Friday's Feature Photographer: Art Wolfe

I have been photographing animals, landscapes and world cultures for over 30 years and even today I continue to travel over 9 months a year. In that time, I have created over 60 books and even a TV show, "Travels to the Edge", that airs on PBS stations in the US and over 60 countries around the world.

While I may be best known for my nature photography, classic images of animals, birds, and landscapes, I have spent much of my career photographing cultures around the world many of which are no longer around today having changed with western influences and encroachment. As most artists will eventually, I have also focused more and more on abstract compositions, patterns of color and texture. With over 30 years of shooting, I have well over 1 million images in my archives, most in slide form still today.

I continue to live in West Seattle, Washington, not far from where I was born. I have been in love with nature, the outdoors, the flora and fauna alike ever since I was a child growing up in the woods and ravines near my home. My parents were artists, wedding photographers actually, and while you might say I have followed in their footsteps, wedding photography is the one area I've never touched. They gave me a love for the arts and supported my notion of supporting myself through my art and for that I am very grateful.

I originally saw myself as a painter and received my degree in fine arts from the University of Washington though I never took a class in photography. I am entirely self taught when it comes to photography. It was a natural transition in my 20s when I was invited to join the first US team to attempt Mt. Everest through Tibet. I continue to enjoy painting though it has been my photography that has supported me over the years.

While I certainly follow the contemporary photographers of today and have a library filled with their work, I draw much of my inspiration from the masters to modern painters. I study their work, learning from them what makes a successful painting as the same elements will be found in successful photographs as well. Today I see scenes in the world around me that remind me of a pointillist painting, a Jackson Pollock, Matisse... I am making images today that I never would have seen earlier in my career with this inspiration in mind.

In my workshops, I take people through images from painters over the centuries showing them images I have created from their inspiration. For the art of photography to move forward we must constantly challenge ourselves to change the way we look at the world around us.

When I lead tours, there are a few fundamental challenges I ask people to think about... The most important is to really work their subject. Think about different angles, point of view, lens choices. Too many people will simply walk up to a subject and shoot it with whatever lens they happen to have on their camera at the time. Take time to get to know your subject and see it from all sides, above and below, before you just dive in and begin shooting as you saw it when you first approached it. More will be revealed to you and your photography will be the better for it.

Lastly while we all lust for the latest and greatest gear just using a good sturdy tripod, mirror lock up and a cable release will likely do more to improve your photographs than anything else.

Featured Photographer Facts
What/Who got Wolfe into photography?

His parents were wedding photographers who taught Wolfe a love of art and encouraged the idea that you can support yourself following your dreams.

How did Wolfe learn photography?
self-taught

Favorite photographic subjects?
animals, landscapes and world cultures

Where does Wolfe find inspiration?
"While I certainly follow the contemporary photographers of today and have a library filled with their work I draw much of my inspiration from the masters to modern painters. I study their work, learning from them what makes a successful painting as the same elements will be found in successful photographs as well."

Which artists and photographers have influenced Wolfe?
Jackson Pollock and Henri Matisse

Advice for other photographers?
"Using a good sturdy tripod, mirror lock up and a cable release will likely do more to improve your photographs than anything else."

Make sure you check out Art Wolfe's work at:
http://www.artwolfe.com

Take some time this week to go to Art Wolfe's Facebook Fan Club page, "LIKE" the page and you will be treated during the week to pictures from his recent trips and the occasional challenge to guess where a picture was taken.

*Thank you to Art Wolfe for taking time during your recent trip to Alaska to share your story and wisdom with us. Special thanks to Bill Edwards for passing on the interview questions for me and for writing up the response.*

Friday's Featured Photographer: Amy Jackson

Amy Jackson began her photographic journey while in high school. Like most of us, she found that taking pictures was a fun way to capture life's moments. Post high school she wanted to pursue drama, but found the local college did not offer drama courses. However, her mother, an artist (painter) herself, suggested that she take a photography class instead. So Jackson registered for a Photography 101 course where she used an all manual SLR camera to learn the basics of shooting black and white photography, composition, and film development in the dark room. It was in 2006, when she bought her first digital camera, that she began to take her photography seriously. With the purchase of the new camera, Jackson found she had a desire to go take pictures all the time and with a wide variety of subjects.

Since then, Jackson has been an active member of Betterphoto.com, several photography groups, and had her work in several juried photography exhibits. She also continues to grow her photography skills by reading photography books, using online tutorials, and watching photography instruction videos.

