Click here to view the embedded video.

Webisode THREE of my FOCUS series. This webisode highlights a photo of Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers on New Year’s Eve 2009 at The Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, AZ

If you have a photo that you would like featured on FOCUS please contact me a via Email

Previous webisodes:

Focus #1: Kristina at Snake river Overlook
Focus #2:  Self Portrait at Papago Park

To view my complete photography portfolio please visit www.grtaylor2photo.com

I enjoy taking self portraits. I like documenting my life but I hate people taking my picture. Ironic I know…

There are many reasons I dislike being in front of the camera. The main reason is just because I am 100% uncomfortable when someone is taking my photograph. I spend most of my time taking photos of other people but when the lens is turned on me I am struck with anxiety. So, I found out a long time ago if you like your picture taken but don’t like people to do it – you have to do it yourself.

Here are 11 quick tips to help with Self Portraits (in no particular order)

1. Have Fun

2. Loosen Up

3. Experiment With Light

4. Get out of Your Element

5. Set Marks for Where to Stand or Sit

6. Focus on an Object at Your Mark

7. Use Auto Focus and Then Switch to Manual Focus to Lock In The Focus

8. Use a Tripod

9. Use The 10 Second Auto Timer (or Remote)

10. Exercise Patience & Take Your Time

11. Have Fun – It’s Just Photography

My Self Portrait Photography can be seen here: Flickr / Portfolio

Do you have any tips for self portraits? Do you want to show off your work? Leave a comment with a link to a gallery or specific photos.

]]> http://grtaylor2.com/2010/03/11-tips-for-self-portraits/feed/ 6 http://grtaylor2.com/2010/02/concert-photography-101-review/ http://grtaylor2.com/2010/02/concert-photography-101-review/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:01:19 +0000 admin http://grtaylor2.com/?p=553 Tweet

Here is a recap of my Concert Photography 101 series and links to older posts. Music and photography are my two biggest passions – no wonder I am so passionate about music photography.

Getting Started taking Concert Photos: The equipment needed to produce quality live music photos (click for post)
Basic Camera Settings for Concert Photos: I discuss my baseline camera settings for concerts. Also, discussed is ISO and various lenses. (click for post)
Photo Credentials: This was no doubt the most anticipated part of the Concert Photography Series. What is needed before you request photo credentials. (click for post)

What am I missing? Please let me know what else you want to know about taking Concert Photos. I am willing to post and share whatever knowledge I have – so please post a comment with questions or suggestions.

As previously posted I am committed to a Photo 365 project (link to past video post.) Many people have been posting their photos daily, so I thought it’s time I posted how my project is going.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo 365 Obeservations

- I am really uncomfortable in front of the camera and I am trying to make myself relax
- Most photos are taken at the same time every day – early morning. I think it’s funny I am not wearing a wider variety of clothes
- I have a good side. One of my eyes reacts strangely to light and is photographed as being lazy
- I need to shave and get haircuts more often

Other Photo 365 Notes

- Daily self portraits are not as easy as I thought it would be. There are times when I just don’t feel like taking my photograph
- I had marks in a closet for my tripod but I have since abandoned the tripod method. I needed the tripod for a landscape photo shoot and it’s easier just holding the camera in front of me
- I was planning on sharing this project at the end of the year but I changed my mind and decided to post the photos monthly

Photo 365 Resources

Photo 365
Photo 365 Tutorial

How is your Photo 365 going? Have you experienced any unforeseen difficulties? Please take a moment and share with a link to your project – (This is a good time to show off your work!)

In the first two parts of my Concert Photography 101 Series (Getting Started & Basic Camera Settings) we discussed the basics of Concert Photography. I have received numerous emails asking how do you get your equipment into the venue.

[In my opinion concert venues have a skewed idea of the professional camera. Locally, venues define a professional camera as a camera with detachable lenses. Ridiculous, but that's another post for another day.]

There are many photo friendly venues here in the Phoenix area. Before you attempt to take photos from the photo pit start at the bar / nightclub level. Talk to the band and get their permission and then fire away.  Hone your chops and get really good at taking music photographs. It will save you a lot of frustration, headache and disappointment.

Once you feel confident about you photography skills I would try to align myself with a local publication (either print or online.) If you are successful at aligning yourself with the press – you will have no problems getting photo passes and most of the time you will not even have to make the request. Make sure you honor any commitments you make regarding deadlines – if you lose credibility with the photo editor you will not be sent out to cover an event again.

