B&h Photography Podcast

On this episode of the B&H Photography Podcast we talk LED lighting for photography. We start with an introduction to the basics of LEDs, discussing their advantages and disadvantages compared to tungsten and fluorescent lights, and why an LED system might be the right choice for your work. We then open the conversation to the recent improvements made in LED technology and the various types of LED lights available. After a break, we talk about specific photo applications, the appropriate LED systems for those applications and, finally, we mention a few favorite models and brands, always recognizing that the right choice in lighting should be based on the work you are doing. Joining us in this discussion by two experts from the B&H SuperStore—Byron Atkinson, a Manager in the Lighting department, and Leslie Perez, a Product Specialist—who will share from their hands-on experience as photographers, as well as from their time spent guiding customers to the lighting systems that best fit their needs. Join

On today’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we discuss long-term documentary projects, particularly those that deal with immigration and social issues. Both of our guests are currently working on projects that span several years, and we talk about the commitment, the technique, the goals, and the gear that go into their work. Our first guest is Griselda San Martin, a Spanish photographer who has been telling stories of immigration, deportation, and the often-blurred lines of national identity. One of her series profiles Las Delfinas, a girl’s flag-football team from a high school, in Tijuana, Mexico. Her project on families who meet on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border wall for weekly reunions centers on a deported man who sings through the wall to his daughter on the other side, and her current four-year project profiles U.S. veterans being deported as a consequence of criminal convictions. After a break, we speak with Salwan Georges, a staff photographer for the Detroit Free Press who, in addi

As we asked in an earlier episode, “When was the last time you touched a photograph?” It’s an interesting question and some of us are still enjoying the tactile nature of a print, or our time in the darkroom, but most photographers now only experience their photos through a monitor. On today’s episode, we try to change all that with a visit from printer and printing experts Jay Tanen and Sam Celebi. We offer an overview of the options available when it comes to printing your photographs digitally. Yes, you can still go to some drugstores and get a set of images in a nice envelope, but even that is less common now, and the quality has always been questionable. Basically, if you want to make common digital prints, your choices are to go (or send your files) to a “lab” and get digital C-prints, inkjet prints, or perhaps “dye-sub” prints, and we’ll compare these types. However, the options for quality printing at home have expanded dramatically as the price for printers has dropped. We talk about the options avai

On today’s show, we continue our conversations on landscape photography with Daniel Kordan, one of the most interesting nature and landscape photographers working today. Amongst his many accomplishments, he can count having an image used as wallpaper for Apple computers, and while that is indeed impressive, if you dig deep into his Instagram feed or website, you’ll soon realize that his talents run wide and deep. From Greenland to Ushuaia, and Russia to Japan, the work he produces is consistently breathtaking, and we speak with him on a range of subjects from his thoughts on post-processing, to lens choices, to shooting in isolated locales, to whether he prefers to shoot alone or with members of the many workshops he now leads. Join us for this inspirational episode and be sure to check out our new podcast page on the B&H website for more images by Kordan, and our complete library of podcast episodes. Guest: Daniel Kordan Photo: Daniel Kordan http://danielkordan.com/ https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/p

We are in a Golden Age of landscape photography. Digital cameras and improved software enable the kind of imaging that until recently was only possible via the budgets of large publications and the talents and ambitions of a few select photographers. Ambition and talent remain, and with enhanced dynamic range and color algorithms, higher sensitivity settings, simplified stitching and compositing software, and a network of websites to display work, impressive landscape photography is abundant; however, there are new masters and the skill set of current practitioners includes not only those of the photographer, but also of the savvy digital graphic artist. With the ability to pull details from shadows, augment colors and combine distinct files into a single image now easier than ever, we must ask—is it acceptable to represent nature without natural characteristics, to merge photos from different focal lengths into one image, or add a blazing sunset to a foreground taken hours or days apart? Can images composed

