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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

This week we shine the spotlight on Patrick B. Shourds, a fine art landscape and abstract photographer from Santa Barbara, California.  Patrick shoots with two very different cameras, the first being the Olympus E-3, and the second the iPhone 4s, or as I like to call it, the camera that makes phone calls.  He uses both equally, often using the iPhone for exploring and finding interesting compositions. In the grand scheme, they compliment each other.   The Olympus is fitted with the Zuiko 11-22mm or the Zuiko 12-60mm lenses, both of which are terrific storytelling lenses with exceptional depth of field and sharpness.  The iPhone’s native lens and built in depth of field suit his needs perfectly.

Patrick shoots almost exclusively in natural light, however, he will occasionally use reflectors/fill flash to control the intensity of the light especially for close-up shots.  Processing begins in Adobe Lightroom for exposure and pre-sharpening tweaks.  If the image output is to be HDR, he will first process via Photomatix before heading to Lightroom.  Next is white balance using Nik Software and Topaz adjustment filters for final “artistic” touches.  Final post production happens in Adobe Photoshop CS5 using the dodge, burn, vignette, and output sharpening.  Fine art images destined for print will require additional adjustments in Photoshop.  The iPhone workflow includes transferring the file to an iPad and creating spontaneous images using a myriad of photo apps and immediately outputting to various social sites.

Regarding tips and technique, being prepared makes the top of Patrick’s list.   Learn the workings of your camera inside and out, and be able to set up in minutes.  A perfect example happened in San Francisco’s Alamo square, where he was hoping for a shot of the skyline against the famous Victorian Ladies.  He had just finished packing up his gear when a shaft of light peeked through the clouds illuminating the skyline with gold light.  It lasted only for a very brief time, however, since he knew exactly what settings to dial in, he could fire off a series of shots.

When you find that gem, Patrick muses, the one that made you pull an illegal u-turn?  Explore, and take as many shots from different perspectives.  The goal is to tell a story that expresses your joy in the moment.   Start with the “postcard” shot, and then find the true essence of the story.

Lastly, the tools in your post production arsenal are the key.  A great example is Mono Lake Tufa Towers (pictured below).  Patrick wanted to bring out the drama of the clouds and the light splashing across the island of tufa, so he processed five bracketed shots in Photomatix and exported them back to Lightroom where he tweaked the exposure and pre sharpened before exporting back to CS5.  In Photoshop he corrected the white balance with curves and then converted the image to B&W using Silver Efex Pro set to high structure  (Key: Change the blend mode of your B&W image from normal to luminosity).  Finally, he jumped into Color Efex Pro, applied glamor glow, midnight, and skylight filters to finish the effect using control points where needed.

When it comes to inspiration, Patrick wants to explore slot canyons in the Southwest. He is intrigued by the shapes, patterns, textures, and the light mix, and would love to give it a try adding his personal stamp on the finished piece.   He is also inspired by other photographers, more specifically, Ansel Adams and his modern equivalent Galen Rowell.  Adams died in 1984, and sadly Rowell and his wife died in a plane crash in 2002.  If you go through Bishop, Ca. at the foot of the Sierras, stop at the Mountain Light Gallery and view Gallen’s beautiful images.   Both captured the essence of nature, albeit in different ways.

Patrick has always experimented with the camera motion and slow shutter speed.  He would try anything, shake, twist, pan, and zoom.  Both fun and creative, this method has produced several nice abstracts.  His iPhone has been the recipient of many of these same techniques making each image a unique creation.

Lastly, intrigued by Jim Goldstein’s new ebook, “Photographing The 4th Dimension – TIME,” Patrick is eager to try some of the techniques (light painting, star trails, and time-lapse) on his upcoming trip to Death Valley.

Patrick can be found out and about on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google+, and his personal website.  He will also be at the Arthaus San Francisco, April 5th for the opening of the Mobile Photo Awards Gallery.   He has a piece in the show entitled, “Tidal Impressions,” which won the Waterscapes division.  The show runs through the month of June, and Patrick would be honored if you were to stop in to see his work and the work of the Mobile Phone Community at large.

* Note: As of the writing of this article, Patrick’s personal site is up, but not ready for viewing. He estimates two weeks for the site to be fully functional.

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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

This week I roll out the virtual map and place the FYP push pin on Genoa Italy, home of our Indie Spotlight Marco Maroccolo.  Marco is mainly a black and white photographer, however, when the project requires some color, Marco has no disdain.

Marco enjoys photographing art, expressed in sculpture rather than painting, as well as architecture, nature, and landscapes.  He shoots with a Nikon D700 and a Leica M9.  On the project, “From Earth, From Heaven,” and older projects, the D700 was the camera of choice, however, the Leica M9 has become the “new kid on the block” for projects beginning in 2010.

Marco uses one lens, the Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH, which produce the best results for indoor low light situations.  The Leica is not prejudice, as it works just as well in outdoor settings, delivering professional images, and beautiful detail.   For Marco, it is the best solution for fine art photography projects.

Choosing subject matter is dictated by the emotion invoked, the geometric composition, and the quality of light surrounding the subject.  Marco will pause long enough to “tune in” with the subject matter, recreating the image in his minds eye before taking the first shot.   He also prefers natural light, specifically the natural light of the environment, especially when shooting indoors.   Using natural light when shooting indoors brings the contrast of light and shadow to life , produces surreal effects, and extraordinary visual sensations.  Sometimes this means waiting patiently for the magical moment when the light is just right.  It may only produce a handful of photos, but they are photos caught in a moment of time, a moment worth the wait.

During post production Marco will edit the images with CaptureOne and Adobe Photoshop.   Next the photographs are printed on Canson paper with an Epson 3880.   Printing each photo allows personal attention, individual care, and lastly the satisfaction, and sense of completion which ultimately fulfills his need as a photographer.

At the end of the day, Marco’s goal is to express a sense of order, peace, and beauty in everything that surrounds him, creating an overall pleasant sense of contentment which reaches the soul of the viewer lifting him or her spiritually, morally, and intellectually.  Sometimes this will come from the extraordinary scenery offered by nature, and other times the grace of art created by man whether as a statue, painting, or architecture.

