by Skip Cohen

​​Last year I started adding a little fun with each new "chef" by searching for a quote that seemed to fit some aspect of their love for the craft. The Tamron Kitchen isn't just about recipes but often the driving force behind each chef's passion for photography. It was so easy to find a quote that fit Chef Mickie DeVries. While her quest is to never stop raising the bar on her technical skills, it's her role as a mom that inspires her most. 

Mickie shared a lot about the priority she's put on being a storyteller of her own children. If you're a parent, then you already know how fast everything changes in your family. We've all looked at our children and pondered, "Where did the years ago?'

Well, Mickie doesn't need to ponder. She's created a storyline she revisits all the time. With each click of the shutter challenging her skill set to document her children, at the same time she makes it fun for them as well as her. And there's the magic word, "fun."  While she's an educator helping other photographers raise the bar on their skill set, her priority is always keeping fun in the playbook!
 
We featured Mickie's go-to lens in this new episode. It's the 28-75mm F/2.8, and while some of the images I grabbed for today's posts were captured with other focal lengths, Mickie talks about why this lens is one of her favorites in the podcast.

"Chef" Mickie's recipe is a click away if you missed it when it was posted last Tuesday. For more information on the 28-75mm lens, click on the thumbnail to the right. 
​
If you haven't visited your local Tamron dealer, it's time to check out the entire family of Tamron lenses.  
Tamron is manufacturing some of the finest glass in photography. You owe it to your clients and yourself to capture images with the very best tools available!

​And to see more of Mickie's work and follow her teaching schedule, click on any of her images in today's post.

by Skip Cohen  
 
Throughout 2019 we introduced you to a new artist each month, having fun with the play on a food-show reality series. It's all from the Tamron Kitchen, and if you think about the comparison between an exceptional chef and an artist, they really aren't that far apart. They both have to create a "dish," and their reputations grow with the quality of whatever they've created.

We're kicking off the 2020 series with Mickie DeVries, a Michigan mom, who's taken the photography of her children to an entirely professional level. She's passionate about the craft, telling the story of her children, and education in imaging as a Photoshop instructor through Click Photo School. 

In this new Recipe, Mickie was using her favorite "go-to" lenses, the 28-75 mm F/2.8 Di III RXD lens. The link to the lens is below. And, visit Mickie's website with a click on her Tamron Recipes photograph above.

​Halfway through last year's series, I started sharing a quote that seemed relevant to each guest chef. I always find one that fits, and with Mickie, it was so easy... ​

"Behind all your stories is always your mother's.
Because hers is where yours began."
Mitch Albom

​Mickie, like most photographers, is a storyteller. And, if a picture really is worth a thousand words, then Mickie's archived images of her children surpass the works of Shakespeare! In her bio on her website, she wrote:

​My photography is childhood through a mother's lens. My driving force is to capture these fleeting moments as time speeds by, and my children grow up and experience new things. My hope is that my work resonates with parents universally, and speaks to their hearts of the wonders of childhood.

While Mickie's focus on the professional side is as an educator, think about the power of that statement if she opened a full-time studio as a children's photographer. 

I've shared this statement many times over the years. It's thanks to a marketing/motivational guru by the name of Ed Foreman and it's been one of the valuable lessons in business I've learned in my career:

       "If I can see the world through my client's eyes, then I can sell my client what my client buys!"

It's not about the old line of "put yourself in their shoes" - it's about understanding a client's priorities. It's about building trust because you know what they're most interested in, what's most important in their life, and how they see their children.

About "Chef" Mickie:  She is an artist, photographer, educator, and mom. One walk through her galleries, and you know her favorite subjects are her children. From the very beginning, she was never content just to take pictures but wanted to capture images whose quality made her story of her role as a mother, the best it could be. ​

About the shoot: A local farmer graciously opened up his sunflower field for anyone to enjoy. My daughter and I visited mid August at the tail end of the crop just before sunset.  She had so much fun running through the field and examining the sunflowers.  The golden light was perfect, and I loved that the Tamron 28-75 gave me the flexibility to achieve both wide and zoomed in shots of her as she enjoyed our night out.

