Press Photographers Association of Greater L.A. Exhibit in L.A. through March 31

March 7, 2013: Associated Press photographer Nick Ut talks with Sara Cannon, art curator for the Los Angeles City Hall Bridge Gallery during the Press Photographers Assn. of Greater Los Angeles photography exhibit. Photo by Scott Harrison, Los Angeles Times

The Press Photographers Assn. of Greater Los Angeles has found a new location for its 75th Anniversary Photo Exhibit. Until March 31, 2013, the images are on display at the Los Angeles City Hall Bridge Gallery. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Visitors need to enter Los Angeles City Hall through the Main Street entrance.

(Los Angeles Times)

First Viral Photo of the Year

Have you seen the shot that captures the moment a baby grabs hold of a doctor's finger just as she emerges from her mother's womb? Read more at http://bit.ly/UOAEDQ

(Photo : Randy Atkins/ A Classic Pin-Up Photography via  Medical Daily)

"Afghan Girl" Sells for $178,900

photo: Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry

At the National Geographic Society's an art auction Thursday, records were set for several artists and photographers, including Steve McCurry, whose haunting photograph "Afghan Girl" soared to three times the high estimate, selling for $178,900. Read the full story here.

From Photoshop to Filters: Living in the Age of Photography Skepticism

photo: Christopher Tomas / via dailymail.co.uk

We live in the age of skepticism. In all things, yes, but especially in photography.

For instance, BuzzFeed recently ran a list of Perfectly Timed Photographs, and while the shots were awesome, the dominant sentiment in the comments section was along the lines of "These were obviously Photoshopped." Listen, some of the images might have been manipulated in this case, but I do find it sad that we've gotten to a point where viewers of spectacular photography tend not to take into account just how spectacularly talented photographers can be. To be fair, some commenters---photographers themselves, one guesses---rejected the idea that each of these shots couldn't have been captured with a mixture of the right gear, the right place/right time, and a healthy dose of patience.

This is not a rant against Photoshop. I don't intend to assert that Photoshop and other post-production software are out of place in the world of photography. Obviously, editing is an essential part of the process and many professionals use software to tweak elements of their shots in order to produce the highest possible impact. This is about the climate of disbelief that has been inevitably generated by these tools, and by the more recent ubiquity of filters, thanks in large part to Instagram. (Which DP loves!) This is about the knee-jerk skepticism that denies a viewer the experience of looking at a photograph in genuine wonder. And, in turn, giving credit where credit is due to the photographer who pulled off such an artistic and technical feat as capturing a passenger plane at the moment it crossed the path of the moon.

In a way, this is simply a rant, because I'm not offering an answer. I don't think there is one, except to keep encouraging photographers to practice their craft.

***

photos: Unidentified American artists / via Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop

This skepticism isn't actually new. Brain Pickings recently featured a book called Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop. As Maria Popova points out, the book is the companion to a current exhibition of the same title at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Aside from providing pure delight, the photographs found in the book, and on view at the Met, teach us that the art of manipulating photographs vastly predates the digital age. And that very early on this visual trickery created an uncertain relationship with "visual truth." From the Met:

Featuring some 200 visually captivating photographs created between the 1840s and 1990s in the service of art, politics, news, entertainment, and commerce, the exhibition offers a provocative new perspective on the history of photography as it traces the medium’s complex and changing relationship to visual truth.

(Please note that the exhibition is sponsored by Adobe Systems Incorporated, maker of Photoshop.) The images in Faking It are divided into seven categories: Picture Perfect, Artifice in the Name of Art, Politics and Persuasion, Novelties and Amusements, Pictures in Print, Mind's Eye, and Photoshop. It's interesting and useful to see how each of these sections serves as a road map, I believe, to where we are today. To this place I'm calling The Age of Photography Skepticism, which isn't really an age so much as a state of mind. And I have to admit that after looking at these old images more closely, I'm not so convinced that's a bad place altogether. It's worth considering how exciting photo manipulation is when viewed in this old-timey context. It loses the sting of "Meh, that was Photoshopped" and instead manipulation becomes an art form to marvel at just as one would marvel at well-executed, untouched photography.

