Creativity
LS 52: The Art of B&W Photography
Summary Black and white isn’t about subtracting color, it’s a whole language of its own, and in Part 1 of this series I want to change how you see it. We get into knowing when an image is really a black and white candidate, why dynamic range and contrast are two very different tools, and…
Read MoreLS 50: Learning From the Masters
Summary In this session we study two of my most influential photographers, Philip Hyde and Brett Weston, to see how masters distill an image down to its essence. We look at why Hyde chose reverence over drama, how Brett used deep shadows and abstraction to make form the subject, and why vertical is a compositional…
Read MoreTwo Kinds of Credibility
Last week I was working with a student on an image, and he kept hesitating on his adjustments. “I want it to look credible,” he said. That word stopped me. Credible to whom? The Two Kinds of Credibility Here’s what I’ve come to understand about credibility in photography: 1. There are two definitions. One is…
Read MoreLS 42: Learning from the Masters-Vision & Style
Summary In this session, we explore what vision and style actually mean by studying seven innovative artists across painting and photography. The real lesson here isn’t to copy what the masters did, but to notice how each one found a deeply personal and consistent way of seeing the world, and then had the courage to…
Read MoreWhy Specializing Makes You a Better Photographer
I see this all the time: photographers who shoot landscapes one weekend, portraits the next, then street photography, then macro, then wildlife—never really going deep with any of them. And they wonder why their work doesn’t have a recognizable voice. Here’s what I’ve learned: Your ability to interpret improves as your familiarity deepens. Not familiarity…
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