HERE’S HOW IT WORKS

STEP 1: Like pictureline on facebookVisit facebook.com/pictureline and click on the “Win a D800″ page under our profile photo. if you aren’t a fan already you’ll have to “Like” pictureline to gain access to the contest.

STEP 2: Enter the drawingFill out the contest entry form with your name, email address, and which of our mailing lists (if any) you would like to subscribe to. You will gain an additional entry in the drawing for each list you subscribe to. All email lists can be unsubscribed from at any time.

STEP 3: Share for extra entries! Better your odds!After you enter the drawing, you will be able to share this giveaway with others. Each of your friends that enters the drawing because of you will automatically give you an extra entry!* You can return to our contest page at any time to check on how many referrals you’ve gotten.*There are no limits to the ammount of extra entries you can receive.

STEP 4: Bonus prizes!Once you’ve gotten 10 of your friends to enter the contest, return to our contest page and you will be able to “UNLOCK” our bonus prize drawing for 1 of our 3 great bonus prizes.

STEP 5: Win!On April 23rd we will be selecting our winners by random drawing. After selection we will be contacting our D800 winner, and the winners of our bonus prizes as well, to let you know you’ve won. We will also announce our winners on our facebook wall, so be sure to check our wall and your email inbox to see if you’ve won!

visit facebook.com/pictureline to enter

Contest ends April 23, 2012. No purchase necessary. Contestants must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Pictureline will not verify receipt of entries. Incomplete entries are void. Pictureline is not responsible for entries that are lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, incomprehensible, illegible, damaged, undeliverable or delayed. We reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event that the original promised prize becomes unavailable. The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries. Unless otherwise noted, all contests and giveaway prizes are awarded via random drawing. Winners automatically grant the use of their name and likeness in the promotion of this and other Pictureline contests. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

"{link:http://www.joeladdams.com/#mi=22&pt=1&pi=10000&s=16&p=11&a=0&at=0}Out of Darkness{/link}" Upper Antelope Canyon by Joel Addams

UPPER ANTELOPE CANYON, ARIZONA.  Just outside of Utah is Page, Arizona, which is near the Glen Canyon Dam over Reservoir Powell or Lake Powell, depending on your views.  On Highway 98, just outside of Page, Antelope Canyon is actually two canyons, an upper and a lower canyon, both of which are run by different families in the Navajo Nation who own the land.   Your National Parks pass will not work here:  you need to buy an entrance pass at both the upper and the lower canyons.  That’s right.  About $20 will get you into the lower canyon on the spot, but beware, if you are going to put down a tripod, they will try to charge you extra if you have not reserved a photographer’s pass.  (This is what I understood when they got mad at me the last time I was there.)  Call ahead and reserve this time/permit if you know which day you will be there.  The lower canyon is a lovely slot with some great formations including Angel Arch and some great light beams in the summer months.

The Upper Antelope Canyon is probably a bit more amazing in terms of light beams, but these are generally better in the summer when light reaches the bottom of the canyon more often.  The canyon is absolutely packed with visitors, especially in the summer from late March to early September, so patience will be necessary.  So will a guide (you have to have one) who will stop traffic, throw the sand for your light beams, and move you through.  Please be prepared to tip this person, as he or she can do a lot for your photographs.  We had one once who scouted out the next light beams while we photographed with a class.  He was absolutely invaluable.  The Upper Canyon costs about $46 for two hours, and I would make reservations on this one, especially.  The lower canyon is literally right off the road and is clearly marked from the highway.  The Upper Canyon has two parking lots, depending on your guides.  One parking lot is immediately across from the Lower Canyon Parking and another one is a mile or so to the east on the highway.  Your guide group will tell you which parking lot to meet them in.  If you haven’t made reservations for the Upper Canyon, then you can generally just show up and pay the price.  Reservations are better for logistics, I believe.   Remember, the Lower Canyon is a little more flexible as it is more accessible and simply a “walk-in” instead of the 15 minute desert drive for the Upper.

