out the video below to get some great ideas for everyday photography you can do in your own city or town!

by Skip Cohen

​As we cross the nine-month mark of the pandemic, life has changed for all of us. Just about every photographer and business owner have seen their fair share of challenges, drops in business, and the necessity to refocus and expand into other specialties.

And speaking of specialties, in the hierarchy of why people hire a professional photographer, the top three have been brides, babies, and pets for years. This was based on a Kodak survey done over twenty-five years ago, and I doubt it changed - until the pandemic. With so many weddings and events on hold, I'm betting brides have dropped in the ranking, and new parents have many of the same health concerns. That puts pets up at the top.

Our timing couldn't be better to step into the Tamron Kitchen with "Chef" Molly Dombroski. And while her body of work is clearly about the relationship between her and two pups, Mylo and Summit, she shares some great tips about photographing the furriest members of your family.
 
Chef Molly's recipe is a click away, which we shared last week. And for more information about Tamron's 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD lens, click on the banner at the bottom of today's post.

​There's also a pretty remarkable savings program going on through the holidays. For all the information and the products included in the promotion, just click on the banner to the right.
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I share the same closing comments every month related to the frustrations we're all feeling. The level of freedom we took for granted has been severely limited. But despite the difficulties, the pandemic has given us something extraordinary, TIME. And with that time, we're seeing new creativity from artists all over the world. Things have changed for all of us, but not the potential to expand our skill set, creativity and become a better, more diverse artist.  

Tamron's team never slows 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! Check out Tamron's programs for rebates, online education, and even some terrific contests to share your work. 
​ ​
Whether you've got "kids" to photograph like Chef Molly or not, click on any image to visit her Instagram page. She regularly shares great content featuring Mylo and Summit!

Intro by Chamira Young

Personally, I love when elements of nature, everyday objects, and thoughtful composition intersect to create works of abstract art that spur a visual dialogue. No matter where you live in the world or what language you speak, photography is the great unifier! That brings us to today's featured photographer.

We're excited to highlight the work of macro photographer Monica Royal as she uses the Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 VC lens to create eye-catching, abstract works of art that spark conversation. She discusses how she has fun with the images she creates, and also how she seeks to foster a human connection with her viewers through her work.

Check out the post below for a healthy dose of inspiration. The dedication of the Tamron team is second to none as they support photographers by creating the highest quality lenses in the industry and sharing inspiring examples from your fellow creatives!

Making a Connection Through Macro

Monica Royal uses her Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 VC lens to create abstract images that spark conversation.

By Jenn Gidman
Images by Monica Royal

When Monica Royal creates her abstract macro photos, it’s the design of the composition that drives her. “I’m drawn to basic shapes,” she says. “And I love the properties of water and other liquids and getting close to the droplets, which I add into much of my work. It’s so much fun to play with macro, because something as simple as paper can be made abstract, which sparks a conversation. That conversation creates a human connection, which in turn gives you the opportunity to educate people.”

For years, Monica has exclusively used various Tamron 90mm lenses for her macro work, and she’s now on her latest version: the SP 90mm F/2.8 VC. “My dad bought me my original 90mm lens back in 2006, and I never looked back,” she says. “I purchased all of the newer incarnations myself. I’m so comfortable with this lens, which I use for portraits as well, because it’s so sharp and produces amazing bokeh. The Vibration Compensation (VC) feature on the newer version has been a great addition as well.”
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​Monica almost always creates her macro images with her camera on a tripod, using natural light, and she keeps her post-processing to a minimum. “I’ll do cleanup of some stray or distracting reflections in the water droplets in Photoshop, but I don’t touch them too much,” she says. “Otherwise I’d end up with black circles, which wouldn’t look natural and organic.”

Read on to see how Monica created some of her more recent pieces with the Tamron 90mm F/2.8 VC lens.

Intro by Chamira Young

What I love about today's featured photographer is that he accidentally stumbled onto his passion for creating images for the fashion industry. As the proverb attributed to Plato goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." Well, that certainly was the case for talented photographer Eugene Manning, who got his start managing models but eventually decided to reinvent himself as a photographer.

After growing tired of paying other photographers' steep prices for portfolio shots of his models, he came to the realization that he needed to learn how to do it himself. Fast forward to today, and he does it professionally and loves it! In the excerpt below, read how Eugene honed his skills, and also why he prefers shooting with his Tamron SP 90mm F/2.8 VC macro lens.

We love the dedication of the Tamron team as they support the photography industry by bringing amazing lenses and inspiration we can all learn from!

There's that line we've all heard and used, "Timing is everything!"  Approaching nine months of dealing with the pandemic, talking about outdoor photography couldn't be more appropriate at this time. As we all hunker down, being able to get outside with a camera in your hands has become one of a photographer's greatest assets.

We're stepping out of the Tamron Kitchen but into the world of a great Tamron Chef. Dan Walters joins us on this new podcast, and it's loaded with solid content. While his main passion for subject matter involves the birding world, it's his love for the craft, no matter what he's focused on, that comes across loud and clear in the conversation with Chamira Young and me. And, while I usually only share one quote with each Tamron Recipe, the two I found above highlight what I've learned about Chef Dan. 

Chef Dan's recipe is a click away, which we shared last week. And for more information about Tamron's 150-600mm G2 lens, click on the banner at the bottom of today's post.

​There's a pretty remarkable savings program going on through the holidays. For all the information and the products included in the promotion, just click on the banner to the right.
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I know it's getting a little old, as I share these comments in so many blog posts - We're all feeling the same frustrations. The pandemic has restricted the level of freedom we took for granted. But at the same time, the pandemic has given us something we NEVER have - time. Don't let your passion for the craft get buried under the stress of the pandemic. Things have changed a lot for all of us, but not the potential to expand your skill set and become a better and more diverse artist.  

Tamron's team is taking full advantage of that time and not slowing down in their support for photographers all over the country - they've just moved to cyberspace. Check out Tamron's programs for rebates, online education, and even some terrific contests to share your work. 
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And while Dan may live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country - when it comes to critters to photograph, they're all around us - no matter where you live. To see more of Chef Dan's work, just click on any of his images in this post.