ShareI am so tired of seeing very capable people produce b-o-r-i-n-g photos. The same tourist locations, the same angles, the same composition, the same, same, same!
So, several years ago I got to wondering if there was a better way to help people get beyond boring and into more dynamic expressions of their photographic creativity. I do think I’ve found one path, but first bear me a little slack.
Admittedly, I’m schizophrenic. I’m frequently forced to witness disturbing battles that rage between my left and right brains.
Les, you’ve got to be more …

ShareBoredom is good! The interstitial seasonitis doldrums have started, that dreadful time for photographers where we are still blinded by Fall’s colors and the snows of winter have yet to fly. Oh, the boredom, the insatiable itchy trigger finger!
Well, you can relieve that boredom with Les Picker’s tried-and-true doldrums destroyer. It’s called an aquarium. Not just any aquarium, but a dry aquarium, aka a terrarium. Here’s what I mean.
Buy a used aquarium (5-10 gallons should suffice) at a yard sale. If one side or other is cracked, so much the …

ShareLet’s admit it, we’re now in one of photography’s seasonal doldrums. Fall foliage is over, the trees are bare and snow has not hit much of the area, at least not in the mid-Atlantic, USA, region. This is the perfect time for checking out new equipment, innovative techniques, even changes in attitude toward whatever area of photography you have up to now avoided. In my sporadic “Homework” series (use the search box to find others), I’d like to add the perfect assignment for that rainy Saturday morning.
Depth of Field
Manipulating depth …

ShareI’ve been photographing for several decades now, and to this day I am mystified by the lengths some people will go to get a photo. Oh, I’m not talking about the well-trained pro who carefully weighs the risks and operates on the edge to bring home the goods (more on that later). No, I’m talking about regular people who take insane risks in the name of a photograph.
For one thing, I’m thinking about that moron at the Grand Canyon who leaped across a chasm- in flip-flops!- onto a tiny ledge- …

ShareThe time is upon us; the quintessential season when photographers of every stripe dust off their lenses, check their camera batteries and hit the road to capture those radiant fall colors.
Shooting Tips
Here is a small sampling of my favorite tips for capturing fall colors, borrowed from my upcoming e-Book on fall photography and condensed for this blog.
Look for Yucky Days
Contrary to popular opinion, you can capture some of the best fall images on overcast days, particularly after a rainy spell. You just have to leave out the gray sky and …

ShareI’ve been photographing for a bunch of years now and I’m going to share with you the most complex, difficult and contorted shooting environment in the entire universe (and perhaps some alternate ones, as well. That would be trying to do photography while traveling with friends and/or relatives.
Between the categories of Between-a-Rock-and-a-Hard-Place and I-Can’t-Win-For-Trying lies attempting to get decent photographs while with a group of friends/relatives (okay, wife to be precise). Here’s the scenario:
You come around a bend in your car and spy a gorgeous scenic. The clouds could not …

ShareHistograms! Sounds like a medical procedure or, worse yet, mathematics.
Well, if you’re a photographer, histograms are your friends. Don’t be intimidated by them. Learn how to use a histogram and your images will dramatically improve.
What Is a Histogram?
In digital photography a histogram is an electronic display of all the pixels, light-to-dark, recorded on the sensor when you press the shutter release. It appears as a graph on the rear LCD screen in DSLR cameras and even on many point-and-shoots, such as the Canon G12.
There is really no such thing as …

ShareIn Search Of the perfect ISO for your photographic efforts? So many amateur photographers I meet are confused about what the ISO means and how to best tune it to their imaging needs. I thought I’d give a brief primer here on the topic.
Just What Is ISO?
ISO is equivalent to what we called ASA during film days. ISO is a measure of how sensitive a sensor is to light. The higher the ISO, the better its ability to record light, but the ‘grainier’ the image looks. There’s always a trade-off, …

ShareI’m all wet. I admit it. Part of my job sometimes involves getting into water up to my waist to capture a scene. But when I notice that someone with a camera is watching me, I shudder with angst that by following my example s/he might get into trouble… which prompts this blog.
Summertime invites water images, but taking an image while standing in water is fraught with difficulty and danger. I never, ever take such shots casually. I take prudent precautions and preparations. I always weigh the risks carefully before …

ShareI get asked this question frequently at workshops and from you readers online. People wonder what software I regularly use and what websites I regularly visit. So, here goes.
Please, No PhotoShop!
I came into digital photography kicking and screaming in my fifties. I started by trying to climb the learning curve with Photoshop on my PC. Now for those of you who use Photoshop regularly and expertly, my hats are off to you. But after a few months of diligently studying and experimenting, I found I was taking way too much …