This week's episode of the B&H Photography Podcast is on third-party lenses and the alternatives to the “glass” produced by the major camera manufacturers. From high-end optics to affordable knock-offs to respected lens makers, such as Tamron and Tokina, we will discuss what is new, what is available, and for what type of shooter these lenses may be the right choice. Joining us is photographer, Product Specialist, and B&H trainer extraordinaire Levi Tenenbaum. In the first half of the program, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of third-party lenses and why we are seeing an uptick in their numbers. After a short break, we return with a detailed list of the companies currently producing third-party lenses for DSLR and mirrorless cameras, and what you can expect from each one. Guest: Levi Tenenbaum   https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/b-h-photography-podcast/id1052860428?mt=2

On today’s episode, we welcome Katrin Eismann and Peter Krogh to our studio and, with a chance to speak to the “Photoshop Diva” and the man who wrote "The DAM Book", you count your lucky stars and soak up as much insight from these experts as possible. Peter Krogh is a photographer, writer, consultant, and a foremost authority on digital asset management and workflow. His clients include top-tier photographers, the Library of Congress, and he has served on the ASMP Board of Directors. A recent collaboration with PhotoShelter produced their Libris cloud-based asset management system and his latest book is Organizing Your Photos with Lightroom. Katrin Eismann is a member of the Photoshop Hall of Fame, an Adobe MAX Master and a Sony Artisan. She is founder and Chair of the Masters in Digital Photography Program at the School of Visual Arts and the author or co-author of several books, including Photoshop Masking & Compositing, The Creative Digital Darkroom, Photoshop: Restoration and Retouching and Real Worl

Join us as we talk with two of our most regular and insightful guests about new cameras that were announced in 2016. We hesitate to use the phrase “best” cameras of the year because there a few cameras that we’re not all that crazy about, and a few we can only judge based on their announced specs, but there is plenty to talk about. Shawn Steiner and Levi Tenenbaum test and review cameras for B&H and the Explora blog, and bring to this conversation not only extensive product knowledge, but a practical sense of which camera is right for specific photographers and applications. We discuss the new mirrorless medium format cameras announced by Fujifilm and Hasselblad, as well as several new DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, some the first from their respective manufacturers. We also include favorite cameras sent in by listeners (see if you can tell which one we made up), talk industry trends and wrap up the show with a grab bag of favorite new lenses and our choice for “camera of the year.” Guests: Levi Tenenbaum

You need film stock for your 1947 Brownie Target Six-20 camera? Film for Classics has it. Found an undeveloped roll of film while cleaning out your grandfather’s junk drawer? Send it to the Rescued Film Project. On today’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we examine two aspects of the film photography world that are alive and well. First, we speak with Levi Bettwieser of the Rescued Film Project about his self-assigned mission to collect, process, and preserve as many orphaned rolls of film as he can. He tells us about how his project got started, how he sustains it, his motivation, goals, and the future potential for such an impressive, yet motley archive. Bettwieser inspires us with his zeal, and speaks of the thrill (and the responsibility) he feels knowing that he is the first person to ever see the images contained on these rolls, some shot more than 70 years ago. For the Rescued Film Project’s wish-list, please see link below. After a pause, we speak with Dick Havilland, who is a film re-spoo

Continuing with our series of conversations from the Eddie Adams Workshop, we sit with National Geographic photographer Steve Winter to talk about his work and career, specifically on capturing images and telling the stories of the big cats of the world. Winter started his photojournalism career in the social documentary tradition and, working for the famed Black Star agency, fate (and fear) pushed him into the world of wildlife photography. He tells us how his path shifted, how he blends photojournalism and wildlife photography and how specializing in one subject has benefitted his career. With many adventures and close calls under his belt, he relates how travel and gear logistics and long stretches away from home can be the hardest part of his job. He also talks gear choices, working with scientists and local trackers and drone photography. Winter’s work spans the globe and includes an ark full of creatures, but he is most recognized for his big-cat photography, which entails long expeditions in mountains