Tamron never slows down in their quest to manufacture some of the finest glass in imaging.

Plus, it's a new year, and the Tamron team will be on the road with workshops and special events all over the country. Just click on the banner to the right and make sure they're on your radar! 

The Tamron tech team is one of the most active groups of artists and educators in photography. When they're on the road, they all share the same common goal - helping you raise the bar on your skill set and the quality of your work.​

Headed to IUSA in Nashville this weekend? Meet the Tamron Team in booth 623 and check out their entire product line. You won't be disappointed!
​
​Finding your local Tamron Dealer is just a click away.

Intro by Chamira Young

​There's nothing like grabbing your favorite lens and getting outside to explore your city for some great street photography. Whether you're shooting on assignment or just for fun, it's a great way to practice your skills as a photographer. And it's even better if you can get outside of your town, state, or even country to a new place. The magic of being surrounded by new sights, smells, architecture, and people can make for some great inspiration - and images! 

That brings us to this inspiring episode of One Location, One Lesson, One Lens with photographer Armando Flores as he travels to Guanajuato, Mexico for street photography. He pays close to attention to the time of day, the lighting conditions, and shares the architectural features he's looking for. He also shares the specific role Tamron's SP 45mm plays in the creation of his images.

Check it out!

by Skip Cohen
  
​Each "chef" who's joined us has shared a different journey in their quest to be an artist and photographer.  A few episodes back, I started adding a quote that seemed relevant to some aspect of each guest in the Tamron Kitchen.

Ken Hubbard is the epitome of somebody who truly loves the craft. And while it sounds so simplistic - imaging runs through his veins. When I found the Steve Jobs quote above, it screamed Ken's name.

If you wander through Tamron's YouTube channel, you'll find video after video featuring Ken. It's not just photography that runs through his veins, but a love for education. Catch up to him in Tamron's always busy booth at any convention, and you'll immediately notice his willingness to help other photographers raise the bar on their skill set. 

In this new podcast, Ken shares a lot about his journey in photography. And while he obviously has a serious respect for the tools Tamron's brought to the industry, he's always pushing the edge of the creative envelope looking for ways to use their products other artists haven't yet tried. He also shared a lot about his love for varying the landscape of subjects he has an opportunity to photograph. I loved the two images we chose for his first Recipes post - from wild mustangs to a stunning portrait of a musician, Ken's experience covers everything!

As Tamron USA's Field Services Manager, Ken needs to be comfortable in working with every Tamron lens. And think about his role within the industry. He's also got to understand the challenges every specialty faces with the variety of subjects photographers capture.

We featured two of Ken's favorite lenses in this episode, and while they're both SP zooms, the subjects couldn't be farther apart. The mustangs were captured with the SP 150-600mm and Slim Fatz with the 70-200mm. Ken's skill set shines through on both.

by Skip Cohen  

It's been one of those years where I feel like I'm trapped in an old Hollywood movie, and the hands of the clock are spinning out of control! It's December, and since Chamira Young and I started this series, we've introduced you to another artist each month since January. We've learned so much from some of the best imaging "chefs" in the world. As I've written in the past, they're artists, educators, writers, and passionate about their careers and love for the craft.

This month, we're finishing out the year with one of my favorite "Chefs," Ken Hubbard, Field Services Manager for Tamron USA. He's no stranger to SCU, and his work has been featured many times over the last six years.

Ken actually lives in the "Tamron Kitchen", and we're so excited about him joining us that I wanted to share two of his images. I love the fact that he chose  black and white photographs. I'm a huge fan of black and white because there's no distraction of color. Don't get me wrong, I've loved all the images we've shared this year, but there's something about the power of Ken's two choices for this post. 