Regarding tips and techniques, Marco is trying to improve his mobility.  Although the use of a tripod is essential to obtain the best image quality, the use of a rangefinder in certain types of projects is very helpful, especially when hand held.

Marco recalls a project he shot entitled, “Lotus & Pyramid,” which was a macro shoot of old travel books using his Nikon and a Zeiss lens. Choosing an appropriate angle and shooting the subject of the print on the same focal plane produced an almost three dimensional effect.   He was not intentionally trying to achieve this effect, however, it was one of Marcos’ first lessons on depth of field as it relates to macro photography.  Although it was something he stumbled on accidentally; he still uses this method today.

For inspiration, Marco turns to two photographers that he admires Josef Sudek and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

You can find Marcos Maroccolo’ work at marcomaroccolo.com

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[ Editor's Note: Some items in this posting maybe considered NSFW ]

Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

This week spotlight, Eric James Leffler, hails from Walnut Creek, CA. His style ranges between fine art, portrait, and wedding photography.

Despite the genre, Eric is never without his main camera – A Nikon D700. If the 700 should fail him for whatever reason, he carries a D90 as a backup.

Eric’s len’s choice is a Nikon 24-70/2.8, which he fondly refers to as his “workhorse.”   Wide enough to handle most of his city and landscape work, yet versatile and sharp in the studio.  It’s also a great lens for low light situations.   A self proclaimed “sucker” for compression and bokeh; Eric also carries a 70-300 lens, which also serves as a secondary.

Eric prefers working with natural light, on location, when circumstances permit.  When shooting landscape and city, he will occasionally use bracketing in the event he wants to tone map or some manual blending.

An off camera flash/strobist is always standing by for indoor portrait work, night shots, or a more dramatic effect during the day.  When it comes to ultimate preference, Eric refers to natural light as his “happy place.

Adobe Lightroom 3 is Eric’s go to software for file management and the majority of his editing process.  Photos requiring additional polishing find their way into Adobe Photoshop CS5 and onOne Photo Suite software.

Diversity is key when it comes to the shoot.  Boredom can set in quickly, so finding a new location, concept, or subject is what drives him.  He is also inspired by the city;  San Francisco to be more precise.   A Bay Area native, Eric still finds something new every time he heads out for a shoot.  Another inspiration is the water as it relates to his beauty and fashion photography.

Inspiration also comes in the form of other photographers, and Eric has his list.  He enjoys Jaime Ibarra for his fashion work, Chase Jarvis for his adventurous side, Hoffer Photography’s wedding work, and Thomas Hawk for his ability to see art in just about everything.

Turning to tips and techniques, Eric suggests focusing on post processing and file management, and Lightroom is the tool of choice.  Eric would also like to try underwater photography someday, and would love to get into pro sports as well.

Be sure to check out more of Eric’s work on Facebook, Google+, and his personal site.

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[ Editor's Note: It gives me great pleasure to introduce a new writer do you, Wendy hails from Pennsylvania in the United States and we are happy to have her on-board! ]

Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

This week’s Indie Spotlight focuses on Apai Biszign, founder of Hikarimoji Light Graffiti.  He hails from Malacca, Malaysia. Being surrounded by so much diverse art and people, it is no wonder he would take interest in a wondrous genre of photography termed light art, light graffiti, light calligraphy and light painting. Hikarimoji actually means “light word” in Japanese.  Light graffiti involves long exposure photography and using lights to create designs, then adding effects to the photos.

His photographic arsenal includes both a Nikon D60 and Nikon D90, but he favors the Nikon D90.  This camera offers numerous customizable settings and also has a battery grip with an extra battery, which is extremely helpful since opening a shutter for a minimum of three to four minutes takes a lot of battery juice.  Some shoots can last many hours. Apai’s favorite lens is the Sigma 10-20mm F4.  Since the backdrop of his photography is usually outdoors, the ultra wide effect and distortions this lens can accomplish are perfect for his art.  To compliment his results, landscape photography elements are used, then the photo is infused with light graffiti.

His creative journey begins with sketches of his artistic vision.  Then the light source is prepared, mostly LED and sometimes even a fire torch, for his nighttime shoots.  His desirable destinations have appealing backgrounds and minimal light.  When light writing, he uses his own body as the scale, so the letters will be about equal size.  His final step is to visit his photography in Adobe Photoshop to enhance the image with WB corrections and sharpness, but no image manipulations are done.

Using the world around him as his canvas, Apai loves to shoot dark landscapes and use the ambient light from the moon or nearby cities to light up the skyline, dramatic clouds and minimal visibilities on the background details such as tree lines, rock, etc.  Ideal locations with these features make his art of light visually pop even more.

Regarding camera settings, Apai advises manually controlling both the shutter speed and aperture.  Using Bulb mode allows for the long exposure necessary for light graffiti by only limiting you to the life of your batteries.  The shutter speed and aperture settings vary on how long the shutter is open, but the lowest ISO setting is optimal to allow only a minimal amount of light.  Tripods and wireless remotes keep the camera stable and avoid motion blur; you can stay a good distance away and still control your settings. Experimentation is key when choosing a light instrument; torch lights, rear bicycle lights, toys and police traffic batons can all be used.  Apai experiments with all these sources of light, but DIY LED lights is his comfort zone.  As with any skill, practice makes perfect.  Apai says, “writing in the air will improve after several attempts.”

Light graffiti has a long history dating back to the early 20th century.  Pablo Picasso even experimented with light graffiti with the guidance of Gjon Mili,  but Abai’s admiration is for the work of his present day fellow light graffiti artists Julien Breton, aka Kaalam, and Michael Bosanko.

Apai is currently preoccupied with his light calligraphy and outdoor commercial shoot series, but he would like to try a white studio light graffiti photo shoot in the future.  Although this sort of setup is most suitable for fashion or product photography, he is hoping to achieve a grayish background, or even a colorful background if color gel is used in the light setup, with only the light graffiti as the main subject in the frame.  Balancing the light just right will make the model in the frame nearly invisible.

