by Skip Cohen

Ever meet somebody, and within an unusually short time, you feel like you've known them for years? That's the way I describe getting to know Alyce Bender. Two weeks ago, we spoke on the phone for the first time after she answered an email about being a guest "Chef" in the Tamron Recipes series.

When Chamira and I started the series, we thought we'd simply find creative ways to show Tamron's outstanding quality through great artists and beautiful images. However, what's happened has so much more impact, and "Bender" is a perfect example.

Every Chef has shared something a little different and always relevant to their growth as an artist. Alyce's skill set is outstanding, but it's her love for the craft and sharing her images that's even more impressive. She loves the outdoors, and while that's not in itself unique, sharing her experiences with her level of passion is. 

"I believe the stronger the connection between people and nature, the easier it is to promote environmental awareness and to protect vulnerable species and their habitats."

With every image, you get a sense of that message, and when she crosses over from documenting nature to turning it into fine art, I was struck by the simplicity in the beauty of what she creates. Grabbing screenshots of my favorites from her galleries was not easy, especially when it came to her winter images from Japan. Click on any image to visit her Chef Bender's website.

Chef Bender's recipe is a click away if you missed it when it was posted last week. And for more information on Tamron's SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens, click on the banner below. 

The pandemic has made this the most challenging time in contemporary history to be a business owner and especially a professional photographer. But Tamron's support team hasn't slowed down - just moved to cyberspace. Check out Tamron's programs for rebates, online education, and even some great contests to share your work.  

​​As we all adjust to the new normal, the change in business makes this a good time to expand your skill set. Having to "hunker down" doesn't have to mean your business, skills, or continuing to build relationships with your clients. ​ It's essential to stay involved! ​

by Skip Cohen
   
We're halfway through 2020 already, and this is our 18th episode of Tamron Recipes. Without question, time definitely flies when you're having a good time. And being in the middle of a pandemic changes nothing in the willingness of each Chef to share insight into their love for the craft. 

We started this series, thinking it was a great way to demonstrate the quality and versatility of Tamron's extensive lens line, but we've learned and shared so much more. Each month we're introduced to another member of Tamron's imaging family...and what a family it is!

Alyce Bender, known as "Bender," is in the Tamron Kitchen this month with a variety of cuisines - from wildlife to landscapes to macro to abstractions and Impressionism, you'll sense her love for the craft the minute you step into any gallery. 

A fun aspect of these episodes has become my search for a quote that seems to fit each Chef. Until my recent phone conversation with Bender, we had never met. Immediately, it became apparent how much she loves the craft and capturing the personalities of each subject - even her landscapes.

We believe people with passion can change the world for the better. That's what we believe.
And we believe those people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world
are the ones that actually do.
Steve Jobs

About "Chef" Bender: I don't know Bender well enough to know if she's out to change the world, but she's certainly helping to make it better. As I started to get to know her passion for the craft, and her love for whatever subject she's capturing, the quote by Steve Jobs was perfect. Each image in her gallery represents a story she wants to share, and her image above is no exception.

Please take the time to visit Bender's website. From the very first image, you'll sense her passion for imaging and her quest to share each experience with us and why she feels it's important:

I really am happiest in the field and am passionate about sharing the unique biodiversity this planet has to offer. My goal is to connect viewers and photographers with the natural world through my imagery and tours. I believe the stronger the connection between people and nature, the easier it is to promote environmental awareness and to protect vulnerable species and their habitats.
 
About the Image: Bender used Tamron's SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens to capture the photo above. It's not only one of her favorites, but it was also Chamira and my first "WOW" when we visited her website. And it comes with a great backstory.

Taken outside Kushiro, Japan in the late afternoon on a chilly February day this year. This is one in a series of images I am working on to highlight the beauty and grace of the endangered Red-crowned Crane.

February is when these cranes court each other with elaborate and choreographed displays. Even though they mate for life, paired cranes still use the courtship dance to reestablish those bonds.