We have been looking forward to this conversation for weeks. On today’s episode of the B&H Photography Podcast, we sit down with retired Detective 1st Grade Michael Cunningham, of the New York City Police Department, to talk about crime-scene unit photography. Cunningham is an expert on crime scene photography and forensics—in addition to his twenty-seven years with the NYPD, he has worked as a trainer for the Department of Homeland Security, authored a book on crime-scene management, and currently works providing case-management solutions to law enforcement agencies for Leeds, LLC. We discuss aspects of crime-scene photography, from camera and lens selection to shooting technique, storage, retrieval and sharing of images. We compare the use of film and digital imaging and the challenges and benefits brought on by new technology. In addition, we talk about photos used for case solving and those of evidentiary value and the different photography departments within the NYPD. Cunningham walks us through the

The B&H Photography Podcast was very fortunate to be invited to the 29th Eddie Adams Workshop this year. The annual workshop, officially sponsored by Nikon, with support from B&H, is a unique and inspiring event, bringing together 100 young photographers with some of the world’s most recognized photojournalists and editors, including thirteen Pulitzer Prize winners, for four intense days of photographic presentation and collaboration. On today’s podcast, we discuss editing for newspapers and news sites and the working relationship between photojournalists and their editors. In the first half of the episode, we speak with Nancy Andrews, the former Director of Photography at The Detroit Free Press and current Ogden Visiting Professor for Media Innovation, Reed College of Media at West Virginia University, and Colin Crawford, the Deputy Managing Editor of Visual Journalism at the Los Angeles Times. Both started as photojournalists and we chat about the differences between photographers and editors, but w

The B&H Photography Podcast was very fortunate to be invited to the 29th Eddie Adams Workshop this year. The annual workshop, officially sponsored by Nikon, with support from B&H, is a unique and inspiring event, bringing together 100 young photographers with some of the world’s most recognized photojournalists and editors, including thirteen Pulitzer Prize winners, for four intense days of photographic presentation and collaboration. Tim Rasmussen, Director of Digital and Print Photography at ESPN, joined us for a chat in our improvised studio in the fabled barn on the Eddie Adams farm. Prior to ESPN, Rasmussen was the Assistant Managing Editor of Photography and Multimedia at the Denver Post and under his lead, their photo department earned three Pulitzer Prizes. Tim is also a member of the Board of Directors at the Eddie Adams Workshop and, in addition to having been a team leader, producer and editor at the workshop, he was a student in its very first year—1988. Our conversation with Rasmussen rev

The B&H Photography Podcast was very fortunate to be invited to the 29th Eddie Adams Workshop this year. The annual workshop, officially sponsored by Nikon with support from B&H, is a unique and inspiring event, bringing together 100 young photographers with some of the world’s most recognized photojournalists and editors, including thirteen Pulitzer Prize winners, for four intense days of photographic presentation and collaboration. The team leaders and speakers are a who’s-who of the photojournalism community, and we took our opportunity to sit down with many of them for conversations that ranged from personal inspiration and technical innovation to the photographer-editor relationship and how to set a camera trap for mountain lions. In the weeks to come, we will present several of our “conversations from the barn,” thus named because we created an impromptu studio in the fabled barn on the Eddie Adams farm. Our first conversation joins Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer John H. White and photograp

Is your Leica M7 worth more than what you paid for it? How about the value of that Brownie in your grandfather’s closet, or even your first digital camera from 1995? With Heritage Auctions preparing to host its first-ever auction of collectible cameras, we take time to talk camera and lens collecting with Nigel Russel, of Heritage, and Gabriel Biderman, of B&H Photo. Russel is a world-recognized camera expert and photo historian, and discusses the criteria that make a camera retain or increase in value, the possibility of finding a collectible camera at a garage sale, and the general ins and outs of a camera auction. We also chat about Ansel Adams’s 4 x 5 camera that is currently up for auction, as well as the “cult” of Leica and even about a camera from the 1860s that uses water between the lenses to create a panoramic view. A well-respected night photographer, Gabriel Biderman is also a camera collector whose first rule of collecting is to only acquire cameras with which he can actually take pictures. H