In these two new Recipes, Ken is using Tamron's SP150-600mm Di VC USD G2 with the wild mustangs, and with the portrait of musician, Slim Fatz, he's using the Tamron SP70-200mm Di VC USD G2 lens. The links to both lenses are below and it's a bonus this month to share two BTS videos involved with both images.

​With every Tamron Recipes post, I always manage to find a quote that fits our guest "chef." The quote below is Ken, through and through. ​

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life,
and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.
​And the only way to do great work is to love what you do!
Steve Jobs

About "Chef" Ken:  Ken is an artist, filmmaker, photographer, educator, manager, and friend to so many of us in the industry. All you need is one minute with him, and you know you've met somebody who loves what he does!  

Visit Tamron's booth at any of the major trade shows, and you'll find Ken at the counter - helping photographers raise the bar on their work. He's always approachable and worth waiting for if you caught him in the mad rush of people often in the Tamron booth.

​​Part II of Ken's recipe series will air next Tuesday. You can be sure we'll get into the backstories about both of these images.

​Ken needs to be on your radar - follow everything he's working on and where's he headed through his Facebook page. He's always sharing great content.

Part of the fun of this Tamron series is the artist is sharing the experience. The BTS videos below will give you more insight into Ken's work and the circumstances that put him on the scene with both images. I hope you'll watch both these short videos and enlarge them full screen to really appreciate the story-lines.

Photographing the wild mustangs Ken wrote: Capturing them interacting with each other, running wild as fast as they can and just standing about next to each other was phenomenal...They started to kick up some dirt, rear up on their hind legs and jostle about...All I could do at that point was press the shutter, tell myself don’t stop just keep firing and hope that I didn't run out of media space...No matter how long you have been capturing images, that feeling you get when you nailed the moment is still the same and will always be incredible.  

 Intro by Chamira Young

Once and a while it's fun to go out and capture something different. We've mentioned it before on the blog and we'll say it again: getting outside of your comfort zone is a great way to foster your creativity as an artist. As important as paying the bills are, the day-to-day of running a business and constantly shooting similar images can eventually drain you of much needed inspiration. The remedy? Get out and shoot something unusual!

Today we have the perfect example in this episode of One Location, One Lesson, One Lens with the Tamron team. Peek over the shoulder of Photographer Ulla Vinkman as she uses the Tamron SP 35mm F/1.4 to document the annual zombie crawl in Frenchtown, New Jersey.  Be ready to be creeped out and inspired at the same time!

​
​Also, just a reminder we're in the full swing of holiday shopping and Tamron's Holiday Instant Savings Program can save you a ton of your hard-earned money. Click on the banner below for more details.

​Tamron's manufacturing some of the finest glass in photography! Be sure to visit your local Tamron retailer and check it out for yourself.

by Skip Cohen

​There's so much great content on the Internet. With 214 videos on their YouTube channel, Tamron is a leader in building good solid content, always shared with a level of quality that matches their product line and commitment to education in photography.

Teal Garcia's in the spotlight today. She's no stranger to SCU and in fact, was featured in the September series of Tamron Recipes. Take the time to listen to her podcast as she shares more insight into her growth and career as a professional photographer.

          Posey, posey, smile and say cheese - I don't do a lot of that - so, controlled chaos is what it is!

One of the key ingredients to being a success as a portrait artist is making the session an experience. It's not just about the results - you've got to make it fun for the client. Teal makes it fun, and in the process, she's using her most important marketing tool: building the relationship!

​Click on any of Teal's images to visit her website and see more of her work. And enjoy the video below - there's a lot you can learn just watching another artist work!

We're in the peak season for holiday shopping and Tamron's Holiday Instant Savings program is in full swing. Just click on the banner below for information.

​Tamron's manufacturing some of the finest glass in photography, but don't take my word for it - visit your local Tamron retailer and check it out for yourself.

Intro by Chamira Young
​
If you're looking for an awe-inspiring, breathtaking four minutes of inspiration, then you'll found it in this unearthly video from the Tamron team. In their "One Location, One Lesson, One Lens" video series, you get the chance to watch photographer André Costantini as he captures images from Uyuni Bolivia's Salt Flats. I have to say, it's unlike anything I've ever seen. 