In the end, I guess this isn't a rant against anything at all. Maybe it's a call (to myself, to you) to approach all photography with fresh eyes. After years---in the digital age and long beforehand---of viewing photo manipulation, post-production editing tricks, and a heavy layering of filters, some of us might need to refresh our settings. First, it would do us well to give photogrphers of jaw-dropping images the benefit of the doubt and at least consider that they could have captured such stunning images with nothing more than a good camera and a good eye. Second, now I can see that it's equally as important that we recontextualize the "that's obviously Photoshopped" indictment, turning it into a compliment---a celebration of the amazing things artists can do with editing tools.

Either way, let's promise to always be excited by good photography. Because there should always be an audience for the beautiful images shutterbugs like you make.

***

Dear DP readers, this has been my final post for Digital Photographer. After four and half years, I am passing the mantle of Editor on to former "Politics in Photography" contributor and talented photographer Debbi K. Swanson Patrick. I have been honored to be a part of the DP community these past several years, on the journey from print to digital publication, and from the crowded halls of CES Las Vegas to the inspiring daily task of choosing a reader photo to feature in our closeUP column. I will still be a part of the DP community going forward, and I will always count on you to provide me with the experience of looking at photography in genuine wonder.

Keep Shooting, Allison Gibson

Sunbathers Shrunken to Specks in Aerial Photographs

Photographer Gray Malin's "A La Plage, A La Piscine" series shrinks sunbathers down to specks. Shot through open helicopter doors, Malin's aerial photographs manage to capture serene patterns on the otherwise crowded beaches and pool decks of Europe, Australia, South America and the U.S.

While the photographer's artist statement notes the color, light and shape of these "celebrations of summer," one can't help but also notice a pattern of what appears to be luxury and decadence in these photographs. From Las Vegas to Copacabana, the glitz of sunbathing seems to only be magnified when seen from above---which is, of course, ironic considering the scale of the people in these shots is  shrunken down. The series is truly mesmerizing to look at, no matter what ultimately catches your eye.

(Beautiful/Decay, via Lenscratch)

Fashion Photography: Tips from a Fashion Week Pro

photo: Jamie Beck / From Me To You

"When I first started there were 6-7 photogs shooting the shows. Vogue, WWD, NYT, the top publications. Before you had to be with a magazine or newspaper but now it has changed," Condé Nast photographer Robert Mitra tells New York-based photographer Jamie Beck in a great interview on Beck's site, From Me To You, about the realities of working the Fashion Week "pit" for 25 years.

If you follow fashion week photography, you know that saying "it has changed" is an understatement. These days, everyone from solo street style bloggers to online publications big and small are firing off photos of the runways and the beautiful people in the front rows from New York Fashion Week all the way through the final shows in Paris. And of course they're doing so on DSLRs and iPhones alike, with Instagram shots uploaded in real time often serving as the public's first views of the collections.

In the behind the scenes interview, Mitra lists his gear of choice (Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-200mm lens, monopod) in addition to sharing his tips for capturing candid backstage shots of the models and discussing why he shoots JPG rather than RAW. Check out the full interview on From Me To You.

Time Lapse of Pacific Northwest Makes Us Starry-Eyed

Yep, I'm still utterly moved by well executed time lapse photography. This stunning compilation of 260,000 shots captured in various locations across the Pacific Northwest is no exception.

Portland, Oregon-based photographer John Eklund shot the photos between August 2011 and August 2012 on both a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 5D Mark III, using three different lenses. He needed 6.3 TB of hard drive space to store the year's worth of shots. And, as you can see below, the resulting time lapse is truly amazing.

Purely Pacific Northwest from John Eklund on Vimeo.

Bacteriography: E. coli Bacterial-Growth Photography

If developing and printing photographs is a foreign process to many shutterbugs of the digital age, then one photographer's "bacteriography" technique will seem downright unimaginable. Like a true Renaissance man, Zachary Copfer---a self-proclaimed microbiologist masquerading as an artist"---has developed a process for printing photographs that blends the fields of art and science in a decidedly da Vinci-esque manner.

Copfer's bacteriography mimics in some ways traditional darkroom photography--- and, as PetaPixel points out, is also similar to the Collodion photographic process of the mid-19th Century---except that, as Copfer puts it, "the enlarger has been replaced by a radiation source and instead of photographic paper this process uses a petri dish coated with a living bacterial emulsion." You know, just makin' photos with bacteria. NBD.

Check out Copfer's bacteriographs over at his website, including the especially impressive series called "My Favorite Scientists." Of course, among those who've inspired him is Leonardo da Vinci himself.