Jackson currently resides in Newport News, VA with her beloved husband, two beautiful children and four cats. Her children are two of her favored models in her portrait work and portraits of each have won Jackson awards in the past.

Featured Photographer Facts
What/Who got Jackson into photography?

Her interests in photography started in High School and her mother was a great encourager to her

How did Jackson learn photography?
Photography 101 college course

Favorite photographic subjects?
When asked her response was, "I really like to take pictures of almost everything... portraits, events, animals, landscapes, macro photography, and I love being creative in Photoshop. Among my top favorites are photographing my children, sunrises(when I can wake up early enough for them) and sunsets, wildlife, and waterfalls." Sounds like just about everything to us.

Where does Jackson find inspiration?
"And I am inspired and thankful to so many of my talented photographer friends whom have shared equipment, advice, techniques, and constructive criticism! I don't want to leave anyone out! And sometimes just going out to shoot I get inspired by a scene or even a person or silhouette. "

Which artists and photographers have influenced Jackson?
"some of the photographers whom I have had the pleasure to meet and who helped inspire me... Ken Smith, Judy Kennamer, Shawn Jennings, Darren Fisher, Linda Lester, Carla Metzler, Shelly Van Camp and Cathy Barrows. I also like the work of Bryan Peterson, Deborah Sandidge, Zim Zuckerman, Cyn D Valentine, and Jeff Robinson, and Bill Houghton."

Advice for other photographers?
"My best advise to someone starting out in photography is to go out and take lots of pictures while experimenting with settings, read books, watch videos, and join a local photography club. What helped me the most was seeking a critique on my portfolio from a photographer whom I admired. They gave me some honest opinons and help on how to improve my work."

Make sure you check out some of Amy Jackson's work at the following websites:
http://www.photographybyamyjackson.com
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/gallery.asp?memberID=127177
And, of course, you could friend her on Facebook where you will get to see some of her amazing portrait work hot off the press.

"A Little Help From My Friends"

To see a larger image of this picture go to http://bit.ly/o6TPdj

"Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends"

Most everyone knows this great classic from the Beatles, "A Little Help From My Friends." The lyrics to the chorus brings out a truth that I have seen over and over again in the world of photography. Most people when they think of a photographer, they think of an individual person who is standing behind a camera snapping pictures. The truth is that often a picture is not conceptualized, created or executed in isolation. There are many more people involved in each picture that is taken.

Every photographer would like to think that at least some of their images are theirs and theirs alone. To some degree, this is true. Thus why we have copyright laws and it is a hot topic among photographers. However, there are several ways that the influence of other people can be seen in a picture. Let us start with the most obvious.

This picture of rusted paraphernalia was one that I took on a recent trip with the local Sunbelt Photography Club. So already, I have five other people involved. I have companions going along with me which encourages me to get out and take the pictures. We end up where this picture was taken because Chuck Ulm knew about some photo opportunities in the little town of Oakfield, Georgia so we deviated from our original path. Once we were in Oakfield, we got to exploring their interesting town center that is replete with old buildings and vignettes of times gone by. While there, we talked with some of the locals who regaled us with stories of their rich history. They shared with us some stories that encouraged us to continue taking pictures that shows the story of Oakfield. I personally talked to four locals so that brings our count up to nine people. At one point, a few of us found ourselves taking pictures inside one of the older buildings that had a collection of old rusted items from the past. My friend, Kathie Entz, is an art teacher, master watercolor painter, and photographer. She noticed how the light was shining into the area casting a beautiful golden hugh and started thinking of beautiful intimate scenes she could create. She put together this collection of items as well as this one. Thankfully, she was sweet enough to allow me to step in and take pictures of the beautiful scene she had arranged.

Our count is currently at nine people, but there were other people involved in the making of this picture that often go unnoticed. One of the phrases you will hear me quoting often is that to take great pictures one has to look at great pictures. The more you look at other people's pictures the more they influence your own way of seeing and doing photography. I am sure that in this picture there is at least one or more artist's whose work influenced Kathie so she would have an idea how great a pile of rusted stuff would look in the right light. To be generous to our head count, I will only add one more person to the number though I am sure many other artist's influenced Kathie's ability to see this photographic opportunity. We also have to take into account that there are photographers whose work influenced how I composed the picture in my camera. I can think of two sources off the top of my head. Bryan Peterson's book "Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography" is one of them. Another resource that has influenced my creative vision is the magazine "COLOR for Collectors of Fine Photography". So that adds at least two more to our count though technically the magazine is the work of several people. I will keep it simple and put our count at twelve people.