Andre's lens of choice is the 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD, and he discusses the durability of this fantastic lens while being surrounded by miles and miles of salt. He also discusses composition, framing, and the importance of returning back to a scene at different times of day to get different types of images.

​It's a fascinating behind the scenes peek into what could be any photographer's dream location! Check out the video below and prepare to be amazed!

By Chamira Young

If there's one thing Michigan has no shortage of throughout the state, it's scenic nature trails. Combined with a plethora of beautiful trees and - if you time it right - lovely weather, it's the perfect recipe for a fun walk to capture the mood of nature. It's a great way to practice creativity "just because" and keep your passion for your craft alive. If you're a pro or semi-pro, sometimes this passion can get lost in the day-to-day challenges of running your business. That's why it's invaluable to do an occasional fun project just for the thrill of it.

The images in this post were taken with Tamron's fantastic 35-150mm/2.8-4 lens. I love its versatility: while it's a great portrait lens, I find it's wonderful for outdoor photography in general. And given that I'm still mending from a hip injury, it's extremely useful to have a lens that does a bit of the walking for me!

The goal of my nature walk was to capture the mood of the path, the ambience of the time of day, and also my own personal creative expression as an artist. After capturing the images, I took them into Lightroom and played with the Adjustment Brush to adjust the exposure, shadows, and temperature of each image. 

I also couldn't resist snapping a photo of the leaves beneath my boots, as I found them to be an interesting visual texture.

If you haven't done so recently, get out in the great outdoors and unleash your creativity. It may give you that much-needed kick of inspiration you've been missing. And be sure to check out Tamron's fantastic 35-150mm/2.8-4 lens. It will raise the bar on your quality of work!

Intro by Chamira Young

Whether you consider yourself a pro, semi-pro, or hobbyist photographer, you should always be looking for creative ideas to push the envelope of your creativity. Much of the fun of being a photographer is learning new things and exploring the possibilities. This includes being inspired by other fellow photographers!

That's why we love the series "One location, One Lesson, One Lens" the team at Tamron passionately produces. It gives you a first-hand peek over the shoulder of a professional photographer as they utilize their lenses, interact with their subjects, and create amazing images. In today's featured video, we get a fun look at how photographer Michael Gilbert interacts with his model and grabs some amazing shots with the new Tamron 35-150mm lens. Talk about an amazing piece of glass! Check it out below and get ready to be inspired!

And meeting these phenomenal pros are just part of the excitement. 

• Tamron’s 28-75mm F/2.8 for Sony mirrorless, the new portrait zoom 35-150mm F/2.8-4 VC and the much lauded SP 35mm F/1.4 prime will be available to try out at the pet studio. Sessions are Thu. & Fri. at 10:30, 1:00 and 3:30 & Sat. at 10:30, 1:00 and 2:30. Images made in the studio help support the adoption of the dogs through Best Friends Animal Society.
  
• Try out a new prime for mirrorless or DSLR and all other Tamron lenses in the booth studio where the Tamron pros will be in the studio all day to assist you with posing and lighting tips. The full pro schedule will be posted at Tamron booth #620.

• Bring your Tamron lens by for an expert 4-point inspection and cleaning while you wait.
• Enter for a chance to WIN a new Tamron SP 35mm F/1.4 Di USD ($899 value).
• Up to $100 bonus rebates on top of Instant Savings on select Tamron lenses purchases at the show. See Tamron for rebate form.

​It's all happening in booth 620, right up front as you enter the main hall for PPE! And Tamron's Pet Studio is right next door! Here's your chance to meet and learn from some of the very best and test drive some of the very best glass in photography!