(PetaPixel, via HuffPost Arts)

photo: Leonardo da Vinci Bacteria (Serratia marcescens), Nutrient Agar, Petri Dish by Zachary Copfer

Documentary Photography: Humans of New York

photo: Humans of New York

I can't get enough of the amazing photo project Humans of New York. Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind the site, has a colorful past (he's been arrested for taking photos inside Gianni Versace’s South Beach mansion and has been a bond trader in Chicago). He now finds himself in New York, where he photographs and tells stories about the strangers who make the city vibrant. Strangers of New York is a stunning collection of those 5,000 portraits and 50 stories.

(A Cup of Jo)

Watch Gabby Douglas Fly: Incredible Time Lapse Still Photo of the Olympic Gold Medalist

Mitchell Haaseth / NBC Olympics, Getty

We couldn't be more thrilled that the "Fab Five" USA women's gymnastics team took the gold this week, and also that today spritely 16-year-old Gabby Douglas won the Gymnastics All Around title. As shutterbugs, we're also pretty amazed by this time lapse still photograph of Gabby soaring through the air during her winning balance bar routine.

What's the best shot you've seen from the Olympic games so far?

(Just Jared Jr)

Scent-o-graphy: How to Make Scratch-and-Sniff Photos

I've been a fan of Photojojo's off-beat photo DIYs for a while now, but their recent tutorial for making scented photographs might be the most obscure way of getting shutterbugs to interact with their shots that I've ever seen. But hey, if photography is meant to capture a moment in time, then why not also include the other sensory elements of that moment?

The three techniques given by Photojojo for making aromatic shots are: Print A Whiff---in which you pay a service to make your photo scratch-and-sniff (okay, not so "DIY," but still rad); Just Sniff, No Scratch---in which you marinate your print in a homemade scent (bonus points if the scent corresponds to the subject of the photo, like, say, a flower or a wet dog); Essential Oil Scenting---which isn't so very different from the second process except that it seems easier. Check out the full tutorial here.

So, what do you think? Will you make scratch-and-sniff photos? Do you even print your shots after you take them?

(Photojojo via Apartment Therapy)

Rineke Dijkstra: Decades of the Dutch Photographer's Striking Portraits

Rineke Dijkstra: Decades of the Dutch Photographer's Striking Portraits by Elizabeth Inglese

This week the Guggenheim Museum unveiled its mid-career retrospective of the work of Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra. Being a longtime fan of Dijkstra's photography, I immediately made my way to the museum to check out the exhibition, which commands four floors and showcases photographs from the past 20 years as well as installations of video work.

Dijkstra’s work is at once arresting and inviting. The large-scale color prints from Beach Portraits, which were photographed over a decade from 1992-2002, feature adolescents positioned squarely in front of the camera on an empty stretch of sand, the horizon line behind them. The soft focus of the scenery trains the viewers’ attention on the details of the subject, young beach-goers in their swimwear. Their vulnerability and bravery as they pose engage the viewer in an intimate relationship.

The inspiration for Beach Portraits came during a lengthy rehabilitation Dijkstra underwent following a broken hip. Still wet from the pool in which she exercised, Dijkstra photographed herself and found her exhaustion had enabled her capture a rawness difficult to access.

She sought to recreate this candidness by photographing subjects in states of exertion: bullfighters with blood spattered across their faces and mothers following the birth of their babies. These states, in which the barrier of self-presentation dissolves, allow Dijkstra and the viewer glimpses of authenticity.

Dijkstra’s video installations utilize movement and dialogue to explore her interest in the empathetic relationship between viewer and subject. In one collection, young club-goers dance alone against a white backdrop, their timidity and their confidence both on display. In another, school children discuss their reactions to an abstract Picasso, revealing much of their own preoccupations and concerns.

While physically and emotionally exposed, Dijkstra’s subjects confront their viewers with directness. Their frankness invites us to gaze upon them, but in their bare humanity we see reflections of ourselves.

Rineke Dijkstra: A Retropective is on display at the Guggenheim Museum until October 8, 2012.

Visual History: NASA's Venus Transit Shots

Were you among the hoards of eager space-enthusiasts (this writer included) who watched the historic Transit of Venus yesterday evening? My favorite livestream to watch was the view from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, but the above compilation shot, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), is the still image that I will forever return to for a dose of inspiration. See the rest of NASA's Venus Transit images here, including one captured by Astronaut Don Pettit from aboard the International Space Station.