For me, this year was especially difficult as it was the warmest winter in over 60 years for Japan, meaning there were a lot of blue sky days. For these images I really need overcast, preferably actively snowing, weather. Of the five days I spent with the cranes this year, I only had one day of partly overcast and a couple of hours of snow and overcast conditions this final evening. Thankfully, everything, from the weather to the position of the birds, finally aligned on that last afternoon to allow me to capture this image. 

Click on Bender's image to enlarge and view in the SCU Lightbox. Then visit her website and follow her schedule of Photo Adventures too! The pandemic has changed the availability of specific trips, but if she's on your radar, you'll be able to keep up to date with everything she's doing and her schedule. And visit her macro gallery, an extension of her skill set brought out during downtime and dealing with social distancing.

by Skip Cohen

​It was probably around 2013 I met Erik Valind online as one of Tamron's Image Masters. Later he did an SCU guest post on portraiture, and since then, I've caught up to him at various industry events and featured several of his images in Tamron Tuesday posts. But through all this time, we never have found time for a real conversation until this podcast.

Regardless of how we've caught up to each other over the years, phone, in person or in cyberspace, I've never seen Erik anything but passionate about imaging. He loves the craft. So, when I started looking for a quote to lead off his two-part recipe series, it wasn't hard to find the appropriate one. 

In this new podcast, Erik shares a lot of powerful insight into his passion for photography. I especially love the image he shared for his original recipe last week. It's so far from the kind of work he's best known for. It's a six-minute exposure of the NYC skyline. Just click on the thumbnail to the right to read more about it.

We chose to play off of reality food shows for Tamron Recipes because each artist does work like a fine chef. The image Erik wanted to share, is a perfect example of what makes him a great "chef," his ability to experiment. He's recognized primarily for his people, portrait, and lifestyle work, but put a camera in his hands while out and about for his own enjoyment, and anything can happen!
 
I hope you'll take the time to listen to the whole podcast. Erik shares a lot of valuable insight, especially into how he's finding business during the pandemic. He also shares the backstory on the image above and why he was so excited to be out with Tamron's 17-35mm F2.8-4 lens. See more of Erik's work with a click on any of his images below.
 
The pandemic has made this one of the most difficult times in history for professional photographers, or for that matter any small-business owner. All of us are finding ways to adapt to life under quarantine, but that hasn't slowed down the team at Tamron. Check out Tamron's programs for rebates, online education, and even some great contests to share your work.  ​ 

by Skip Cohen
 
It's our 17th episode in this series, and with each new "Chef," we're gaining more insight into not only their journey but expanding our own thoughts on creativity, technique and passion.  When we started the series, the idea was simply to have some fun and introduce you to the movers and shakers in photography. What we've actually built is an extension of everyone's imaging family.

New York and Florida based Erik Valind joins us this month. He's no stranger to SCU, where we've featured a wide variety of his work. But his skill set is only part of the fun of knowing him. The only thing more impressive than his style is his love for the industry and the craft.

Erik used Tamron's 17-35mm F/2.8-4 Di OSD lens. It's one of his favorites:

"Here's a fun lens that we can talk about. I was really excited when it came out because finally I have an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens that is also easy to use filters with! No more expensive, bulky, fragile giant filter holders required, this lens has front filter threads built in. Plus its lightweight too, which is wonderful on long hikes."

For each new Chef, I've gone off in search of a quote that seems to fit their personality. It wasn't hard to find one for Erik. This is an artist who totally loves what he's doing. ​

In the world of business,
the people who are most successful
are those who are doing what they love.
Warren Buffet

About "Chef" Erik: We've featured a lot of Erik's work over the years, and even a short podcast here and there. However, even when we've bumped into each other at various conventions, there's never time for a very long conversation. So, we're just as excited about getting quality time with him in next week's podcast as we are in you getting to know at an artist who needs to be on your radar. 