And, if you're interested in learning more about each of the Tamron pros who will be in the booth, click on their image above. They've all had feature pieces here at SCU, including podcasts!

by Skip Cohen
 
​With each new "chef" who joins us in the Tamron kitchen, I like to go off in search of a quote that seems to fit their style and personality. Rick Friedman is definitely a photographer and educator who believes in fun. You can see it in every class he teaches. Walk by the Tamron booth at a convention or into a Tamron dealer where Rick is doing a demo, and you'll instantly be drawn to a photographer having fun! 

While I've known Rick for a lot of years, we never seemed to find quality time to hang out and talk until a couple of years ago. That changed in 2018 at WPPI, and since then, we've worked on several different projects together. When he recently became one of Tamron's newest Ambassadors, it was the perfect time to have him join us in this series.
 
Rick's best known around the world for his work as a photojournalist for the last 40+ years. In the podcast, he talked about the backstory of getting his first magazine cover on the right.

But, Rick's also an educator, and he's been teaching for the last sixteen years. He's well-respected as one of the leaders in lighting. It's under that umbrella of education that he's had an impact on thousands of photographers.

As we discussed in this new podcast, being a successful photojournalist and educator is about relationship building. It's about establishing trust with the clients as a photographer and the students in any class or demonstration. Even a twenty-minute demo on the floor of a busy trade show requires a level of trust with the attendees!

​Click on any of Rick's images below to visit his website. I pulled some of my favorites, but there was so much from which to choose.

"Chef" Rick's recipe is a click away if you missed it last week. And, check out two Tamron lenses that are a critical part of Rick's creative tools, no matter what the subject. Click on either thumbnail for more information.  
 
Rick shared a lot of great insight in this new podcast. He's based in Boston, but the world is his home. As you look through his images, it's obvious wherever his creative eye and camera's needed, that's where he's going to be.

​As Rick pointed out in the podcast, he believes in the expression, nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

Having lived in Boston a significant part of my life, Arthur Fiedler was a very special legend. Rick captured the image below shortly before Fiedler passed away, and all it took was a knock on his door.

The next thing you know, he's sitting in Arthur Fiedler's bedroom, having a conversation with one of the greatest conductors of all time! And what was Fiedler doing when Rick joined him? Reading music!

From photojournalism on the campaign trail to travel to lighting workshops and published editorial images, I'm not sure there isn't anything "Chef" Rick hasn't photographed!

Intro by Skip Cohen

As I've written so many times, the fun of this industry isn't just about photography, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft.​

Meet Dave Williams. He's a travel photographer, writer, educator, blogger and social media influencer based in the UK. Besides our mutual love for the craft, we share some great friendships, starting with the team at Platypod, the Kelby Media crew. I know as time goes on we'll find more common denominators.

Working together with the team at Tamron USA and Platypod, I saw one of Dave's images recently and talked him into a short guest post. The image above is a forty-seven-second exposure! It brings together Dave's creativity with Tamron's quality and Platypod's stability.

Dave might be based in the UK, and five-thousand miles away, but in cyberspace, it's only a click of a mouse! The Internet has made the world an incredibly small place, allowing us to share images, videos, and conversations in a way that's changing all of our lives! 

​Dave needs to be on your radar. Check out Dave's website with a click on his image above and follow his blog too. You'll also find more of Dave's work as part of "Travel Tuesday" today on the Platypod blog.

By Dave Williams

​As part of a little mission to north Wales earlier this year I shot the lighthouse at Penmon Point.  
 
Penmon Point Light is pretty iconic as far as UK lighthouses go. Guarding ships from the shallow, rocky waters of the Menai Strait between Anglesey and Puffin Island, this iconic black and white striped lighthouse has stood since 1838. Its purpose is to mark the channel of safe passage between the two islands. The sea here is rough, owing to the shallow waters, steep beaches, and underlying rocks. To get here involves crossing private land, and as such the landowner charges a toll of £3 ($4.50) which is used to maintain the road and land.
 
When you get to the end of the road there’s a car park and a small shop selling drinks and ice cream and offering restrooms at this popular spot, but I by-passed that and headed straight for the rocks. My aim in this visit was to shoot the lighthouse using a Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 and calming the sea with a 10-stop (ND3) filter.
 
