So glad you could join me for the ninth episode of the PictureMethods show. This is the flagship podcast of the PictureMethods blog where we deliver free insights and inspiration for photographers. The show drops on the first Friday of each month.

On today’s show I have a great guest. You may not know her, but after today’s show you certainly will. She is a fellow Olympus Visionary and her name is Tracie Maglosky. She is an award-winning wedding and portrait photographer working out of Cincinnati. I am a big fan of her work, especially her maternity portfolio. We’re going to talk to her about both how and why she does the work that she does. Trust me when I tell you that there are few portrait photographers working today that are as creative as Tracie.

We have photo news, and by request – an expanded Q&A segment. Since I have more Q&A today we’ll skip the usual insights segment and I’ll close the show with a word of encouragement.

In case you missed last month’s show – visit the podcast archives on PictureMethods.com or on your favorite podcast player – I had my friend Leo Laporte on the show and we talked computational photography, which happened to be very timely given the recent release of the new iPhone which relies very heavily on that technology. Be sure to hit the archives – you can find them in the show notes and catch up on every single episode.

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And now the photography news…

In May 1989, nearly a decade after he had moved to Japan from the United States, photographer Charlie Cole was sent to Beijing to cover student protests for Newsweek. When he arrived, the peak of the protests seemed to have passed and most publications had started sending their photographers elsewhere. The magazine, Cole said later, told him to stay put. On June 5, Cole viewed Tiananmen Square from a balcony as tanks rolled in. Then a lone man emerged and stood in front of the armored column. Cole’s image of the scene, winner of the 1990 World Press Photo competition, has come to transcend that moment of defiance, notes The Washington Post. Cole died on Sept. 5 at his home in Bali. He was 64.

One last bit of photo news, which is in-house but I wanted to make sure everyone knows about it. In case you missed it, Picture Methods is holding a contest. We’re giving away an Olympus camera and lens, a Robus tripod and a Platypod. I’m also giving away a $250 credit at my online store good for a print or other gift items featuring one of my bird images.

To be eligible to win, just follow me @ScottBourne and/or @PictureMethods on Twitter. You can also enter by subscribing to my free quarterly newsletter and there are a couple of other ways to enter. You can find all the info at bit.ly/olycameragiveaway.

If you have news that you think would be of interest to the Picture Methods audience, send me an email – scott@picturemethods.com. If I think it is a fit I’ll add it to next month’s news rundown.

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Interview Segment

Next up, I have a great interview with master portrait artist and fellow Olympus Visionary Tracie Maglosky and on the flip side of that we’ll dive into an expanded Q&A segment.

It was great of Tracie to make time for the show. You can find out more about her on her website https://www.traciejeanphoto.com.
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Q&A Segment

Okay – it’s time for everyone’s favorite segment of the show – photo Q&A. And I have an extended version for you this month because I got so many great questions from my audience. Stick around and at the end of the segment, I’ll talk about how to get your question on the show.

Question No 1.

I love cars and I love going to events and car shows. My problem is that I can’t seem to get the right exposure and specially these old cars have lots of chrome and I always end up with over exposed or with funny color casts (if indoors)any help is appreciated.
Frustrated
Oscar from Lima Peru

Question No 2.

When a bird blends in with the background too much what is the best way to make him pop away from the background?
Sherra Maneri from New Braunfels, Texas

Question No 3.

“How do you get your photographs to have a “realistic feel” to them. What editing program do you use to get that look? I really enjoy looking at your photographs because of how they make me feel.
Eva Cooper from Sarasota, FL

Question No 4.

What is your criteria for scouting locations you’ve never been to before? And how do you prepare for it?

I can’t picture you schlepping a food/beverage cooler, spotting scope or binoculars, folding chair, blind, lots of camera equipment, extra batteries, layers of protective clothing, etc. but I can see that they all have value.
Bert Klimas of Rice, WA

Question No 5.

If I just want to shoot a bird sitting on a branch in the shade, how can I make the light of the flash look “natural”?
John Van’t Land of Grand Rapids, MI

Question No 6.

I’m an artist and amateur photographer. I understand it is a good idea to get a signed model release from people who are identifiable in the photographs I take if there is a chance they would be published. But what about buildings or items on private property? Does the the same rule apply?
Sharlene from Saginaw MI

Question No 7.

I am selling some things to raise funds to purchase either an EM1 mk II or possibly the Pro 300. Current medical bill’s keep the EM 1X out of reach. I currently enjoy a pair of EM1 mk I’s as well as my Pro 40 -150 with the 1.4x, and even my 75-300 mk II. I do shoot alot of birds. What do you suggest?
Lee from Auburn, Ga.

Question No 8.

