Tamron Recipes: Great "Chefs" in Photography

9/17/2019

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

Teal in action!

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!

"Chef" Teal's recipe is a click away if you missed it last week. And, check out Teal's most favorite and indispensable "go-to" lens, the SP 35mm F/1.8 Di VC USD lens.

Plus, Tamron has just recently started shipping the NEW SP35mm. More information is just a click away on either thumbnail to the right.

Teal shares a lot of good solid insight in this new podcast. Having moved a year ago from Oklahoma to Hawaii, she's experienced the challenge, so many of you have dealt with, starting your business over in a new location.

Being based in Hawaii, a major tourist destination, her business has a different profile when it comes to relationship building. Most often, she can't meet directly with her clients multiple times before a session. That means she has to listen, understand their mindset, and then deliver, often in a minimal amount of time.

If you haven't visited your local Tamron dealer, it's time to check out the entire family of Tamron lenses. The Tamron team is on the road nationally all year long.

Check out the schedule, so you don't miss any of their outstanding programs and workshops. Still coming up in September you'll find them in FL, MA, OR, OK, WI, NJ, NE, IL, NC, KY, and CA! Click on the banner to the left for the complete schedule.

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!