I soon learned just how slippery the rocks were and began to take extra caution as I crossed them as far as I could to the waters edge, with that very water breaking around the rocks I was stepping on. I found my spot and set up my rig, which was entirely hanging around me from my BlackRapid strap: - I had my Nikon D810 with my Tamron 70 – 200mm f/2.8 lens which was attached to my Platypod Ultra with a 3LeggedThing ballhead, and I used the Platypod screw spikes to make sure nothing slid across the rocks.

​On the front of the lens was my Gobe 10-stop filter, and firing the camera was a Pluto Trigger, controlled with my iPhone. The sky was overcast, which is fairly typical for us here in the UK, but there was just enough texture and difference in those clouds that the sky wasn’t completely flat. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon the clouds split, but I couldn’t hand around long as I had to go find my hotel for the night before shooting sunrise the next morning.
 
It was a long trip, but a trip that was absolutely worth making, and a shoot made simple and effective with the gear I was using.

 
Today, you've got the most creative tools in the history of photography. Many of them thanks to Tamron!

Tamron is manufacturing some of the finest glass in imaging optics. Isn't it time you visited your Tamron retailer?

Click on the banner above for more information about one of Dave's favorite lenses. And, check out the current instant savings promotion, which includes the 70-200 mm F/2.8 Di VC USD lens.

by Skip Cohen
 
If you're new to this series, I like to find a quote that seems to fit our guest "chef." After several phone conversations, followed by the podcast above, there's no question that Teal Garcia loves what she does, and her images clearly meet the definition of "great work."

Over the years, I've looked at hundreds, if not thousands, of online galleries and portfolios. One of the things I've noticed, often recognizable immediately, is the artist's ability to capture emotion. It's not just in the expressions of the subjects, but the composition, use of depth of field and even the exposure. 

One of the industry's most celebrated portrait photographers, Don Blair, used to say, "You have to learn the rules before you're allowed to break them." Teal Garcia has learned them all but chooses to violate them whenever it adds impact to a portrait. In the process, she spends a lot of time listening to her clients, building trust, and then the relationship necessary to capture their personalities in front of the camera.

Being a successful portrait artist isn't as much about the final photograph itself, but creating an experience for the client. It's about sharing your passion for the craft with your subject. It means being so involved in the process of capture, that the only difference between the artist and the client is a few feet.

Click on any of Teal's images below to visit her website. I pulled some of my favorites from her Instagram page as well. Teal Garcia should be on your radar!

by Skip Cohen

Ever feel like time is passing incredibly fast, like the hands on a clock spinning in an old movie? As we share a new "Tamron Recipes" with another "chef," I'm amazed this is now the ninth in the series. Each one has captured the passion of another chef when "cooking" with Tamron. Tamron's outstanding optical quality combined with the skillset of each guest has created a remarkably diverse body of work. 
   
Teal Garcia joins us in the Tamron Kitchen in this new episode. While her lens choice and skillset are obviously part of her success, it's her love for the craft that's a big part of the foundation for everything she does. ​With every Tamron Recipes post, I always go off in search of a quote that seems to fit both our guest "chef" and the image along with the upcoming podcast to be aired.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life,
and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.
And the only way to do great work is love what you do.
Steve Jobs

About "Chef" Teal: For the last year Teal's been based out of Oahu, Hawaii. It's a big change of scenery from previously living in Oklahoma. She's an internationally recognized award-winning portrait photographer, and there's a great line in her bio I want to share:

"I have an obsession with what I do and I love a good adventure."

Teal's husband is in the military and currently based out of Pearl Harbor. Having been around the military world in our own family, I can't help but think all the travel in Teal's life has contributed to her passion for adventure. Plus, think about how she's had to keep her skillset well-developed in order to create beautiful portraits in a wide variety of environments, no matter where she's based!