Freelancing is a little different. Before you contact a band’s publicist (HINT HINT – who to contact for credentials) make sure you have a professional portfolio. A professional presence will increase, but not guarantee your chances of gaining access to the photo pit. I spent a lot of time developing my website (through Photoshelter) to the have necessary online portfolio presence. (www.grtaylor2photo.com)

If all else fails – ask someone at the venue. Try and go back by the buses and ask to speak to the tour manager. There is a slight chance he may override the venue rules and allow you inside to photograph the show from the crowd. This situation may not be ideal but it’s better than not getting a chance to shoot the show.

Recap of Tips For Photo Credentials

1. Make sure you have the portfolio to back up your request
2. Align yourself with a local publication
3. Get creative – ask the the tour manager the night of the show
4. Honor all deadlines and commitments
5. Have fun – you may have the best seats in the house for at least three songs

Did I leave anything out? Let me know how you have been successful gaining access to photograph concerts?

To view my complete photography portfolio please visit www.grtaylor2photo.com

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone – I wanted to display two photographs that visually illustrate the feeling of Love.

These are my favorite photos that illustrate love. The top I took at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2002. The painting is Munch’s Vampire and the couple in front of the painting are complete strangers. This also is an example of having your camera ready at the right place and time.

The bottom photo I took of us the old fashioned way. Held the camera in front of us and snapped the photo. It was taken on a carriage ride through New York City’s Central Park.

Do you have any photographs that visually express the feeling of Love? Post a link to them in the comment and share!

In my last post I touched on my use of Social Media as a tool to get my work out to the public. The next day I read a great blog post by Valeria Maltoni discussing how she participates in Social Media. (Complete article can be found on Valeria’s blog by clicking here) She wrote:

“You cannot be expected to know what my settings are on each network. If I don’t give you a reference point, you will likely use your own settings as context. It’s not fair to you, nor it is to me.”

I wanted to step back a moment and outline the five Social Media Networks that I use and let everyone know what to expect from me. Outline My Rules of Engagement in Social Media.

FACEBOOK: I have two facebook pages. I use one for photography and the other is personal. My Facebook Photography page is an outlet for me to interact with people who have questions or want to know a little more about me. Also like my blog, I try to highlight other artists, photographers and musicians. It’s a quick easy way for me to push out messages or to post a quick link to a photograph I just shot. My personal Facebook page is a place where I do whatever I want to do and the people I know have come to expect that of me.

TWITTER: My username on twitter is @grtaylor2 and it is the place where my messaging is the most inconsistent. I will push out shortlinks to my photos, my blogposts, my friends blogposts or my tweets will be conversational in nature. Sometimes, I will tweet something that I find amusing and sometimes I will tweet about someone who is making me crazy. The main themes for my tweets are: photography, music, marketing topics, current events and issues relevant to my city – Tempe, AZ. I try hard to add value with most of my tweets to my followers but I admit sometimes I do tweet the inane. If you follow me on Twitter please let me know if my tweets ever get too inane and I become “That Guy”.

(TWITTER Update 3/19: I like the #followfriday thing. Over the time I have used twitter I have started to follow many people who were recommended through the #followfriday phenomenon. My #ff policy is to push out only one follow friday tweet per week.  All recommendations will be from one vertical or with like interests. This way I feel like I am adding value to the conversation and to the folks who follow me.)

YOUTUBE: The videos I post on my blog are hosted on YouTube – I use this network mostly as a media library. If you subscribe to my You Tube Channel you should expect music videos, my FOCUS web series and maybe some travel stuff. I tend to not get very personal on YouTube. And of course I do love watching funny videos on YouTube- so if you know of any great one please send me a link. (Here is a link to my favorite)

FLICKR: I post my non contracted photography to Flickr. My photography typically falls in the categories of: Concert Photography, Landscape Photography and Portrait Photography (there is some architectural photography mixed in but that’s not the norm for me.) I brand almost all of my photos and I post them under the creative commons license. If you want to use any of my work for non commercial purposes please feel free to – just properly attribute the photo. I try to foster collaboration as much as possible and for that reason I make all of my EXIF properties public. Please comment with questions etc.

That pretty much covers My Personal Rules of Engagement For Social Media. I want to interact with everyone as much as possible but I wanted to let you know what your getting into. Please know that I will not be offended if at any time you decide to unsubscribe to my blog or stop following me on Twitter. (NOTE: I am an eternal optimist so please don’t expect a lot of Doom & Gloom from me.)

In a nutshell, my use of Social Media focuses on: making connections, helping others make connections, learning and staying informed. How are you using Social Media or maybe more importantly why are you using Social Media? Leave a comment, leave a question – let’s discuss…

Let me clarify…how do you get your photos viewed? Do you care about it?