You can find more of Apai Biszign’s work on Facebook, flickr, and biszign features his gallery, blog and even videos of him and his Hikarimoji crew in action.

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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

Jim Crotty currently lives and works on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina USA but originally hails from Dayton, Ohio. His style of photography, as it relates to his work with nature and landscape subjects, has been best described as calm and peaceful. He strives to convey a sense of serenity with his nature photography through the use of subtle natural light, shallow depth of field and emphasis on texture and shape.

When it comes to equipment Jim shoots with both a Canon 1D Mark III and a Canon 5D Mark II. He is more likely to use  the 1D Mark III for his work with nature and landscapes  because he is in outdoor situations where he has to deal with the elements and most recently, sand, for which the weatherproofing of the camera make it ideal.  The speed of the the 1D Mark III is also ideal for wildlife.  Jim’s favorite lens is his Canon 17-35mm f2.8 L lens.  He loves working with dynamic skyscapes at sunrise and sunset and he finds that the Canon 17-35mm f2.8 L lens works beautifully with how he likes to capture scenes with interesting foreground elements.

Jim uses natural light exclusively when working with nature and landscapes and he shoots raw format files  at lowest possible ISO as he does a lot with HDR which necessitates multiple exposures (from three to seven frames) with changes in shutter speed for over, even and under images.  The first thing he does when back at his desktop work area is back-up all the raw files directly from the cards to archival DVDs. He then imports the raw files into his Mac Pro desktop system or MacBook Pro.  If they are for HDR he just transfers the files  to a folder on his desktop for merging and tone mapping via Photomatix Pro stand alone program. After processing in Photomatix he imports the resulting 16-bit TIFFs into Aperture for file management and further adjustments.  He also loves converting HDR to black and white using Nik’s Silver Efex Pro.

For non-HDR he imports directly to a project folder in Aperture. From there he edits and performs basic adjustments, such as dust spot removal, straightening, definition, etc. Edited images for uploading to his printing service, web site galleries, blogs, etc. will most likely go through a few more adjustments using one of the various Nik plug-ins of which his favorite is Viveza 2.

For portraits and digital art photography he uses Adobe Photoshop CS5. There are some custom actions that he prefers such as those by Formula One.

Jim loves shooting dynamic skies at dawn or dusk, he believes it is in the margins of the day when light and life merge seamlessly and it is those brief moments when we are blessed with scenes of incredible peace and beauty.  Fortunately he lives in an area where more often than not there is a dynamic and colorful sunset happening, from late summer to spring.  Hilton Head Island is on the coast of South Carolina, so you are often near water where  there is more of an opportunity for incredible light and reflections at sunrise and sunset.

As with every photographer experience and knowledge counts but a little luck never hurts.  Jim finds that it is almost always the image he is not planning for or expecting that ends-up being the keeper from a particular photo outing.  When he is out shooting he keeps himself open to all the possibilities.  For example, shooting into a beautiful sunset is what most people do.  However, what Jim likes to do is to look in the opposite direction and see what the play of light is doing to the clouds on the other end of the horizon.  Often that’s where he finds the more interesting image and pleasing light.

Jim has been working with HDR since its advent in  2007 and Photomatix Pro is his preferred program.  Viewers who dislike HDR often think of those images where the effect has been applied with a “heavy hand,” leaving the images look almost cartoonish.  Jim believes that the key is to use all of the options available within tone mapping and to not oversaturate.

Jim advises that a  pro-quality tripod makes all the difference in the world, along with a quality ball head and L-bracket. He  loves working from creative angles. Just a slight change in perspective can dramatically alter the composition.  He says that having the kind of gear that allows one to make those types of changes are a must.

When queried about two photographer’s work he really admires Jim immediately chose Art Wolfe as his first choice, because Art’s passion for his subjects is clearly evident in all of his photographs. Jim says of Art’s work “I think for Art photography is a life experienced through visual storytelling.”

For his second choice Jim said that, the best nature photographers are also outstanding teachers, and the one who had the most impact on him was David Middleton.  Jim reminisces about the  10-day program on professional nature photography taught by David in Montana, back in August of 2000. Jim learned how rewarding it can be to inspire others to pursue their passion and develop their creative vision through photography and he tries to pass that on during the workshops that he teaches now.

Jim hopes one day to try underwater photography. He is amazed by the underwater photography he has seen and considers it a must on his bucket list despite the fact that  it is much more involved than traditional nature and landscape photography.   Fortunately for Jim he already knows how to dive and he is SCUBA certified but to be able to handle pro-level gear and lights while diving will take careful combination of his photographic and diving skills.

Jim also admires those photographers who excel at photojournalistic style street portraits.  He thinks that  this genre definitely takes an extroverted personality and a good bit of courage.

Because of Jim’s background in corporate marketing and PR, he is adroit in social media marketing, you may find more of his work on his 500px, Flickr, Tumblr, Facebook or Zenfolio sites, you can also follow him on twitter @JimCrotty

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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

This week Indie Spotlight puts the “diverse” in diversity.  From insects and landscapes to portraits and weddings, Wendell Reyes mostly enjoys nature photography.   Hailing from Port Of Spain Trinidad, he keeps himself busy as a Certified Systems Analyst, owner of Overclockers TT, and first photographer/owner of Stephen Jay Photography.  Traveling has allowed many photographic styles, however, Wendell is constantly pursuing experience and experimentation.

A Nikon D90 is Wendell’s camera of choice, however, he patiently waits for the release of the D800 to add to his arsenal.  Although he does not have a “favorite” lens, if he had to choose one it would be the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX for overall flexibility.   This lens is particularly handy when it comes to shooting wide open, and does very well in low light conditions, perfect for shooting in natural light.  Macro photography is an entirely different story. Wendell uses a Nikon AF-S Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G DX for flowers, and a Nikon 70-300mm G with manual focus extension tubes and Raynox DCR250 for extreme close ups (i.e. the robber flies in the photos below are approximately 1cm in size).