Photokina is the world’s largest trade fair for photography, and this year’s affair saw 983 exhibitors from 42 countries fill the Koelnmesse Exhibition Centre in Cologne, Germany, with an array of new gear for photography, video, and imaging, in all its forms. Today’s episode of the podcast will offer an overview of the notable cameras and photo equipment announced at this biennial event, held from September 20-25, with a special emphasis on new lenses. Our guests, podcast regulars Levi Tenenbaum and Andrea Ortado, highlight the features of new cameras from Fujifilm, Leica, Olympus, Panasonic and others, and offer their opinions on a range of new gear. As mentioned, we take an extra moment to talk lenses and ask, “What can we expect from new lens technology in the coming years?” For gearheads, GASsers, and anyone interested in the latest photo equipment, this is an entertaining episode packed with practical information. Guests: Andrea Ortado and Levi Tenenbaum https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/p/podcast

In celebration of Gail Buckland’s wonderful new book, "Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present", and the accompanying exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, we take a look at sports photography from all angles. With Buckland, we discuss the making of her book and the role that sports photography has played in the history and technology of photography. Buckland breaks apart false distinctions by including photographers as diverse as Andy Warhol, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Stanley Kubrick with legendary sports photographers such as Walter Iooss and Charles Conlon. Her research on individual photos and overall perspective on sports photography opens up the genre to the wide world of art, and her insights are invaluable. Also joining us is photographer Andrew Bernstein, well known as the long-time photographer for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has also served as official photographer for the L.A. Clippers, Kings, and Dodgers, and held the position of Senior Director of NBA Photos. Bernstein has phot

Coney Island and photography have been together almost since birth. There is a great tradition of photography associated with this beach, located at the last stop of the D, F, N, and Q trains, in Brooklyn. Our guest, photographer Mark Hartman, created an intense summer project of walking the beach at Coney Island photographing the interesting people who crossed his path. His project was disciplined and relatively short, but thanks to a little app called Instagram, his austere, detailed, and colorful portraiture has quickly found many fans. Hartman was kind enough to join us to talk about his series and the gear, techniques, and attitude that has made it such a success. We are also joined by writer and photographer Todd Vorenkamp, who adds insight to our discussion with Hartman, and also offers some very practical tips on how to keep your gear clean, dry, and sand-free while shooting on the beach. Why a show on beach photography as summer draws to a close? Well, as anyone who has photographed on the beach (and

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be available on September 15, 2016, and we’ve organized an episode to celebrate iPhone photography, including a hands-on review of the new iPhone 7 Plus. Joining us are three photographers who bring unique perspectives to the imaging capabilities of the iPhone. First, we speak with Robin Robertis, a 2016 winner of the iPhone Photography Award and an artist for whom the iPhone provided a new creative tool for her ethereal and vibrant work. Next, we speak with Ed Kashi, a multi-faceted, veteran photojournalist and filmmaker who was one of five photographers assigned by Time magazine to document Hurricane Sandy with just an iPhone. Kashi also teaches workshops in iPhone photography for National Geographic, and will discuss how he incorporates mobile photography into his journalistic work. After a break, we speak with Brendan Ò Sè, a photographer from Cork, Ireland, whose playful image of the curved lines in Copenhagen’s Superkilen Park was chosen for the “Shot on iPhone 6” ad

In Part II of our series on astrophotography, we talk with Ian Norman, founder of Lonely Speck, a site dedicated to making astrophotography easy and accessible to all photographers. The website is loaded with great advice, gear reviews, and tutorials on how to photograph the night sky and specifically, the Milky Way, Our conversation with Ian centers on his development as a photographer and provides many tips on how, with very affordable equipment and apps and basic processing, you can create stunning dark sky images. As you will hear, Norman, like his website, is all about sharing experiences and advice on how to simplify and improve your photography. As he says, “there are few photographs that have as much existential impact as a nighttime landscape against the Milky Way.” Join us for this educational and inspirational episode. Guest: Ian Norman Photo: Ian Norman, LonelySpeck.com