“Out of Darkness” was an image taken during a workshop that I was teaching in 2011 in the summer. I was using a Canon 5D Mark II on a Manfrotto tripod with settings at ISO 100, f/13, and 1/50th of a second. These are somewhat significant here because I was often shooting for several seconds in order to brighten up the entire room. In this case, I wanted the dark edges, so I left the exposure low. What is very important about this image is that it is shot with a Canon 24 mm Tilt-Shift lens. Because I was looking up, I “shifted” the lens to normalize the perspective, as the perspective is often changed abnormally when you point a lens upward or downward. Stop in at Pictureline and ask to try this out.

Hint:  Tripods are an absolute must in these low light canyons, and I would expose for 2 – 4 seconds on many exposures.  Keep checking your LCD screen/histogram and bracket exposures.  You must move quickly as large groups will be behind you pushing you.  The dust is what makes the light beams, as does smoke or fog in other situations.  This gives something for the light to bounce off of and into your lens and into history.

Changes in March 2012: The Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation (with the local landholders) has formulated a new paying structure for photographers in March 2012.  This will both help and hurt the photographer’s plight.  The increase from $46 to $86 for two hours in Upper Antelope Canyon is suppose to discourage non-photographers to tour during the hours of 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. when the light beams are most interesting for photographers with tripods.  From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and after 1 p.m., the fee will remain $46 for non-photographers.  This is yet another burden on photographers for photographing Antelope Canyon, as the number of photographers in the canyon during prime hours will continue to be high, and bottle-necking and frustration will continue to flare up.  In addition, and unlike the National Parks Service, the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation has instituted a $50 permit for photographers intending to use images of Antelope Canyon for commercial purposes.

Where to Stay/Eat:  The usual suspects in chain motels are in Page, and most are pretty cheap.  We found ourselves in the Super 8 there, and it was more comfortable than other Super 8’s I have been in.  The summer months can be pretty hot, so camping is less desirable.  Try the Mexican places in Page.  Great food.

Guides:  A few of the local landowners around Upper Antelope Canyon run guiding services, one of which – Carol Bigthumb’s Group – has been my personal favorite.  (Carol’s mother actually discovered the Upper Antelope Canyon). Other Navajo from other parts of the Nation also seem to have the right to take groups into the Upper Antelope Canyon, but they must operate out of Page itself.  You are welcome to just show up at either the first pullout for Upper Antelope Canyon on the south side of Highway 98 or the second one a few miles down the road (this is Carol Bigthumb’s group).  Here are some of the other guides: Overland Canyon Tours, Antelope Canyon Tours, Antelope Slot Canyon Tours, and Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours.

PREVIOUS ARTICLES ON ROADSIDE PHOTOGRAPHS
Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Yosemite National Park, California

Whether new to remote triggering of camera’s and flashes or a top professional pushing gear to the limits, the Plus III’s reliability, simplicity and performance make it the perfect tool for the job. The Plus III is the new standard of excellence.

Important Plus III features include:
• 32 Standard Channels
• Selective Quad Zone Triggering
• Auto-Sensing Transciever
• Auto Relay Triggering
• Camera-Flash Triggering
• Extended Range Modes
• Side-View Design
• Simple Controls-Illuminated LCD
• Full PocketWizard compatibility

The versatile PocketWizard Plus III is compatible with every PocketWizard FCC-version radio marketed in the USA and virtually every popular flash and camera system. It also works with all PocketWizard-enabled studio flash units including select Profoto, Dynalite, Norman and Photogenic flashes as well as Sekonic light meters.

Pricing and Availability
The PocketWizard Plus III is scheduled to be available on March 15 with a price of $139.

EPSON Exhibition Canvas Printing and Finishing Guidelines

Designed in collaboration with world renowned fine artists and professional photographers, EPSON Exhibition Canvas products offer industry leading Dmax for the richest blacks, extremely wide color gamut, exceptional white point for clean highlights and an innovative microfiber base that virtually eliminates cracking.

The following guidelines and recommendations are provided by Epson to insure that your Exhibition Canvas print is both produced and can be displayed with your vision in mind for many years to come.