One trip to his website, and you'll start to understand how much Erik loves the craft. A short section on his about page says it all:

“I’m a Communicator... Freelance Photographer, Author & Educator. I was born on the beaches of Treasure Island. I like how it sounds storybook when I tell people that. Since then I’ve been blessed with what I call a semi-charmed life, and everything has been inspiration along the way. Now I get to create for a living. I leap at the opportunities to travel the country, to meet interesting people and to make great photographs of my journey.

There’s a tangible energy in my actions, and that energy is born from those around me. I love to teach and am always eager to learn. I claim to control light, but in reality light lends itself to us, and we just look good in it. Lets enjoy it together.”

About the Image: The image we chose for this month's feature is a six-minute exposure of the NYC skyline. Erik wanted a particular feel to the image and shared one of the main ingredients:

"For this particular photo I leveraged both of the lenses strengths (wide angle + filters) by shooting at 17mm and attaching a 15-Stop Neutral Density Filter. The combination allowed me to capture the entire NYC skyline, while blurring the busy water traffic to smooth glass, and transforming the rather unimpressive sunset into a more spectacular streaking light show of sun-rays."

Click on Erik's image to enlarge and view in the SCU Lightbox. Then visit his website and follow his event schedule too! He's one of the most approachable photographers in the industry.

by Skip Cohen

​It's interesting how you get to know a person, especially an artist, by looking at their images and adding in their personality from a couple of phone calls. So, I started looking for quotes about each "Chef" who joined us in the Tamron Kitchen. It wasn't hard to find one for Derrick Zellmann.  

As Derrick and I talked and I explained the Tamron Recipes series, the more he shared his love for the craft, along with his family and living in New England. During that first conversation, he was home with his two children, playing Dad, as his wife, Jessica, a nurse, was supporting the battle against coronavirus at one of Boston's hospitals. But it wasn't until our live podcast I found out we share a lot of mutual friends. He and I might have even met many years ago at Hallmark Institute.

The fun of these podcasts is always how much each "Chef" shares about their love for the craft and their insight into their journey. Derrick's passion for imaging never slows down, even during the downtime resulting from the pandemic. And while the focus of so much of his business is food photography, you'll find a lot of great versatility in looking at images on both his websites. His wedding and portrait work is at DerrickZellmannPhoto.com, and his commercial food work at DZPfood.com.  

It wasn't easy choosing images to share in today's post, but since we talked almost exclusively about food photography, I stayed on his food site. Click on any of his images in this post to see more of his work. 

"Chef" Derrick's recipe is a click away if you missed it when it was posted last Tuesday. And for more information on Tamron's SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD lens, click on the banner below. 

There's never been a more challenging or difficult time in our industry. We're all in various forms of quarantine, but Tamron's support hasn't slowed down - just moved to cyberspace. Check out Tamron's programs for rebates, online education, and even some great contests to share your work.  ​While the uncertainty of the future is an issue for all of us, this might be the best time to expand your skillset, and whatever gear you love to use most, it's time to stay involved. 

by Skip Cohen
 
We're jumping in with episode sixteen of Tamron Recipes, and for the first time, we really are connected with food in the Tamron Kitchen. With every guest, we've shared information and ideas related to their specialty, but never directly into the world of food photography! The result today has Tamron Kitchen filled with great ingredients, all edible from a well-respected artist in photography. 

Boston-based, Derrick Zellmann is joining us. Although there's pretty much nothing, Derrick can't photograph, we're focused on his passion for food photography. Even more fun comes into his work with portraits of the chefs who create his subjects, which we'll share with next week's podcast.

In this new recipe, Derrick used Tamron's SP 90mm F/2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD. I had a hard time deciding which image to use, so just like going out to dinner and sharing a taste of whatever my wife ordered, we used both.  
 