The last area to consider would be all those people that have invested in me as a photographer over the years. So we add into the mix, my mother who taught me to see the beauty around me, my father who allowed me to be his photography companion, and my husband who has provided me the equipment. Then you have to include some of my photography mentors, Donna Eaton and the Carolina Nature Photographers Association that taught me how to get my camera to capture the picture I wanted and then how to process it so it would be art instead of a snapshot. And, make no mistake, if it was not for God giving me the talent, skills, and opportunity to take this picture, it never would have happened.

In total, it took at least 18 people to create this one image. This just adds credence to the scripture in Proverbs 11:14 that says "many advisers make victory sure." So with that I send out a special thank you to my "many advisers." I could not do it without you!

Friday's Featured Photographer: Iris Greenwell

Iris Greenwell is originally from Panama City, Panama. She was raised on a farm by parents who taught her to love and explore the world around her. Greenwell is a wonderful landscape and nature photographer who has come from a land that I consider ideal for photography. Yet, fate and circumstances would bring her to the very region I view as lacking most photogenic characteristics especially in the area of nature photography. She currently resides in Ardmore, Oklahoma, less than two hours from where I grew up. Greenwell, being the amazing woman and photographer that she is has created an impressive portfolio of work that shows the beauty that is there for all to see.

I have yet to show my family Greenwell's work for fear that they will use it in their attempts to talk me into moving closer to home. Her portfolio debunks my argument that the region is ugly

and lacking in photographic opportunities.

Greenwell currently teaches photography classes at Southern Oklahoma Technology Center in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and leads some workshops. In her teaching, she believes it is important to keep her focus on helping students create their own photographic vision while learning their camera. She also does some freelance work, including selling 'Translucid Dandelion' to ABC for use in their 2011 season of "Desperate Housewives".

Featured Photographer Facts
What/Who got Greenwell into photography?
A mixture of things. Parents that encouraged a love of nature. Mother who enjoyed photography, especially family pictures. Taking a few online classes and finding she enjoys landscape and nature photography.

How did Greenwell learn photography?
Self taught with a few online classes 6 years ago

Favorite photographic subjects?
Landscapes and nature

Where does Greenwell find inspiration?
Trees, waterfalls, and open views

Which artists and photographers have influenced Greenwell?
"Since I use filters to bring colors, I think I got my influence from photographers like (Elliot) Porter, (David) Muench and (Galen) Rowell." She is also inspired by the paintings of Albert Bierstadt.

Advice for other photographers?
"For new photographers, I like to encourage them to learn their camera setting and functions well. It is important to define your style of photography choosing a subject so you do not become confused. For example, if you like landscapes, become the best landscape photographer you can be."

Make sure you check out the breadth of Greenwell's work at the following websites:
Nature and Landscapes at http://iris-greenwell.artistwebsites.com/
Child portrait work at http://irisgreenwell.smugmug.com/
Iris Greenwell's Photography Blog at http://irisgreenwell.blogspot.com/

As always, I encourage you to friend Greenwell on Facebook so you can see her frequent posts of her latest work. Plus, she is just an all around nice person to have as a friend.

*This picture of Greenwell is not mine, it is Greenwell's. Please respect her copyrights.*

Friday's Featured Photographer: Jim Young

The saying goes: In order to take good pictures, make sure you are looking at great pictures.

This weeks featured photographer, Jim Young has a body of work that is diverse, technically top notch, and pleasing to the eye. Young was a photographer that I met through the Carolina Nature Photographer's Association shortly before I left Charlotte, North Carolina. The CNPA of Charlotte seems to attract its fair share of great photographers and I would count Young as one of those greats.

Take a few minutes to browse through his galleries. I am personally enamored by his nature photography, but as I said, his work is diverse so I am sure you will find your own favorites.

Young's Website

http://bit.ly/oUUe8u

If you like what you see, make sure you drop him a line to let him know. You can contact him by going to the bottom of his webpage and clicking on "contact" and it will bring up an email form. Also, don't forget to friend him on Facebook so you can see all the great stuff he adds on a regular basis.

*This picture of Young is not mine, it is Young's. Please respect his copyrights.*

Response: Should You Mix Religion and Business?

Should you mix religion and business? This was a question recently posed and explored on filmmaker Ron Dawson's blog. Those of you who know me know that I am in no way afraid to answer this question and you would be hard put to keep me from voicing my opinion on the matter. And since this is my monologue, I will enjoy my freedom to share my thoughts on the subject without having to wait my turn which I am never very good at anyway.

