All posts by Jeff Curto

Camera Position 47 : Focus/Defocus/Refocus

In this episode, I talk about shallow depth of field as a creative tool and its use by several photographers who are using it in inventive and interesting ways. I also look at how focusing yourself on a project can help you be more creative.

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Photographs by Jeff Curto – Jeff Curto’s Website

Keith Carter Photograph 1 Keith Carter Photograph 2
Photographs by Keith Carter – Keith Carter’s Website

Keith Loutit Photograph 1 Keith Loutit Photograph 2
Photographs by Keith Loutit – Keith Loutit’s Website

Other resources for this Podcast:

Camera Position 46 : Passion & Profession

This episode of Camera Position is about combining passion with profession. We need to photograph what we love, but we also can’t lead an insular life; we need to be out there, casting our lines into the river of photographic experiences.

This week, March 15 to 18, is the Society for Photographic Education conference in Miami, FL. If you live near Miami, you really should consider attending this event. There are day passes available for non-members of the organization and it’s a great way to meet a large number of like-minded folks, see some fabulous photography and hear some inspirational and interesting speakers.

Society for Photographic Education (SPE)

If you do happen to come, please stop by the presentation I’ll be giving on Friday morning entitled “Teaching Your Students, Teaching The World: Podcasting In Photographic Education” where I’ll be talking about the “hows and whys” of Podcasting, attempting to get more of my teaching colleagues involved in this exciting medium.

I’ll be podcasting the presentation, of course, so stay tuned for that in the next week or so.

A Podcast Listener (courtesy of Paul Strand)

A Podcast Listener, courtesty of Paul Strand

Mary Virginia Swanson - Website If you can’t make it to the conference, you may be interested in attending an excellent seminar (which is open to the general public) to be presented on Sunday March 18 from 1 to 5 by the noted photo marketing expert Mary Virginia Swanson. Entitled “FINDING YOUR AUDIENCE: An Introduction to Marketing your Photographs,” Mary Virginia will be talking about how to place your work in front of people who will be able to help get you more visibility.

MV Swanson working with a photographer

Mary Virgina Swanson working with a photographer

Regardless of these opportunities, a quote by photographer Ralph Steiner reminds us that it’s important to photograph what matters:

Ralph Steiner Photograph

Photograph by Ralph Steiner

“Eventually I discovered for myself the utterly simple prescription for creativity; be intensly yourself. Don’t try to be outstanding; don’t try to be a success;don’t try to do pictures for others to look at- just please yourself.”

-Ralph Steiner, A Point of View

Camera Position 45 : Back in the Zone

In this second part of the Zone System overview, we look at a few more specifics about how the Zone System works and is implemented. Don’t forget to download the PDF handouts!

Click any image below for a larger view.

Black and White Film Curve Color Negative Curve

Color Transparency Curve Digital Capture Curve

8-Bit Image Data 16-Bit Data

Zone Scale & Histogram

The first part of the Zone System overview was in Camera Position #43

Download part 1 of the PDF handout (part 2 below)

Shutter Stories Magazine Launches

Shutter Stories Header

Tomasz Trzebiatowski has launched Shutter Stories Magazine, an online interview-based magazine.

Shutter Stories subtitle is “Where Photographers Talk” and talk they do, as the premiere issue has interviews with Jim Zuckerman, Noah Grey and Photocast Network pal Martin Bailey as the first interviews. The interviews themselves are short and easy-to-digest, but insightful and interesting and are, as you might expect, peppered with example images from each photographer.

Take a look!