​Part II of Teal's recipe series is coming next Tuesday. You can be sure we'll be talking about the challenges of relocation; her mind's eye visions when she's working with a client and her absolute love for photography. Her website is just a click away.

Intro by Chamira Young

Not only is it a great idea to challenge ourselves as artists, but it plays a vital role in keeping us sharp for the long-term! For anyone looking for a much-needed creative boost, consider changing things up once and a while and trying something new in your photography practice.

​The good news is that deciding to step outside of your comfort zone doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, one great way is to experiment with a different lens than you're accustomed to in a given situation. In today's post, photographer Don Mammoser does just that!

Prior to heading on vacation to the Southern Caribbean with his family, he decided to switch things up. Instead of using a long lens while site-seeing, he decided to stick with the wide-angle Tamron 17-35mm F/2.8 Di wide-angle lens. It's a fantastic piece of glass, as Tamron never disappoints!

As you will see, getting out of your comfort zone is a great way to have fun and learn in the process! Check out the results he got below.

By Jenn Gidman
Images By Don Mammoser
​

When Don Mammoser and his wife decided to head to Grenada for a 17-day vacation with their 10-month-old daughter, Don decided to pose a challenge for himself: Because he often takes his travel photos with longer lenses, this time around he decided to try to capture the bulk of his images with the Tamron 17-35mm F/2.8 Di wide-angle lens. "I wanted to see what I could come up with if I just left that one lens on my camera most of the time," he says. "I loved capturing the landscapes and island scenery, as well as some of the local flavor, with just the 17-35. Plus, because of its light weight and compact size, I was able to do much of my shooting handheld, which was really convenient when my wife, daughter, and I were just walking around playing tourist."

Read on for the backstory on each of the photos here that Don captured in this tropical multi-island paradise in the southern Caribbean:
​

This photo was taken at Hillsborough Beach, on the island of Carriacou. We were staying at a resort just across the road, and we'd walk over to the beach every night when it was getting close to sunset. There are many people known as yachtees who own sailboats and cruise the Caribbean, and you'll often spot boats hanging out offshore from many of these beaches.

On this evening I was looking directly west, where the sun was going down behind those peaks and lighting up the clouds. I stopped down to 1/12th of a second, just to show a bit of the wave action. I also lined the image up so that I could capture the diagonal line of the surf meeting the shore heading up into those hills. Of course, to get that perspective, I had to get down on the ground and into the water a little—but the water was warm, I was wearing shorts and sandals, and my camera stayed dry, so it was all good.
​

My wife, daughter, and I were taking a stroll along the beach at sunset, and I spotted this one well-positioned palm tree. I knew I wanted to make this a silhouette shot, but I decided to add a human element to it. I told my wife to stand out there and play with my daughter. They were just out there having fun, my daughter giggling the entire time.

I underexposed the photo a bit and shot at a fast shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second, because obviously they're both in motion a little as my wife lifts her up. I lined it up to make sure the tree had its own space and my family had their own space, so they didn't go up into the branches of the tree with their silhouettes.
​

My wife, daughter, and I were taking a stroll along the beach at sunset, and I spotted this one well-positioned palm tree. I knew I wanted to make this a silhouette shot, but I decided to add a human element to it. I told my wife to stand out there and play with my daughter. They were just out there having fun, my daughter giggling the entire time.

I underexposed the photo a bit and shot at a fast shutter speed of 1/1000th of a second, because obviously they're both in motion a little as my wife lifts her up. I lined it up to make sure the tree had its own space and my family had their own space, so they didn't go up into the branches of the tree with their silhouettes.
​

​Be sure to check out Tamron's events schedule. Their team is on the road with great programs/events throughout the entire year!

by Skip Cohen

​If you've followed my posts for the last year or so, then the name Robert Vanelli won't be new to you. Attend just about any convention, and you'll find him walking the trade show, teaching or networking. He's a powerhouse and certainly not new to SCU. We've shared several of his images, and our adventures together have been highlighted in several blog posts.