I take photographs because I like capturing an image or moments. I’ve never been concerned about art for commercial sake but I do like people viewing my work. I’ve never had an exhibit (though I do have one planned) and I’ve never been in any photography shows but I have had my photos seen by the public. How? Through the use of Social Media.

I am a bit of a Social Media nerd…there I said it. Through various Social Media efforts I have had people whom I admire and respect view, critique, hate and/or compliment my work. I post photos to Flickr, tweet about them and I have my Flickr stream automatically update my personal Facebook page. To me as someone who is making a name for myself these are very powerful tools.

I guess I could have taken a more conventional route – I could have called a curator for photo exhibits and submitted my work. But why? The power of social media allows me to interact with people who in many cases I don’t even know their real name – but  value their feedback. Social Media has allowed me to “push” out my photographs to people in my virtual network and have them tell their circles about my work. Real people and many times to people I haven’t even met. The power of Social Media is amazing when put to proper use...

My Question To You…

Is Social Media an important tool for you to get your work seen? Do you care if no one ever sees your work? Is this a topic worth exploring here – Social Media and The Photographer?

To view my complete photography portfolio please visit www.grtaylor2photo.com

I bet whatever skill level a photographer you consider yourself you probably didn’t start there. Right? How did you get to your level?

I am the first person to critique myself as a photographer and say that I am not the most technical. I studied marketing in college and not photography/fine art. My photo education has been one of taking pictures, asking for critique and trial and error. After that took me to an artistic plateau I needed something else – I wanted to get better. I wanted people to view my photos and consider them art rather than snapshots. (Every day I set out to take photos I keep that thought in mind – “Make ART!”)

The next level of growth happened when I started asking other photographers questions and started collaborating.

I learned to place high value on collaboration over competition in art and photography. It’s how I’ve been able to grow as a photographer and acquire new skills. Here are three ways I like to collaborate with other photographers:

PHOTO WALKS: Go out and make some photographs other people. Talk about what you see – discuss settings, technique, composition and anything else. Watch how the other photographers work and periodically view their images. (Just yesterday I went on a photo journey to Four Peaks with my brother. We talked about photography and whatever else came to mind.) Scott Kelby has initiated an annual photo walk which takes place in cities all ove the country – this is a great place to start.

DIGITAL PHOTO FORUMS: I subscribe to many photo blogs and photo newsletters. This is a great place to see what other photographers are doing and to hear about their photo adventures etc. My favorite website is Digital Photography School. DPS is broken into three sections – Tips & Tutorials, Cameras & Equipment and Post Production. I value this site as an important resource to interact with other photogs through comments and get critique of my work.

PHOTO PROPERTIES & EXIF SETTINGS: This is a great way to learn about making photographs. EXIF is a technical standard for storing information about each photo that you take with your digital camera. EXIF information is automatically captured in each photo file when you take each picture, and includes the date and time the photo was taken, the manufacturer and model name of the camera taking the picture, as well as a plethora of other useful information about your camera’s aperture setting, shutter speed, focal length, metering mode, and ISO speed. One of the brilliant things about FLICKR (and other photosharing sites) is that you can make your EXIF data public. (Click here to see the settings for the above photo.) Whenever I see a photo I really like I always see if the EXIF data is available. This level of transparency is a huge help to others and it’s why I share the data of every photo I post to Flickr.

This is just a short list of three ways to learn from other photographers. There are so many more ways but these three are the ones that helped me grow as a photographer and take things to the next level. When you help someone grow only good can come out of it.

How did you learn your photography skills? Do you have any favorite ways to collaborate with other photographers? How do you feel about transparency? Please leave a comment and let’s get a dialogue going. Thanks for reading.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Today marks the 51st anniversary of the plane crash that took Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson (The Big Bopper) from the world – thus taking their future records from everyone. (See video clip for historic facts.)

Would they have gone on to make even greater music? I don’t know. I do know their influence has been heard on tons of records and in lots of bands. (Fact: The Beatles got their name from the Crickets, The Rolling Stones first hit was a cover of Holly’s “Not Fade Away” and I don’t think the Elvis era would have sounded the same had it not been for Holly.)

There’s no hiding my love for music. My love for music and photography evolved into a passion for concert photography and I have been fortunate to photograph some great bands. I can’t help but think – What would the music of the bands I photograph sound like without the many artists that preceded them.

Today may have been dubbed “The Day The Music Died” but the spirit of their music will always live as long as someone is strumming a guitar and belting out vocals.

What music has had the biggest influence on your life? Either as a photographer or any aspect of life. (The Replacements, RCPM, Grateful Dead and Springsteen are just some of the bands that have shaped the soundtrack of my life.)