(images: NASA/SDO, AIA)

Update:

Don't miss this stunning time lapse video of SDO shots either:

http://youtu.be/4Z9rM8ChTjY

High Speed Photography: Stunning Liquid Flowers

Wanting to take his fluid suspension/high speed photography to the next level, photographer Jack Long created his new Vessels and Blooms series. Though at first glance the subjects of these shots look like ornate glass sculptures (which would be impressive enough), they are actually single exposure, unedited captures of paint splashes taken at high speed. (What speed, he's not disclosing.) I'll allow you a moment now to pull your jaw off the floor.

Each shot is the result of months of preparation, while Long worked on creating the floral forms and leaves. As you can imagine, there's a lot of trial and error in capturing these incredible, perfectly timed shots. Not to mention a lot of paint spilled. Hats off to Jack Long for conceiving and creating this stunning photo series. Check out the entire series on Flickr.

(Jack Long, via PetaPixel)

Share Photos the Old Fashioned Way with Polaposts

If, every so often, you get the itch to actually see one of your photographs---I mean see it as a tangible object rather than a digital apparition---you might consider sharing that beautiful, bendy work of art with someone else as well.

Enter Polaposts. With Poloposts, you can turn a printed snapshot into a mailable Polaroid Postcard. Sharing your digital images on Flickr, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, over email, etc., etc., is awesome, but imagine how cool it would be to send a friend one of your shots through the old-timey mail!

(SwissMiss, via Photojojo)

Tilt Shift Time Lapse of Carnival

Created by Keith Loutit and Jarbas Agnelli (with music by Jarbas Agnelli), this time lapse compilation of tilt shift images taken at last year's Carnival party in Rio is truly mesmerizing. The massive scale of the festivities and the grandeur of the Brazilian capital are somehow even more stunning when manipulated by the tilt shift effect to look like children's bath tub toys. I've seen some darn fine tilt shift work over the past few years, and this definitely stands out among the best.

The City of Samba from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Survey Reveals that Digital Camera Use is Down, Mobile Device Capture is Up

Photobucket today released the results of a survey taken over the 2011 holiday season that reveals a downward trend in digital camera capture. "Only 64% reported use of digital cameras for capturing the majority of their images throughout the season, down from 82 percent in the 2010 holiday survey," Photobucket reports. The trend translates to video capture as well, with 80% reporting they shot video on a mobile device at least once and half of those people saying they used a mobile device to record video daily or multiple times per day during the survey period.

In other words, unsurprisingly, people are becoming more and more dependent on iPhones and the like, rather than dedicated photo gear, to capture daily life. Of course this wasn't necessarily a survey of photography enthusiasts whose interests lie only in producing the best images, but rather, more likely, it reflects the habits of those concerned with capturing images most conveniently. Clearly, though, any of us could report from anecdotal evidence that among hobbyists and novices alike it is increasingly the custom to make use of both formats, depending on the shooting situation.

What about you? Do you find yourself using a camera phone most often for daily capture, or do you hold fast to the dedicated digital camera for all your shooting?

(Photobucket)

Digital Reluctance: Can You Acknowledge Kodak's Failure to Adapt While Still Harboring Your Own Digital Reluctance?

End of the Roll by Creativity103 - Flickr Creative Commons

The NPR/Public Radio International program "To the Point" today invited photographer Eamonn McCabe on air to reflect on the news that Kodak just filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. I listened to the segment in my car, on the way back to the office from lunch, and as I did so I was struck by the irony that by the end of the show McCabe---who is the former Picture Editor at the Guardian newspaper and an award-winning photographer himself---ended up holding fast and proud to the idea that digital photography is inferior to film photography and that it is a dubious format both in process and after an image is captured. This, in the wake of the news that the company that once dominated the world of photography---Kodak---was brought to its knees after its own reluctance to embrace digital technology.

At the top of the segment, McCabe says that he is "just staggered that [Kodak] just couldn't see this digital revolution coming and couldn't invest in it," and that "to be so arrogant and conservative not to change, I just find staggering." Later on in the conversation, when host Warren Olney urges McCabe to discuss the "quality of the product" in terms of digital versus film, McCabe talks enthusiastically about his Kodachrome days and admits his concern that nobody knows how long digital output will last. "We assume it's going to last forever," he says, "but does anyone know?" These days, McCabe is a half film, half digital photographer, though he says, "The trouble with digital is that it's very hard to fall in love with a digital camera."