He's an author, educator, podcaster, filmmaker, photographer and a good friend to so many of us in the industry. He's also one of those people who you meet, and a few months later you can't remember when he WASN'T in your life!  "Vanelli" needs to be on your radar. Click on his image above to link to his website, and if you're looking for his podcasts and articles, they're at Photofocus.com - just a click away.

Recently he was shooting with Tamron's SP 35mm lens. When I saw the image above, I knew it had to be shared on Tamron Tuesday.  He captured the image with a Nikon D810, the Tamron 35mm F/1.8 Di VC US lens. The exposure triad was f6.3 @ 1/50 ISO 800. It was all natural light and shot in aperture priority.
 
The model is Amber Intelisano, photographed at Tank America in Melbourne, Florida.

Tamron never slows down in the quality of their manufacturing and today is making some of the very finest optics in imaging! See the entire product line with a visit to the Tamron dealer nearest you.

Images copyright Voortex Productions. All rights reserved.

“Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that to go on living I have to tell stories,
​that stories are the one sure way I know to touch the heart and change the world.”
Dorothy Allison

by Skip Cohen
 
I love starting each Tamron Recipe with a quote that points out some unique characteristic of our "Chef." Well, it only took a few minutes to find a statement that describes Chef Charley Voorhis. He's a passionate storyteller, explorer, and adventurer. He's always focused on finding ways to expand the viewer's understanding of a subject via his filmmaking and still images. And, like the quote above he touches our hearts and changes the world one frame at a time.

A few weeks ago, I was able to sit in on one of Charley's workshops at ClickCon in Chicago. As he talked about the essential elements of a story, I couldn't help but notice that distinctive look you see on an artist's face when they're in the groove. Talking about filmmaking is all part of Charley's persona, and as an educator, he's entirely focused on the importance of the power of a great story when told in a film.

The short video below about Charley's company, Voortex Productions, says it all...
                                                             
​                                                             "We believe in the power of stories!"

​Besides his love for imaging and storytelling, another quality immediately comes out in any conversation with Charley - he's a team player. While the videos he shares are deeply rooted in his visions, it's his crew that helps him turn them into reality. Together they've written some of the best stories in imaging!

And check out the entire Tamron family of outstanding glass with a visit to your Authorized USA Dealer. Just click on the banner above to find the dealer nearest you!

While most of the work shared in the Voortex Productions portfolio are video projects and campaigns, their Instagram and Facebook pages show more about their diversity and expertise. I pulled a few of my favorite still images, but check out their videos and pay close attention to the way they tell each client's story! Click on any image below to visit Voortex Productions.

All images copyright Voortex Productions. All rights reserved.

By Chamira Young

There's nothing like upgrading a lens and seeing how it can revolutionize your work. I recall the first time I decided to do my first lens upgrade years ago, and couldn't believe I hadn't done it sooner! The quality of my work instantly skyrocketed, especially as I tested and became familiar with my new equipment.

Speaking of testing and becoming familiar with new glass, today's post is going to demonstrate how versatile and fun Tamron's SP 15-30mm F/2.8 lens is. A great piece of glass is a powerful asset to any photographer's repertoire, and when it comes to high quality glass, Tamron walks the walk. I decided to embark on a journey to see how flexible this lens could be while still maintaining high-level quality. Spoiler alert: I was not disappointed in the least! From up close portraits to panoramic shots, this lens is great for a variety of situations.

​Nature

Next, I couldn't resist heading down to my favorite local park, hopping on my kick scooter, and grabbing some fun nature shots. ​I absolutely love the level of both foreground to background sharpness the lens was able to capture.
​

Panoramas

Finally, I wanted to really push the envelope in terms of how large of an object I could capture, so grabbing a shot of a local freighter crawling by was the logical decision. This behemoth felt like it was practically on top of me, and yet the lens allowed me to capture it in its entirety. As for the bridge behind it, I managed to capture a solid chunk of the structure.