For Portraits & Weddings he will switch between a Nikon 35mm f/1.8, a Nikon 50mm f/1.8, and a Tamron SP AF 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF). Lastly, Wendell breaks out the Nikon 18-105mm VR for Landscapes.

Regarding workflow, Wendell will first choose the correct lens for the subject.  Next on the list is lighting.  It is important to identify the type of lighting, as well as the angle and intensity to see how it will affect the subject before shooting.  Third on the list is flash.   Wendell will decide if he needs to use fill light via a reflector or flash/strobes, or if the ambient light is at the right angle for best exposure. Lastly he will choose the best angle or perspective for framing purposes. When everything is just right, Wendell will begin his shoot.

Concerning software, Adobe Lightroom is used for initial adjustments and Adobe Photoshop CS3 to fine tune especially in terms of blending, burning and dodging and color adjustments.

Turning to the subject of tips and advice, Wendell feels that learning to see and analyze light is the key for new and upcoming photographers.  It is the “make or break” for an outstanding photograph.  Secondly, he suggests becoming intimate with the subject.   Take the time to look at the subject and study it from all angles to find the best composition and background that will compliment your subject and not distract from it.  Lastly, but certainly not least, learn and master proper techniques using the equipment that you currently own.   Get to know the pros and cons of your hardware and its limitations before deciding to upgrade to expensive equipment.  It all comes down to creativity, so don’t get comfortable – always look for ways to improve and try new and exciting things.

Turning to techniques, there is one that Wendell stumbled upon one while giving thought to his landscape photography. The technique is to to set the camera to manual focus with the aperture at f/9. Next he sets his Nikon SB600 Speedlight to the camera/full setting, and lastly is the hyperfocal distance using the 35mm f/1.8.  All that is left to do is point and shoot, no need to worry about focus.  With this technique, you can capture the moment, and everything comes out sharp. – The lighting is good to go.   As always, experiment and fine tune your settings once the focus is set. As a side note, this technique is also most useful in low light situations.

There are many places Wendell would like to visit for photographic opportunities, however, if he had to choose just one it would be a tour of Africa.  To photograph the tribes, wildlife, and pyramids would be an exhilarating experience.   He would also like to try underwater photography some day.  Lastly, I was curious who inspires him from a photographer perspective.  Wendell admires Ansel Adams for his landscape photography, and Monte Zucker for his portraiture work.

You can find Wendell Reyes on Facebook, Flickr, and 500px.

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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition.  Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

With the Holiday season right around the corner, what better time to showcase photography that includes both food and people?   This week’s Indie Spotlight, Nicole Young, not only shoots the aforementioned styles, but stock photography as well.

Hailing from Seattle, Washington, Nicole’s photographic arsenal includes a Canon 5D Mark II, equipped with a 70-200mm 4/4L IS lens, which she uses for most of her work.  She likes to get in close, compressing her images, giving them a fairly shallow depth of field.  Most of her photography as of late is food, so her workflow is somewhat involved.  Since the images are shot for her stock portfolio, she must first decide on the subject what she wants to photograph.  Next on the grocery list (literally) is to purchase the ingredients, and finally cook, style, and prep the food for the shoot, which is done at her home studio. With camera and tripod ready to go, Nicole will shoot approximately 30 photographs, and take away 3-5 keepers on average.

She relies mostly on natural light for the food photography, however, the setup for photographing people is completely different.  A strobe is a must giving her subjects a “lifestyle” look, which ultimately produces a photograph that doesn’t appear to have been shot using artificial lighting.  There isn’t one particular setup or workflow when it comes to photographing people, so Nicole will work with whatever is available in terms of lighting, surroundings, and the people themselves.  It’s a very organic process, kind of a “go with the flow” type of shoot.

Concerning software, Nicole imports her photos into Adobe Lightroom using the DNG conversion feature. She has been using this process for the past year which helps her keep a good file structure without the added XMP side car files.  Next, she will select the “keepers” and apply basic adjustments like cropping, white balance, exposure, etc.  When she is happy with the basic edit in Lightroom, the next step is to export the files from Lightroom using the PSD extension so they are prepped and ready for editing in Photoshop.

After the photographs have made their way into Adobe Photoshop, Nicole uses a series of steps for final editing.   First, a new blank layer is created for cloning/healing.  Level adjustments come next using the brightness/contrast set to the luminosity blend mode.  The third step is another level adjustment layer for color adjustment using the color blend mode.   Step four, a new layer is added for color, which Nicole fondly refers to as the “color pop” effect.   Lastly, a sharpening layer is added using the high pass setting.   Other layers will find their way into the process now and again for teeth whitening or eye brightness, however, the five steps outlined above are Nicole’s normal workflow.

Nicole is currently trying to do more travel photography mostly to experience new places and culture, and build her portfolio with a different style of work. She would especially like to visit Antarctica, lured by the colors, wildlife and rarity of the adventure.   She would also like to create more “fine art” photography since most of what she shoots is commercial (lifestyle and food).    ”I don’t have many photos that I would enjoy printing and hanging on my wall.  I’m trying to make a concerted effort to create more of these, especially landscapes.”

Concerning tips and techniques, Nicole likes to use the “live view” feature of her camera when shooting with a tripod, especially food photography.   The live view allows her to zoom in on the focus spot to ensure the clarity and sharpness.    This view also allows her to adjust the props and food easily.

Nicole draws inspiration from many photographers, however, there are two that especially stand out.   The first is Gregory Crewdson, whose images are very surreal, and somewhat eerie.  He spends more than the average amount of time in post production, which Nicole translates into dedication and vision.  She is also a fan of Julianne Kost’s composite work.  Nicole describes her work as dreamlike, and especially loves the textures and colors Julianne uses.