When you were on Behind The Shot with Steve Brazill you started telling the story of your shooting the Indy 500 as a seventeen year old but the conversation changed gears (no pun intended) before you crossed the finish line (ok, that one was intentional…). Could you share the rest of the story on an upcoming episode of Picture Methods?
Jeff in West Allis, WI

Question No. 9.

I am struggling with getting people to notice the right things in my photos. I guess I have too much going on in them. Can you suggest ways that I might help the viewer zero in on my intended subject?
Doug in St. Louis

If you have questions for the Picture Methods Podcast, send them to me at Scott@picturemethods.com. I only add questions to the show if they include name and town and come in via email. I cannot promise that every question I receive will end up on the show, but I do read them all and appreciate the emails.

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Before I go on to close the show with a word of encouragement I want to mention a new partnership between Picture Methods and Hunts Photo & Video. Hunt’s has been around a very long time and operate a string of eight camera stores on the east coast in MA, RI, ME and NH. Gary Farber and his family run the company and he’s been a pal for more than 10 years. Hunt’s has very competitive pricing and free shipping to the lower 48 on orders of more than $50. Gary has personally assured me that my audience will be treated well. One of Gary’s top salespeople, Alan, is available to talk to you by phone at 781-462-2383. If you prefer, you can also email Alan at: alansamhunts@gmail.com. I trust Hunt’s Photo and know that Gary’s team is fully committed to helping photographers find and acquire the right gear. I am thankful for their support of the Picture Methods blog and podcast.

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I’ll close this month’s show as I always do, with a word of encouragement.

You Are A Photographer
Go Make Pictures!

I am constantly amazed at how much time people spend on the Internet, at camera stores, in classrooms at photo conferences, in camera club meetings and even coffee shops, mulling over whether or not they are actually a photographer.

This self doubt is not very constructive. What is constructive is making more pictures. You already know you are a photographer, so start acting like it. Go make pictures; every day – and then do it again and again. That’s all it takes to be a photographer. It helps if you have a story to tell or a point of view, but at the end of the day, it’s just about making pictures.

Here are a couple of things to ponder if you are struggling with self doubt…
Don’t make pictures for the approval of others. Make pictures that tell your truth.
Don’t wait for permission, just go out and shoot.

Don’t even worry about the results – it’s all just practice anyway. Every picture you make is a chance to get better.

Claim what’s yours! You own every single inch of every single frame you shoot. Fill it with things that matter to you and then do it again. Nobody can take that from you. No Internet troll, no camera club wannabe, NOBODY, can undo your truth unless you let them. Your story is yours to tell – with your camera in hand.

You need to know one thing. Fear is the enemy. It stops you from being the photographer you already are so ignore it. Go make pictures and share them. Share them in pure joy. Do it because you have to do it. Do it because you love it. And know that if you have fun doing it, others will have fun with you. Your work will impact more people in more ways if you love what you do and what you photograph. So do that. Go photograph what you love and love photographing it.

Being a photographer is a blessing. It is full of wonderful opportunities to do amazing things. Thanks to photography, we get to protect our memories and the memories of others. We get to tell stories with our cameras. We get to preserve moments in time that would otherwise be lost forever. We are high-priests and priestesses of memory protection. We are light and shadow warriors. We are all these things because we claim them and the power that comes with those claims.

The next time someone questions you or challenges you regarding your photography, stand up dnd yell: “I AM A PHOTOGRAPHER!”

Wrapping up…

Be sure to tune in on the first Friday of each month to catch my latest show and visit http://www.picturemethods.com for archives of past episodes.

Also, please do me a favor if you like the show. Please subscribe (for free) to the iTunes version of the show – even if you listen somewhere else. It helps us gain traction. Please consider subscribing (for free) to the blog – you can use the little black box that appears in the sidebar of every post to do that. It will give you updates every time there’s ANYTHING new at Picture Methods. And lastly, please consider signing up for my free quarterly newsletter – you can do so at http://bit.ly/picturemethodsnewsletter

If you do sign up for either blog updates or the newsletter you are automatically eligible to win cool prizes during the regular giveaways I do for the show and the blog. You must be 18 years old to participate. Open worldwide except where prohibited by law.

I really hope you enjoyed episode number nine of the Picture Methods podcast – I look forward to sharing time with you next month.

And while we’re all waiting for the next episode, let’s root for each other!

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Picture Methods has partnered with Hunt’s Photo & Video to bring you the best gear at a competitive price and backed by personal service. Call Alan Samiljan at 781-462-2383 if you need photo/video gear. If you prefer, you can also email Alan at: alansamhunts@gmail.com or just visit the Hunt’s Photo & Video Website deals page.