My first gut reaction is, "Heck, yeah!" But then I got to thinking about it and I changed that to a, "Heck, maybe!" It comes down to assumed definitions.

I assume that when you say religion you are referring to the Judeo-Christian protestant system of belief that I associate with in community with likeminded people. I take for granted the fact that one's religion is nothing more than a charitable club if it is not backed by true faith. So when I speak of my religion, I am thinking of something much deeper than the Sunday ritual of attending church and being nice to people. I am referring to the faith I have in my God who is everything to me. He is core to who I am and the two cannot be torn apart.

On the other hand, there is religion defined as a group of people that you hang with and rituals that you do. Occasionally this religion will appear on your calendar and maybe even be seen as a ledger line in your financial software marked as tithe. However, other than people noting that you are a nice person who only cusses when really mad, you have no deeper relationship with God than you do with your child's teacher. Sure there is a relationship with the teacher (God), but seldom does it leave the confines of the school (church) property.

So back to the original question. Should you mix religion and business? Using the first definition of religion my answer is still "Heck, yeah!" How could it not? Your relationship with Christ would be core to who you are so it could not help but be obvious in all that makes your business what it is. If, we are using the latter definition, I am sorry to say I have changed my answer to an emphatic, "Heck, no!" Don't use religion as your gimmick to help your business or because you think Christians make a nice niche market. If you are going to be a business that is worth anything, at least have the guts to live what you believe in every arena of your life. Your true success will not be measured by how well you were able to walk the tightrope between religion and business. It will be known by whether you can go to bed at the end of the day confident that you put your very heart and soul into your business. For me, I pray that not only do my religious practices and my business mix, I pray that the two will be inseparable. Then I will be successful.

How One Vinyl Christmas Record Shaped my Photography

When I was a child, Thanksgiving Day evening through New Years Eve you would often see me sitting on the living room floor singing at the top of my lungs and surrounded by a scattered pile of Christmas records, record sleeves and jackets. I would position myself where on my one side would be the Christmas tree adorned with lots of lights and even more ornaments and on the other the stereo cabinet system that was as large as our couch. I believed that all spare time between school and Christmas festivities was to be spent singing through the pile of records as many times as possible. I am sure my mother was glad when I moved out of the house and she no longer had to endure this yuletide tradition. Those were the good old days!

One of the Christmas records that I listened to the most was one put out by a group called Agapeland. Agapeland was known for it's Christian themed children's musicals. Though I had several of their albums, the one that was played several times through the Christmas season was one called "The Birthday Party." It was about a collection of people coming together to celebrate Jesus' birthday and bringing gifts. This was made extra special because of my parents getting the children's Sunday School department a birthday cake for Jesus every year. There were two songs from that album that became formative in the philosophy that guides my photography.

One of the songs that impacted me was the primary character singing about his search to find the perfect gift for the King. I mean really! What gift do you give to a king? Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were already taken. And if you think your grandmother already has everything, can you imagine if you are trying to get a gift for the King of the Universe? "Hmmm...should I get Him a sweater this year or should I go with the new IPad?" In truth, there isn't much you can give the One who created everything. Yet, how can you give everyone else gifts at Christmas and ignore giving something to the one whose birthday you are celebrating.

The other song that stood out for me was of a little ballerina singing about how her gift to the King was her dancing for Him. If I remember right, she was the miniature ballerina inside of a child's jewelry box and when the lid was opened she sang and danced her heart out. This song encouraged me to spend hours upon hours thinking about how I could give the gifts and talents God had given me right back to Him as my gift. I thought about this so much that this idea became core to my faith and how I live. I want everything that is within me, whether it be a song, my hobby, or my career, to be a gift that I bring to the King's party. And since Christ is not bound by time, that party is always being celebrated even beyond Christmas day.

Being the smart people that you are, I am sure you have already figured out how this ties into a photography website. I am in the mood to be verbose so I will spell it out anyhow. Photography for me is all about the Creator, His creation, and how I can use these gifts and talents to worship Him. I don't make a pretty ballerina who can dance and sing, but I can push the shutter button on my camera and process some pictures. I can make sure that my time doing photography is a time of worship and that the pictures (to the best of my knowledge) are used in a way that honors Christ. This is what I can give to the King.

As I step out of my time of reminiscing and go back to the hectic pace that the Christmas season so often brings, let me leave you with this one question...So what are you giving to the King this Christmas?