You can Find Nicole online at her personal blog, Twitter and Google+

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After a successful retro-themed contest for October, we decided to go back to Mother Nature for November’s contest.  The winner for our FYP November Photography Contest is… *drum roll*… Boris Frkovic! Congratulations Boris!  We hope you enjoy your annual 500px.com account and as promised, today’s Indie Spotlight segment would showcase Boris’ winning pictures.

Hailing from Croatia, one of the most beautiful country in Europe, Boris spends most of his time photographing some of mother nature’s greatest creations.  He enjoys flocks of birds, ocean waves, and the sound of wind blowing all the while capturing them with his trusted Pentax K200 camera coupled with a Tamron 10-24 lense.

Boris loves to photograph nature, especially water (rivers, lakes and ocean) because he finds the water and reflections in water give the photos a special charm

Aside from his Pentax, Boris’ default photography equipment include the use of a tripod and a wired shutter release.  Most of his work is comprised using HDR because according to him, current cameras ‘see’ less than what our eyes can see – camera sensors can only see dynamic range of approximately 5 stops whereas the human eye can see 9-10 stops. So the only way to show others what he really sees is through HDR.

To make his HDR photos look more realistic, Boris uses a technique that he invented, which is similar to the Orton effect.  Boris prefers to shoot in RAW format before tone mapping in Photomatix.  The final stop is Adobe Photoshop where he makes final adjustments.

When processing, Boris will always export his final creations as TIFF format because there is no loss of quality. His own HDR processing technique involves three overexposed photos layered on top of each other while choosing ‘Multiply’ as his blending mode and image opacity set to about 75%.

Boris’s techniques make the HDR photos look more realistic and lifelike.  He believes that to photograph and produce a great HDR, one must understand the basic concept of shooting with this technology – True HDR are made from multiple (differently) exposed photos while pseudo HDR is made from just one photo.  It is also very important to use a tripod and a remote trigger for this method.

It is important not to have any part of the photo overexposed if you’re going to shoot for pseudo HDR (because overexposed parts are permanently lost).  Boris suggest that you use pseudo HDR method for scenes with movement

Boris admires the work of ‘Sunrise@Dawn’, Olga Shiropaeva, Mario Moreno, Dave Cox, Jorge Maia, Omid Golzar, Alfred Forns, Alisdair Miller, and a number of other great photographers.

Eventually, he would like to try some different styles of photography such as IR, night stars, panning, and black card among others.

Boris can be found online via his Google+ profile as well as:

http://500px.com/borisfrkovic

http://www.pixoto.com/borisfrkovic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/borisfrkovic/

http://borisfrkovic.blog.com/

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The Indie Spotlight

Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

As a preforming musician of thirty plus years, I have both empathy and much respect for the concert photographer.   Getting a decent shot is a challenge in itself, but when you add the drunk fan or out-of-control mosh pit to the mix, that challenge raises a few notches.  Emily Rose McGonigle, this week’s Indie Spotlight, meets that challenge and more.

Hailing from my hometown of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Emily describes her style as “people photography.”  She doesn’t like to narrow it down to “fashion” photography or “portraits” because she does not feel that she is specifically doing either of those things, however, she is taking photos of people and enjoying it.

Emily’s photographic arsenal includes a Canon 550D (T2i) body and a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens.   This lens was purchased with music photography in mind since many venues are not well lit.  Being able to open the aperture to f/1.4 allows her to get great shots without drastically slowing down the shutter speed.

Emily, like most photographers on a budget, plans purchases based around what will benefit her style.   Since she does not have the luxury of setting up specific lightning in a concert setting as she does with a model shoot, faster and shorter lenses are a must.   This keeps her in front of the action during a concert shoot, rather than having to stand in the back of the venue.

When shooting a live band, Emily has the camera settings in check before leaving the house.  Since she has been shooting bands for quite some time, she has found that f/2.8, 1/125, and an ISO of 1600 to be a good average setting.   Of course, this can change once the show begins and she can assess the lighting, however, the aforementioned settings have proven to be a good starting point.

When shooting a live concert, Emily prefers not to use a flash because she loves the color and the aura that a live setting provides.   If the stage is poorly lit, or the lighting itself is so bright that it blows out the color channels on the camera, she will use a small amount of flash to “water down” the colors.

When photographing models, Emily finds that it depends on the situation.   She will generally try to incorporate ambient light along with some flash to create drama in the scene or to enhance the existing light.  Her main light modifiers presently are umbrella’s.  She will often use these as “shoot-through” umbrellas. On occasion, she has used “gels” on her flash to get a certain effect.

Despite the shoot subject, all images are immediately transferred into Adobe Lightroom.   Next in the workflow is flagging which photos will make the cut and chosen for post processing.  The flagged photos are ready for basic editing (exposure, white balance, contrast, noise reduction, etc.) within Lightroom, and finally the edited photos are exported to Adobe Photoshop CS5 for final processing.

The photos are sharpened in Photoshop, but that is the extent of editing.   Occasionally if there is something that stands out, bothersome to the extent of losing a good night sleep, she will use the cloning tool, however, this is a rarity.  The remaining photographs go through normal retouching (skin smoothing, Liquify, Dodge/Burning, Etc.).

Emily has been shooting for a little over a year and a half, and is still trying to define her style.  She is definitely a fan of the bright color, which is the main reason she chooses to shoot without a flash at live performances.  Keeping the effects of the stage lights is an important part of the process.   From a shooting perspective, Emily tends to use manual focus at live performances when not using a flash, mostly since it is dark and the musicians are moving around so quickly that the AF does not have a chance to lock in.

When photographing models, Emily will sometimes use gel filters.  A favorite photograph, which was a close-up of a model’s face, was shot using a “shoot-through” umbrella and a CTO gel on the flash.  This produced the soft light she wanted to achieve while warming up the model’s face yielding a “sun-glow” look.

A post processing techniques that Emily stumbled upon recently is using the white balance, and tint within Lightroom to tame over saturated colors.   Another is changing the ambiance to dramatically enhance the photograph from the original.

Photographers that Emily admires are Zack Arias, who can create beautiful drama with a single light, and Joey L whom she describes as captivating and awe inspiring.