The process of creating a Tamron Recipe always starts with me making a phone call to the selected guest. Then, based on that conversation, a few emails back and forth, and spending time on their website, I start to get a feel for who they are. I've had a lot of fun finding a quote that seems to fit each guest, and Derrick's was easy to spot. ​

Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress.
Working hard for something we love is called passion.
Simon Sinek

About "Chef" Derrick: One conversation with Derrick, and it's obvious how much he loves what he's doing. But he took it a step beyond food and portrait photography with something he wrote in his response when we were working on when to schedule recording his podcast: 

I would've loved to speak this week but my wife works in an ICU at a Boston Hospital so it's been a bit chaotic as she's spending this whole week there with the COVID-19 demand and I'll be hanging with my little ones...which is a lot of fun as a dad, however, not very quiet for an interview:)

The pandemic has changed all of our lives, but so often we forget the people giving back aren't just on the front line, but behind the scenes. Derrick and his wife, Jessica, are giving back to the Boston community. His role as a Dad, for the moment, is probably upstaging his photography - but it's obvious that passion has so many different definitions.

When you wander through Derrick's portfolio on his commercial site, while the primary subjects we chose today were food, the stories he's sharing run much deeper and include stunning portraits of some of the very best chefs in Boston, along with other personalities around New England. His work has been featured in magazines and publications both locally and nationally.

Over the last few years, Tamron's reputation as a leading manufacture of great glass has become legendary.  It's easy to understand if you keep up with their never-ending stream of new products. In fact, just last week they announced a new lens, the new 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens. It's the third model in Tamron's series of fast F/2.8 zoom lenses for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras. 

Tamron has become one of the industry's most favorite suppliers, especially when it comes to their busy booth at any convention or trade show. Click on the thumbnail on the right for more information about this remarkable lens.

Travel for all of us is limited now, but you can count on the Tamron team being back on the road when the crisis is over. However, their website is loaded with outstanding content as well as their YouTube channel. Now's a great time to catch up on your reading and video content - all focused on helping you raise the bar on your skill set as an artist.  
 
Derrick Zellmann is definitely an artist who should be on your radar. You'll find his work split between two different sites, targeting two very different clients. Wedding and portrait work is at DerrikZellmannPhoto.com, and you'll find his commercial food work at DZPfood.com.  

Check out Tamron's current rebates on several outstanding lenses. This might be just the right time for you to expand your gear, and then take full advantage of the downtime getting to know a new lens, and boost your skill set.

by Skip Cohen

​​A fun aspect of putting together each new Tamron Recipes episode has been the search for a quote that seems to fit each new "chef." I didn't know Jamie Malcolm-Brown before my introductory phone call to him. We had a great conversation about his work and the concept behind Recipes. 

The more we talked, and the more of his work I looked at on Instagram and his website, the more I realized the value of his diversity. He's in love with two completely different genres within imaging - landscape and people. As a landscape photographer, there's a level of solitude as an individual contributor, but it's just the opposite in weddings and portraits. So, relationship building became a topic in our conversation during the podcast, and the more we talked, the more the quote I found seemed to fit Jamie's focus as an artist.  

Jamie shares a lot of great insight in this new podcast, and it's all at a time where we're all in this challenging state of suspension, social distancing, and hunkering down. While Jamie's wedding and portrait business may be on hold, his life as a landscape artist is not. His images speak volumes as both an artist on land and in the air with a drone. He's giving us a different perspective on the world, and like macro photography, it's a view most of us never see until an artist like Jamie shares his vision!
 
It was no easy task picking images from Jamie's galleries on both his website and Instagram pages. Click on any of his images in this post to visit his Instagram page. Then, follow him and be prepared to look at photograph after photograph that only Jamie and Mother Nature could create. 

"Chef" Jamie's recipe is a click away if you missed it when it was posted last Tuesday. And for more information on Tamron's 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 lens, click on the banner below. 