Before Printing

Just as with printing on any high quality inkjet substrate, the proper selection of Epson ink and profile is essential to producing the finest quality Epson Signature Worthy® print. To insure a perfect print, please consult the Instruction and Handling sheet enclosed in the media’s package, and choose the recommended profiles and inks (download ICC profiles from proimaging.epson.com):

• For Exhibition Canvas Matte, use Matte Black ink only
• For Exhibition Canvas Satin, use Photo Black ink only
• For Exhibition Canvas Gloss, use Photo Black ink only

- Make certain that your printer is running the most current version of firmware (available on proimaging.epson.com).
- Make certain that you have downloaded the most current ICC profile. Remember that profiles are specific
to both the type of printer you have and the finish of canvas you are using.
- Please follow all instructions on the READ ME file associated with the ICC profile download including
Media Type, Color Density, etc.

Post Printing

As opposed to the display of photographic inkjet prints in traditional frames behind glass, prints made on inkjet canvas are usually presented in a “gallery wrap” format and can be either framed or unframed, but traditionally without a glass covering. (Click here to see the Epson instructional How To video on “Gallery Wrap”): Gallery Wrap Video for EPSON Exhibition Canvas
Because of the traditional display style for canvas prints, top coating is an additional process for those who wish extra print surface protection. Epson recommends this for its Matte finish canvas only. For those who do not want to top coat, it is recommended that Exhibition Canvas Satin or Exhibition Canvas Gloss be used. These two finishes provide a surface with excellent durability including abrasion, crack, and water resistance even without the use of a top coat.

Key benefits to top coating a canvas print:
Increases durability of the printed image on the canvas
Improves water resistance of the printed image on the canvas
Allows for adjustment of the surface gloss to desired levels

It is recommended for those top coating canvas prints to select Exhibition Matte Canvas:
Exhibition Matte Canvas is about 20% less expensive than Exhibition Gloss and Exhibition Satin canvas
Exhibition Canvas Matte can accept top coats in matte, satin or gloss finish
Exhibition Matte Canvas can accept top coats applied by either brushing, rolling, spraying, laminating or silk screening
If top coating Exhibition Canvas Satin or Exhibition Canvas Gloss, only a spray will work (brushing and rolling will transfer ink off of the canvas)

Prior to applying a top coat
Avoid touching the printed side of the canvas
Allow printed canvas to dry a minimum of 24 hours prior to coating
Do not stack printed canvas images
Allow to dry in a dust free / RH controlled environment

Recommended top coat applications
HVLP spray system in contained spray booth (or low cost HVLP spray system available for under $100)
Screen print
Liquid laminator

Recommended top coat products
(Not required for Exhibition Canvas Satin or Exhibition Canvas Gloss, but may be used if added protection is desired)
Clear Star ClearJet (brush or roller) *
Triangle D412 (brush or roller)
Premier Art Eco Shield (brush or roller) *
Golden Varnish Archival Spray
Bulldog Ultra Gloss Liquid Laminate Spray
Print Guard UV Water Resistant Lacquer Spray
Premier Art Print Shield

*Exhibition Canvas Matte Only

Source: Epson USA

"{link:http://www.joeladdams.com/#mi=22&pt=1&pi=10000&s=5&p=10&a=0&at=0}Two Ducklings, Nepal{/link}" by Joel Addams. The 50 mm fixed lens challenges the photographer to think about subject matter and simple composition.

The 50 mm lens is the focal length that renders the image as close to what the human eye sees, not in terms of angle of view, but in terms of compression of an image. (Remember that a wide-angle lens distorts the image on a 35 mm equivalent and that a “long” lens like a 200 mm lens compresses the image, making foreground, middle ground, and background seem closer together, front to back.)  The difficulty with a standard, fixed 50 mm lens is that the photographer does not get any added “interest” from the lens itself.  The photographer can’t crop too easily with a long zoom lens or easily back out for a spectacularly wide-angle landscape shot.  The 50 mm fixed lens forces the photographer to think about content and composition.  It is the most difficult lens in this regard.

"Sadhu, Kathmandu, Nepal" by Joel Addams.

Never fear, the lens has a long history of working for great photographers like you.  Henri Cartier-Bresson tramped all over Europe, Africa, the United States, and Mexico with his 50 mm lens on his Leica (a film camera then, and probably not as expensive as today’s M9).  He was initially trained in painting and seemed to be obsessed with geometry both in his painting and then in his photography.  He said that he often found a geometrically interesting composition in the urban environment and then waited for the human element to filter through.  This way, he concentrated on fundamentals of line and design and was not distracted by a bag full of lenses, distracted by deciding which lens to use when he needed to be concentrating on making the image. Check out some his images on Magnum’s website.