Although Emily enjoys shooting models and other “people photography,” her dream is to be a concert/promotional photographer on a much larger scale moving from the local/regional scene to national artists.

Emily can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and her personal website.

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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

Matteo Fiorelli, 27, hails from La Spezia, Italy and is employed as a mechanical engineer.  Although he considers himself an “amateur photographer,” the photography on this page tells a different story.   Matteo does not have a particular style of photography, however, he is very instinctive of his surroundings and will shoot whatever is interesting.  Matteo is not one to place his style into any category, but if he had to choose his favorite types of photography, he prefers to shoot portrait, street, concert, and people generally.

His photographic arsenal includes a Canon 50D, which he received as a graduation gift, and a Nikkormat ft from the sixties with a 50mm f1.4.  The Nikkormat is a film camera, and he finds it very difficult to get a good photograph using this method.  Matteo’s lens’ of choice include a 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 and a 50mm f1.8II, both from Canon.   The 50mm is perfect for portrait photography, however, Matteo is intrigued by the wide angle lens, so much that he recently purchased a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8.   This lens allows him to stay close to the subject, which he likens to stepping into the picture, a gratifying sensation from a photographer’s point of view.  Overall Matteo’s lens choice falls between an ultra-wide angle and a 50mm with proper aperture of course!

Preparation is the key for Matteo, so before the shutter button is pressed he seeks out composition and viewpoint to avoid cropping in post.   He shoots primarily in RAW, and in most situations has his ISO set to 200-400 to freeze the frame.   In post production Matteo uses Adobe Lightroom and the histogram tool to correct any imbalance in exposure.  After the exposure is balanced, he moves on to tone, vignette, and noise.  The next stop is Adobe Photoshop where final dodging, burning, mid tones, and shadows are adjusted.   Matteo compares the final shadow adjustment process to working in a traditional darkroom.

Matteo does not have one subject that he enjoys shooting.  His goal is to take his surroundings, despite what it may be, and convey another point of view and evoke emotion by telling a story with each photograph.   He would also like to learn how to use fill-flash settings when shooting backlit subjects in manual mode.

Matteo admires photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Jeanloup Sieff, however, his list goes on. Make sure you connect with him online to learn about the other photographers whom he draws inspiration.

Matteo would like to try photojournalism, to go places where emotions are strong and degradation is commonplace, to tell the stories of the human soul through photography.  Shoot 4 Change, a free association of photographers is one such organization that Matteo compares to this type of photography.

You can find Matteo on Facebook and Google+, as well as his portfolio on 500px.

Lastly, Matteo asked that I end the article with the following statement:

“I would like to thank Bryan for his patience and consideration given to me, and best regards to all the team of Indie Spotlight & Fuel your Photography!”

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[ Editor's Note: This week's Indie Spotlight comes from our latest addition to the team, Alicia Poole, a photography student from the UK. She has plans to become a multiple threat by pursuing a Graphic Design degree as well and has shown she has a great eye by posting some fantastic work on her Flickr page, which you all should check out. Enjoy! ]

With the growing popularity of monochrome photography, I try to look for images that are unique. So it was clear that when studying Steve Landeros’ work, that I had found a photographer who could capture that uniqueness and such beauty in his images.

[ Editor's Note: Today, we feature a new addition to the team, Alicia Poole. She is a photography student who hails from the UK and has not only great photographic skills, but also has many other talents like singing and sonqwriting. She's got quite the gift, as is shown in her images, so we hope you enjoy her discoveries as much as we do! ]

Landeros has most recently been capturing some of his captivating images with a medium format, Hasselblad 500C/M. Though, when shooting digitally, Landeros is equipped with a Canon 5D MKII. When queried, Landeros revealed that his favourite lens to use digitally is the 24-70mm f/2.8, which he mainly uses around the range of 50mm. When working with the medium format, on his Hasselblad, he said that his favourite lens to use is the 80mm f/2.8.

Two subjects that Landeros would love the opportunity to photograph are the Golden Gate Bridge from the top of one of the towers, and Death Valley, in the US State of Nevada.

Landeros says that there is much information out there, in the world of photography, but believes that photographers should ‘To take time to truly see what it is you’re photographing- there is a lot going on in that viewfinder and with a little extra time to study your surroundings, things will come together.’

Once, when Landeros was using his 5D MKII, he decided to customize one of his rear buttons for focusing, he then ended up accidentally hitting the Liveview feature and realized how well this feature worked for composing and focusing his old screw on his 10 Stop ND Filter – thus discovering a technique that he still uses today.

When prompted for two photographers that he admires, Landeros is quick to admit that it’s a hard question, with so many amazing artists to name, but settles on Michael Kenna and Steen Doessing. Michael Kenna has opened his eyes to the medium format analog, whilst Doessing has influenced him to create monochrome waterscapes.

Landeros is currently studying the art of ‘wet printing’ – as it is only natural for him to move into darkroom experimentation now that he works with analog photography. He also states that he will be spending more time experimenting with nocturnal long exposures of land and seascapes.

Steve Landeros’ work can be viewed on his personal website, or on Flickr.

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Bill Gerrard is our contest winner of the FYP October Photography Contest, congratulations Bill!  I addition to being featured in our Indie Spotlight Bill also won an annual 500px.com account.  Here is Bill’s winning image.

Bill is an eclectic photographer from  Northern Utah in the United States, but he has also recently lived in Las Vegas, Nevada and Southern California.  Bill’s favorite subjects to shoot are landscapes, automotive, architecture, events and portraiture.

Bill’s primary camera is the Canon EOS 5D but he usually has his Canon PowerShot S90 in his pocket for those moments that he is unable to have his SLR.   A true photographer is rarely without his camera and Bill finds that for a point and shoot camera, the Canon S90 produces quality images, while it lacks the control afforded by the 5D the image is far better than no image at all.  Bill’s stalwart lens is his  Canon 24-105mm f/4L.  He finds that  it gives him a nice range for anything from landscapes to portraits.