Here's where things take a turn: "I have a theory," McCabe says, "Everybody's taking loads of pictures now on their iPhone...and their digital cameras, but who's looking at the stuff that's taken?...You're taking these pictures, and you might show them to somebody in a bar or somebody at work, but you don't ever print it." He calls this "the great mistake of digital."

He goes on to wax nostalgic about the family photo albums of his childhood---which is all fine and good---but he seems erroneously out of touch with the ways in which photography is viewed these days. It's as if he hasn't considered the fact that digital images are seen by millions of eyes every day around the world via the largest family photo album imaginable: the Internet. With these comments, McCabe seems to believe that all digital images taken by the average person are forgotten the moment after the scene is captured and then quickly relegated to the deep dark confines of a hard drive. Has this man never heard of Flickr, for instance? Nevermind Instagram or Facebook---which now has an image collection ten thousand times larger than the Library of Congress.

While McCabe is certainly entitled to his opinion that film cameras are preferable to digital (because right now that's not even the issue), what ultimately struck me as ironic after listening to his remarks was how he ended his talk by decrying digital photography in a strikingly similar manner to that same "arrogant and conservative" reluctance to change that he first labeled as Kodak's big failure. This made me wonder: can you really acknowledge and learn from Kodak's mistakes while you still harbor your own digital reluctance?

"A Day in California" Time Lapse Video is Stunning

Being residents of the Golden State, we may be a bit biased, but we think that California is the greatest U.S. state. After watching this epic time lapse film created by Ryan & Sheri Killackey, composed of over 10,000 photographs of California, you might also be convinced of the same. Surf, sun, stars, city lights! California has it all. West Coast pride aside, however, this short film composed of sprawling landscape shots and tilt-shift captures of miniature boaters is simply a pleasure to watch. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsKfp-_BMYs

(Shokeru, via Honestly WTF)

Food Photography: Advice & Inspiration from a Food-Shooting Pro

all images © Nicole Franzen

Thanks to photo apps like Instagram, and to our current culture of capture-and-overshare enthusiasm, I can no longer sit down to a meal without snapping a photo of the food. If you take a look at the various tags on Instagram related to the things that people consume throughout the day (#food #eats #noms) you'll see that I am not alone in the habitual photographing of my meals.

But outside of the realm of iPhonography, there is also a thriving professional food photography world. Yes, this is an actual job that many fortunate (and talented!) folks have managed to carve out for themselves. While some great cooking glossies have gone by the wayside (RIP Gourmet), there is no shortage of outlets for professional photographers to showcase (and cash in on) their work online and in print.

Culinary Composition

Professional food photographers may make their deliciously-staged shots look simple, but the craft of capturing food is no easy feat. Even someone well versed in the other genres of photography will have to relearn the rules when shooting subjects as fickle as couscous or cheeseburgers. And reflective subjects like glasses full of bubbly can offer significant challenges in improper lighting.

So with those sorts of challenges in mind, I've asked Brooklyn-based food photographer, Nicole Franzen, to share her tips for shooting food, including advice on equipment, lighting, styling and composition. Nicole runs the gorgeous food and lifestyle blog, La Buena Vida, and her photo clients include Bon Appétit, Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn Magazines, and Gramercy Tavern, among many others.

Below are Nicole's tips on the craft of photographing food. Grab a fork and dig in!

click thumbnails to enlarge

Equipment: "You can create a great at-home studio with a low budget by using materials like foam core poster board, which comes with a reversible black/white side. This versatility is great for creating shadows or for bouncing light. Also, I use clamps from a hardware store for everything, including holding up poster boards or hanging fabrics . A tripod is an important piece of equipment. While I love free shooting, a tripod is essential for low-light conditions."

Lighting: "I prefer to use all natural light. So for this, shooting near a window is the way to go. It's fun to play with light: draw your curtains, bounce light from above or the side, and move around. Think about how you want the food to look. Is the scene dark and moody? Bright and warm? Depending on the season, the light will change; go with it and embrace it. In winter months I shoot darker and in summer the scenes are more colorful. As a rule of thumb, it's best to shoot in the morning and late afternoon, when the light is softer. Don't be fooled into thinking that when it's sunny outside it's the best time to shoot. Cloudy days often end up creating the best lighting conditions---a natural diffuser for the sun, which creates a beautiful soft light. Shooting outside is fantastic also. Sunny days make for harsh contrast, so use a diffuser when needed."