This is an incredibly challenging time for all of us in this industry. But what I love about landscape photography right now, is that it doesn't require social distancing, and Tamron's got some great programs to help with the cost. While the uncertainty of the future is an issue for all of us, this might be the best time to expand your skillset, and whatever gear you love to use most, it's time to stay involved.  ​

​by Skip Cohen
 
This is our fifteenth episode of Tamron Recipes, and playing off the chef analogy couldn't be more appropriate. Each guest has had their specialty, style, and even a few secret ingredients to their success. And, like fine chefs, they're all incredibly passionate about their favorite cuisine! The result is the Tamron Kitchen is filled with with great ingredients by some of the most respected artists in photography. 

We've got Jamie Malcolm-Brown from Massachusetts joining us in the Tamron Kitchen this month. His passion is landscapes, always looking for a way to capture images that challenge us with their beauty and ability to be calming. But that's only part of the story of his diversity as an artist because he also photographs weddings and portraits. Then, last but anything but least, he teaches drone photography.

In this new recipe, Jamie used Tamron's 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD lens. It wasn't easy to decide which image to share to kick off his two-part series, but when I saw the photograph above, it had so much depth and beauty.
 
With each new "chef," even if I don't know them well, I go off in search of a quote that seems to apply to their work or personality. 

"Being an artist is dragging your innermost feelings out,
giving a piece of yourself, no matter in which art form, in which medium."
Henry Rollins

About "Chef" Jamie: Jamie's "medium" is obviously photography, but we love his diversity as an artist. So, whether shooting a wedding a creating a piece of fine art, his focus is always on the client's needs combined with his skill set. 

Unlike a lot of landscape photographers, Jamie also works on spec based on the needs of his client. I love the beauty and the simplicity of his fine art marketing video and decided to share it here because it will give you another way to get to know Jamie. 

About the Image:  Jamie wrote - I was actually in the middle of a 3 day drone photography meet-up but after three years of flying I had my first drone crash. I had to pivot my plans. Rather than go with the group to a prime fall-foliage location that would be perfect for the drone, I decided to drive around town and visit a few trees that had good potential for colorful foliage.

When I arrived before sunrise a thick fog covered everything and I could barely see the trees. I thought the morning was a bust but the sun started to rise and burn through the low clouds. The tree I was at was still shrouded in fog but the sun was about 100 yards to my right. I grabbed my gear and ran over.

The tree in the image is on someones farm land that I didn't have permission to go on so I put on the Tamron 100-400 and stood at the side of the road. In the end I am glad I did! The long focal length emphasized the layers and made the sun larger in relation to the tree. Going with a wide angle would have not given the image the same effect.

Tamron manufactures some of the finest glass in imaging today. They've become one of the industry's most favorite suppliers, especially when it comes to their busy booth at any convention or trade show. The 100-400 mm zoom is just one of Jamie's favorites. Click on the thumbnail on the right for more information about this remarkable lens.

It's a new year, and while travel for all of us is limited now, you can count on the Tamron team being back on the road when the crisis is over. Plus, their website is loaded with outstanding content as well as their YouTube channel. Now's a great time to catch up on your reading and video content - all focused on helping you raise the bar on your skillset as an artist.  
 
And when it comes to more of Jamie Malcolm-Brown's work, click on his image above to visit his website. Then make sure he's on your radar. He's an artist you should know about.

I decided to share this short marketing video he has on his website because it will give you another perspective on his passion.​ Just below the video on his website he explains: "If you want a custom image of a local landmark, your favorite nature spot or just an aerial image of your home I can work with you. I am an FAA certified drone pilot and would love to connect with you to find the best weather, season and time of the day that you want to capture for your personal image."

Jamie's focus isn't just on the landscape, but his client's needs.

by Skip Cohen  
  
In January 2019, we launched the first episode of Tamron Recipes. Well, here we are over a year later with a new series of conversations with our guest "chefs." My co-host, Chamira Young, and I chose to play off the chef analogy because so many great artists are like the fine chefs we've grown to know through reality TV. And the Tamron Kitchen, just like a foodie-driven episode on the food channel, is loaded with great ingredients - one of the most diverse collections of high-quality lenses in photography. 