Bill admittedly says that his workflow is rather quite simple.  The majority of his work (landscapes, automotive, events) is captured in natural light.  He uses artificial light sparingly for portraiture and special effects in which one of his favorite techniques to use is “dragging the shutter”, dragging the shutter shows motion and then freezes the subject matter with second curtain flash, here is a video link to explain the technique.

After Bill has captured his images he then loads them into Adobe Lightroom and usually apply some presets to give the image some pop or special toning (vintage, etc.).  He then processes some of those images with the Topaz Adjust feature, many of his automotive images are processed in Topaz giving them that HDR like look, on the rare occasion he loads an image into  Adobe Photoshop but that is only when the image requires  special attention.

Bill has an extensive list of places he’d like to photograph for  for landscape photography, however with his growing interest in photographing people, he has an interest in mixing people with his landscapes in interesting ways. He has already experimented with this technique had hopes to do many more.

Bill has started a process of discovery in which he experiments more with post processing techniques that give his images a vintage or yesteryear look, or even a grungy or more atmospheric look. There are a lot of presets available for Lightroom that make this easy, or that give a base or idea to start with. He suggests experimenting with Lightroom in this way. Download some of the free presets and see what creative processing can do to an image.

Bill has one of those motivational pictures of a basketball court that says “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” and he takes this advice to heart.  Bill advises  “No matter what kind of camera you have, get out and start shooting.  The more photos you take the better the photographer you will become.”

Bill discovered  his love of automotive photography completely by accident.  He had always admired the old wooden bodied automobiles that were manufactured in the early 1900’s affectionately known as “woodies”.  One summer at the local county fair, his wife purchased a really cool photograph of a group of these woodies lined up in an old warehouse.  While completing the purchase his wife mentioned to the photographer that her husband Bill  liked woodies and the photographer suggested that she advise him to attend a woodie show coming up the next month near their hometown.  It was slated be the biggest gathering of wooden bodied cars in the world.

While had had never done any type of automotive photography before, Bill jumped in with both feet when he got there; he was in heaven.  Everywhere he looked there were these beautiful wooden cars and he started shooting right away.  He was awed by the wood grain, being a photographer he appreciated the craftsmanship. he admired the reflections in the chrome and lacquered surfaces.  Bill found that everywhere he turned there was an image waiting to be captured.  This love of woodies was further cemented when he post processed his photographs with the previously mentioned Topaz Adjust technique that he was taught by Rick Sammon.

Bill has a few photographers whose work he really admires.  He is inspired by Art Wolfe’s landscape and people photography, in fact Bills says that Art’s work has inspired him to visit some of the places where he has captured some of his best images.  He also appreciates  John Telford’s work in photographing and documenting historic buildings of worship has inspired much of his architecture photography.  Not leaving out the old pioneers, he was initially first inspired to landscape photography through the work of  Ansel Adams.

One of the styles that Bill has on his bucket list to try is light painting .  He is in awe of the quality of the photographs being produced now and seeks to join a group of local photographers who get together on a regular basis to experiment with the technique, he admires the light orbs they create using steel wool and other objects in the execution of the technique.

Bill has also created a few images mixing people or wildlife photography with landscape photography wants to spend more time exploring that genre.

You may view more of Bill’s work at his website where he has images for sale, on his Facebook page and he has just started populating his 500px.com presence.

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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition.  Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

If you read my previous Indie Spotlight article, the initial attraction to the photographers work was the fact that they experimented with various styles and did not confine themselves to a particular genre.   Our Indie Spotlight this week not only experiments with various styles, but is from the same part of the world as the aforementioned spotlightee.

Holy Déjà vu Batman!!

Germán Ruiz, a system engineer and photographer from Bogotá Colombia, is a self proclaimed minimalist as it relates to nature and macro photography, and a ‘maximist’ regarding architecture, landscapes, and some portrait photography.  He is attracted to the saturation of color as well as the contrast of  Black & White.

Armed with a Nikon D7000, battery grip, and various speedlights, Germán is prepared to shoot any subject and genre that comes his way.   The lens’ of choice for our Colombia native is a Sigma Ultra-Wide Angle 10-20mm f4-5.6 and Nikkor Fish-Eye 10.5mm f2.8 for landscapes.  What’s that?  You think those are the only lenses he carries with him?  Nay my photographic friends, for macro work, he depends on a Nikkor 60mm f2.8 with a Kenko 3x Teleconverter.

Germán shoots entirely with natural light, which seems to be a running theme with our Indie’s as of late.   If the shoot focuses on landscapes or architecture, he will study the weather first and then prepare accordingly.  Germán’s gear will normally consist of a LowePro bag, Vanguard tripod, camera, lenses, filters, and a remote trigger.  Upon arrival at the shoot location, angles and bracketing are essential, usually choosing three or more exposures.

After the shoot, Adobe Bridge is the first stop to choose the best photos.  Post production includes Photomatix Pro or HDR Efex Pro from NIK Software to produce the best HDR effects.  Noise reduction is pushed through Imagenomic or Noiseware, and finally Adobe Photoshop CS5 via Camera Raw for retouching and edge burning.

When shooting portrait, and depending on the lighting (in-studio or outdoors) Germán will choose the model, the clothes and makeup, the lighting, and the background.   The remainder of the workflow is similar to shooting landscapes except HDR processing and the addition of touching up imperfections and softening skin if needed.

Regarding tips and technique, Germán offers the following suggestions.   When shooting portraits “on-location” a medium density ND filter should be used on bright days, as this will enable the photographer to use their lenses at the maximum aperture in turn creating a nice bokeh effect.  Also, use apertures between f5.6 and f11 as it makes for a nice sharp image.  A creative touch can be accomplished with the use of a fisheye lens.

When shooting portraits “in-studio,” he suggests using two studio softboxes, a reflector, a flash with an umbrella /snoot, and color filters for backgrounds.  This will help in achieving a great photo with the lighting in line with makeup or clothing.  Germán will always shoot with white balance in “PRE” mode and a 18% gray card settings to get the best colors and avoid corrections in post-process.  Lastly, when shooting portraits always focus on the eyes.