Styling: "I like to keep styling pretty simple. I think the food should be the star. I regularly frequent flea markets, second hand stores and markets, and I am always on the look out for new surfaces on which to shoot because they set the tone of the photo. I use everything from old fruit crates, which can easily be disguised as a table top, to old baking sheets, galvanized metals, distressed cutting boards and wood, and an assortment of fabrics. I use simple fabrics, linen being my favorite. You can pop into your local fabric store and pick up things like muslin, cheesecloth, burlap and other natural fibers. Even dying them yourself saves money and allows you to create they exact feel you're going for. I also recommend collecting an assortment of plates and vintage flatware to style shoots. Keep it simple overall---less is more."

Composition: "The composition element of a photograph is really important, and I believe it's one of those things you learn from doing. For food, I often like to shoot from above. But even though this is my go-to, I still like to move around and try different angles for capturing the scene. You might try some up close, some further away. Always ask where the image is going. If it's going to be a small image for a website, try and get the food up close. If they are going to be larger images you can shoot the food from further away. In the end, all I can say is try to make it feel real, not forced."

Creating a Platform

Making beautiful photos is not all that it takes to become a working shutterbug, however. As I've shared before on DP, I'm inspired by stories like this one about London (and now New York)-based photographer, Brian Ferry, who as a result of demonstrating a clear talent for capturing dining experiences on his photo blog, The Blue Hour, was hired by Starbucks to shoot a big campaign for the brand. Similarly, Nicole Franzen created a platform for herself to show off her food photography and styling chops through La Buena Vida, and has in turn gone on to shoot foodie editorials for major publications and capture close-ups for highly respected restaurants. These two photographers have different aesthetic approaches but the one thing that unites them is that their images show a strong point of view. Nicole was, again, kind enough to share her somewhat unconventional journey to professional status and give advice on starting the journey of becoming a food photographer. Check out more of her tips below.

click thumbnails to enlarge

Training: "I will start by saying that I had no proper training in the photography world. I am a full-fledged hands-on learner. Whenever I would try to read books about technique, the information would rarely stick. I had to learn through doing. It took years of practice and an undying love for taking photographs. It took always pushing forward and challenging myself. I feel that, as with most arts, it comes from a deep source within. Learning the technical side of things just helps you get that feeling out. Everyday I spend a large amount of time looking at things that inspire me. Whether it be another photographer's work, a stylist I envy, or mother nature. My main source of inspiration comes from nature itself. It has given us all of these beautiful things for free: texture, light, mood. It's important to take the time to appreciate that. Some of my favorite subjects to shoot are farmer's markets and rural farms. I love the organic feel of these settings and I try to represent that in my photos. For me, it's all about getting to the root of food and all the amazing people involved."

Promotion: "The journey has been a roller coaster ride of emotions. It's not easy becoming a full time photographer, but after lots of hard work it has started to pay off. I've always had a camera in my hand and have always loved to take walks. Many of us photographers are familiar these walks and treasure them deeply. It's our time. After working my way through every genre of photography, it finally made sense that food was my true niche. I had been obsessed with food and cooking since a very young age, and so it only was a matter of time before I combined the two. The last two years I have spent all of my time devoted to learning about photographing food. I started a blog, which was my initial way of introducing my work to the world. I started by photographing my own meals. It then continued to grow and grow. I've met almost every client I have through the internet and referrals. Get to know everyone in the industry and build relationships. Be persistent and consistent. Social media has helped us photographers a lot---embrace that. You will be surprised when the emails start to come in."

Business: "Running a small photography business has its challenges. I am constantly learning as I go. I've become a jack of all trades---not only are you doing the photography, you are doing book keeping, invoicing, and all the other details that are involved in running a small business. I make mistakes, and then I learn from them. Every day I feel blessed that I am able to do what I love. I was never destined for a desk job. The best thing about photography is that it's always changing: new clients, new experiences and new shoots. My only words of advice are follow your heart, keep on working hard and always challenge yourself to get better."

Tools: Nicole primarily shoots with a Canon 5D Mark II and edits in both Aperture and Photoshop.

Visit nicolefranzen.com to view more inspiring images. Thank you, Nicole!