Cecil Holmes joins us in the kitchen this month, but we thought we'd have some fun with a different kind of "dish" and show his diversity. While Cecil's passion is outdoors with landscapes and critters, there's nothing he can't photograph. So, we thought we'd have fun with two of his favorite extremes - the night sky and a macro of a daisy. 

In these two new recipes, Cecil's using two of his favorite Tamron lenses, the 15-30mm G2 and the 90mm macro. The links to both lenses are below.  
 
Cecil is no stranger to the SCU blog, but until last month we'd only talked on the phone or in cyberspace. At IUSA, we were able to actually meet face to face, as Cecil and his son walked the trade show floor. There's something about meeting people you admire face to face that enhances the impression you've already developed from other means of contact. Cecil couldn't be more passionate about the craft or more friendly and approachable, and his son, Keegan is a chip off the old block.

With each new "chef," I like to search for a quote that applies to their work or personality. 

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Maya Angelou

Like most photographers, Cecil is a storyteller. I'm so familiar with his work - his images are often about sharing what he's experiencing or observing. In an episode of "Why?" here at SCU, and later featured in a Tamron video, he talked about changing plans on a landscape shoot when Mother Nature didn't cooperate on the weather. He had no choice but to simply go with the flow. 

Whether he's on assignment for his portfolio, teaching, or working with another photographer, his approach couldn't be more relaxed. While he's often got a vision of what he wants to capture, his approach is to head out with his camera and capture what he wants to share. 

​About "Chef" Cecil:  If there's one word that describes Cecil Holmes, it's humility as an artist. I usually don't share a chef's about page here, but I pulled a paragraph from his website that's so appropriate in demonstrating Cecil's love for the craft:

Oh yeah....about me. I am a forty-something. I do not know if my generation has a name. I do not have any kind of art background at all. I didn't study under any of the big names in art or photography, in fact, I am self-taught. I know...I know, it seems blasphemous. I simply picked up a camera some time ago, when my oldest son began playing sports. Even though he was 5, I knew I would need good, sharp images to send to all the college scouts and coaches ten years in the future. That's when I decided to purchase my first DSLR. I still blame my son. Soon after, I combined my love of photography with my love of the outdoors. Those two things fit together naturally. 

Click on either of Cecil's recipe images above to visit his website and galleries.

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.

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.  

by Skip Cohen
  
​A few "chefs" ago, I started searching for quotes that help you get to know each guest we have in the Tamron Kitchen. Alex Cearns redefines having a love and respect for the animal world. It's what her photography is all about. I used the word "respect" because it's the best way to describe her focus and dedication to capture incredible images of critters!

To appreciate her skillset, you need to visit her website, but not just her galleries. Taking a scroll through all the images on her website and backstories is like visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. From incredible photos of domestic animals to her photography in the wild and on to animal rescue support, Alex is an artist who ALWAYS walks the talk. 

But, just being one of the world's best animal photographers is only part of her commitment. As an educator, you'll find her at conventions throughout the year. She's always giving back, and helping artists raise the bar on the quality of their images.

In this new podcast, Alex shared a lot of great insight into her journey as an animal lover. She's determined to never let the challenges of photographing ANY animal get in the way of the click of the shutter. 

Even though neither Chamira or I have ever met Alex in person, one podcast, a few emails, and conversations in cyberspace are enough to thoroughly appreciate her passion for imaging and animals. She's one of those exceptional artists who's simply approachable.

In the "About" section on her website are four goals that Alex shares with her visitors. They reflect her love for the craft and her subjects.

• Capture uplifting and positive images that evoke a heartfelt connection between the viewer and the subject.
• Celebrate the unique personalities of beloved ‘fur kids’ for their parents.
• Be a vocal advocate of animal rescue – to speak for those who can’t.
• Provide excellence in everything she does as a professional photographer.

​She's committed to her craft as a photographer, artist, educator, speaker, and author. Click on any of Alex's images below to visit her website. It wasn't easy deciding which ones were my favorites because the body of work she shares is remarkable!