If shooting landscapes, and the day turns cloudy, do not hesitate to use HDR as the clouds will take on a dramatic and interesting effect.

A technique that Germán stumbled upon happened while visiting a dinosaur park.  He was prepared to take a photo using a flash, and accidentally moved as the camera fired, aiming directly at the sun.  The photo turned out so good that Germán includes the sun whenever possible and mixes in some speedlights for good measure.

Two photographers that inspire Germán Ruiz are Joe McNally and Scott Kelby.   A few lesser-known names like Frank Doorhof, Karl Taylor, and Calvin Hollywood have also inspired much of his work.

Lastly, Germán would like to do wedding photography someday as well as shoot a forest of bamboo in China, which he describes as a mystical place.

Germán Ruiz Online:

Portfolio | Facebook | Twitter | Contact

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[Editor's note: This post contains artistic nudity that some may consider, NSFW]

Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

El Descanso

Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing this weeks guest, Mónica Cifuentes, on my now defunct photography podcast.  Showcasing Mónica on this weeks Indie Spotlight is like finding money in the back pocket of your favorite jeans.  You didn’t know it existed, however, regardless of the amount, there is always that rush of excitement.

Mónica Cifuentes Vargas hails from La Calera, which is nestled in beautiful Colombia, South America.  My initial attraction to her work was the individuality of each photo, and the fact that they were not pigeon-holed into any one genre.  Her main camera, which she has been using for the past five years, is a Canon EOS Rebel XT, and although not her favorite lens, Mónica relies the standard Canon 18-55mm lens which she find useful working with portraits and landscapes.  The zoom feature is versatile, and it was used for the photos showcased on this page.  I also shoot with an 18-55mm, and concur, this is a great lens.

camino y niebla

Redemption Song

Regardless of what she may be shooting, Mónica will always seek out natural light as it reveals the true photograph.  RAW is the format of choice, and her post process workflow includes Adobe Lightroom 3 for temperature and minor defects that may have occurred during the capture as well as the built in filters to emphasize tones or produce effects.  Although Adobe Photoshop CS5 is also part of her arsenal, it is used sparingly for deeper corrections and effects.

Ocaso

El Portal de la Tormenta

When it comes to one particular subject that Mónica enjoys shooting, she is hesitant to choose just one as we are surrounded by so many beautiful subjects on a dialy basis.  Her one regret is that she doesn’t carry her camera with her more often.  She sees so much inspiration in nature, and considers some of the most simple subjects to be the most complex.

Mi Viejo Cacharrito

Mariposa y ortiga

Mónica embraces the internet for inspiration, to meet fellow photographers, and help her define her own style, however, she warns that specialized sites that cater to photographers should be used with care, especially if just starting out.  When you post to these types of sites, the criticism will come, and ​often harsh at times, which can discourage the beginner.  This is not to say that you should steer clear of aforementioed sites, as critisicm can help you grow as a photographer, however, you must be able to accept all forms of criticism, good or bad, and use it as a learning tool.

Lourdes

Macondo

​Several years ago, Mónica stumbled upon HDR photography without even realizing it.  It happened during a complex lighting situation, and she wound up experimenting and blended the images in Photoshop.  She has never purchased specialized HDR software, and to this day she continues to manually produce all of her HDR work.

Just Opened

Eden

​Hengki Koentjoro and Zhang Jingna are two photographers that Mónica admires not only for their photographic talent, but also their diverse styles.​​

​Lastly, looking toward the future, she would like to try 360 degree panoramic photography, perferably at night.  Capturing what happens in the dark is particularly intersting to her.  So far she has not come across any photographers who have tried this style.

You can find Mónica Cifuentes out and about on Twitter, DeviantART, and her personal site.

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[ Editor's Note: This week's Indie Spotlight features the first piece by Hafez Kamal, who hails from Malaysia and joins our team with his knack for discovering new things about the world around him. Though he spends his days as a security consultant, Hafez has a genuine passion for photography, which shows in this week's Indie Spotlight. We hope you enjoy Hafez's discoveries! ]

They say ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ and photography is about immortalizing that particular moment in a frame for others to see. This week’s featured photographer who has been a happy resident of Austin, TX (USA) since November 2007 has a different, yet unique take on Portrait & Art Photography.

Jaime considers himself more of a human behaviorist than a photographer. Armed with his trusted Canon 5D MKII coupled together with a 50mm f/1.8 lens, Jaime would do most of his photo shoots in natural / available light – only to use artificial (studio) lighting if necessary.

“There *must* be a palpable connection with the person in front of my camera.”

Point-of-fact, until/unless he makes that connection, he will not even pick up his trusted camera – “It is a deal-breaker”

Jaime strongly believes that anyone can learn how to take a photo of a pretty woman, wearing a pretty dress, standing next to a pretty tree; but without that connection, without a narrative, the photo is a lifeless disappointment.

“Learn how to interact with humans on a more personal level”. The people in his photos are not simply looking at the camera. They are reacting to the person *holding* the camera.

There is a *universe* of difference between these two things.

Once he has taken the shots he wants, the real work begins. It is not uncommon for him to spend an entire day in post-production for a single image. He has spent a week (or more) in post-production on several of his art pieces.

One such example is the book cover shoot he just did for Simon & Schuster Publishing. The shoot itself was over 16 hours and it is going to take 7-10 days in post to complete.

He was often told to possess an unparalleled patience.

Everything he does today is something he calls a ‘happy accident’.

Opting to learn everything on his own way, defined by his unwillingness to read the instruction manual.

“Just pick it up and learn as-you-go”.

Jaime does not believe in any photography ‘rules’; he believes such rules can and will imprison him, creatively.

Jaime admires artworks to the likes of Jacqueline Roberts and Patrick Demarchelier .

Official Website – http://www.ibarraphoto.com

DeviantART – http://jaimeibarra.deviantart.com

YouTube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/user/ibarraphoto