"Chef" Alex's recipe is a click away if you missed it last week. Check out one of her favorite creative tools, Tamron's SP 150-600mm F/5.6 - 6.3 lens. Just click on the thumbnail to the right for more information about this lens and the current Instant Savings.  ​

It's holiday season - how could I pass up this last image in today's post?

by Skip Cohen 

Each month, since the start of the year, Chamira Young and I have had the privilege of working with a member of the Tamron "family." We started the Tamron Recipes project completely underestimating what we'd learn from some of the finest imaging "chefs" in the world. They're artists, educators, writers, and passionate about their careers and love for the craft. I continue to be amazed at the diversity and willingness of each featured "chef" to share their recipes.  

Alex Cearns joins us in the Tamron Kitchen in this new post and upcoming podcast. She's a remarkable artist with a love not only for her work, but the animals she works with, both domestic and in the wild. When you look at her work, there's an undeniable signature in so many of her images.

Shakespeare wrote, "the eyes are the window to the soul." One look at Alex's portfolio, and you'll immediately see why I'm making the reference. I grabbed screenshots of three of my favorites below, but it wasn't easy. They're all incredible!​

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!

 by Skip Cohen

One of the fun aspects of this series is sharing the work of a different artist each month. As always, I continue to be amazed at the diversity and willingness of each featured "chef" to share their recipes.  

Rick Friedman joins us in the Tamron Kitchen in this new episode. We had a hard time trying to figure out which image to share. I took the easy way out and featured two.   

In this new Recipe, Rick's working with two different Tamron lenses, but the common denominator is Julianna Nicole, one of his favorite models. And, the two images are entirely different. But if you know Rick or have watched him at a Tamron demo, you know creativity is in his blood - along with always having fun!

"Fun," as I've written in the past, is one of those words too often lost in business today. We're so wrapped up in deadlines and the stress of each moment we often forget about having fun. Well, you can't have fun if your heart isn't in it - and Rick's an artist whose heart is in every click of the shutter. ​

In the light-painting image below, I love the fun of Rick's comment about being in the picture, "That's fat me behind skinny her!" And photographers always have fun in Rick's workshops with his work-hard-play-hard style of teaching.

​With every Tamron Recipes post, I like to find a quote that seems to fit our guest "chef."

​"You gotta have fun. Regardless of how you look at it, we're playing a game. It's a business, it's our job, but I don't think you can do well unless you're having fun!"
Derek Jeter

Both images were from Rick's workshops/presentations. The top image was captured at T&F Camera in Vineland, NJ. The second image was at a lighting presentation in the event space at B&H Photo in NYC. If you're looking for a great class on lighting and developing a stronger reputation as a pro, check out Rick's workshops. 

Tamron never slows down on manufacturing some of the finest optics in photography. Visit your local Tamron dealer and take advantage of ​their special FALL SAVINGS program going on until November 2, 2019.

by Skip Cohen

When Chamira Young and I started this series, we had no idea of the degree of insight each artist would share in Tamron Recipes. The concept was a great way to introduce you to some of the industry's best artists using some of the finest optics in imaging.  But it's become so much more.  What we've been getting is diversity in each artist's primary focus; insight into their passion for the craft, and often, stunning creativity.

While the initial common denominator has been their love for Tamron lenses, there's another attribute they all share - a love and support for imaging. Each podcast has been inspirational, and the range of work has covered just about every specialty.

To date, there are nine artists featured in the series with many more to go. So, if you missed any of the Tamron Recipes since we started in January, click on the artist below and check out their work, websites and of course listen to the podcasts.

The Internet has made the world a smaller place, and thanks to Tamron, artists are capturing and creating images that help to redefine life around us.

Find the Tamron dealer nearest you, then click the banner below for details on their Fall Savings Program. And, follow their tech team on the road with great workshops. This is one of the most diverse groups of tech reps in the industry. They're all focused on helping you raise the bar on your skill set and the quality of your images. 

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!