Am I suggesting selling your beautiful 600 mm fixed or your 10-24 mm zoom?  Nope.  But I am suggesting that you challenge yourself for an outing, for a series, or even for a trip.  Try any of the 50 mm lens that Nikon or Canon offers, or your fixed lens for your medium/large format.  Think more about content, what the image is trying to say, what the light is doing, and especially what you are trying to say.  Good luck…we’ll review the different variations of the 50 mm lens soon.

"El Capitan at Sunset" by Joel Addams

Bottom Line:  Sometimes photographers (myself included) rely too much on lenses’ effects to make their photography interesting and forget about finding interesting content and light.  The 50 mm fixed lenses are usually cheap (except for the fastest varieties–the ones with the widest apertures), sharp, and force you to think about other fundamentals. Don’t forget that you can also rent the Canon 50 mm f/1.2 for the day and try it out…you’ll get the cost of one day’s rental off when you buy the lens.

OTHER ARTICLES ON PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
Timeless Principles in Black and White Photography
Seven Steps to Landscape Photography: Approaching an Outdoor Scene

When tilted, Edge 80 delivers a slice of tack sharp focus through the image, bordered by a soft blur. When pointed straight ahead the Edge 80 can be used just like a high-quality straight lens.

Incredibly versatile, Edge 80 can also be used to great effect in any situation that lends itself to selective focus – from food photography to giving landscapes a “miniature” appearance.

Specifications

• Focal Length: 80mm
• 12-blade adjustable aperture
• Aperture range: f/2.8 – f/22
• Flat field of focus optic (when tilted, creates a slice of sharp focus, bordered by blur)
• Compatible with Lensbaby Composer Pro, Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak lens bodies*
• Minimum focusing distance: approximately 17” when the optic is extended forward in close focus mode and fully tilted
• Maximum focusing distance: Infinity
• 5 multi-coated glass elements, in 4 groups
• 46mm front threads (will only work with the Lensbaby Macro Converters and not the 37mm Lensbaby Accessories)*Not compatible with the Composer with Tilt Transformer or current 37mm Lensbaby accessories

purchase the EDGE 80 at pictureline.com

"{link:http://www.joeladdams.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=22&pt=1&pi=10000&s=1&p=11}Breaking Storm, Yosemite National Park{/link}" by Joel Addams.

EL CAPITAN, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA

There many, many views of El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and the Merced River from the seven square miles of the Yosemite Valley.  This particular view is on the one-way road back out of the valley in a very obvious turnout.  It’s in a nice bend where many photographers have hiked up and down the Merced looking for a better view, a better angle.  Remember that during the sunset times (which are usually better than the sunrises in Yosemite), you will need a tripod.  You can probably notice that the water is very smooth in this image, a result of a long exposure time (5 seconds).  To expose for this long and keep the image sharp, a sturdy tripod is a must.  I used a circular polarizer on the lens, which deepened the colors both in the sky and on El Capitan, and then I added several stops of graduated neutral density filters to hold back the light in the sky.  I handhold these filters in front of the lens while I make the exposure.

Hint: Never leave Yosemite and your precious location where you are set up, especially if there is a storm in the picture which may look to break.  The clouds can dissipate in minutes, and you may be very disappointed if you leave early.  I generally have a few things to do while I’m waiting for the light, such as take notes on where I’d like to be the next day, jot down ideas for upcoming trips/blog posts/submissions, or make a few phone calls (the reception in the valley is excellent).

Where to Stay/Eat:  There are several different options for lodging in the Yosemite Valley, including the Yosemite Lodge.  Camping is always a good choice in Yosemite, but you will probably need a campsite reservation in the summer.  In the winter,  you can likely get one on the spot with the camp attendant who is usually in a small shack in one of the campgrounds.  Just ask around. Remember that staying in the small towns outside of the park will still require quite a bit of driving, so if you do stay outside of the park, save enough time to make the drive.

PREVIOUS ARTICLES ON ROADSIDE PHOTOGRAPHS
Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
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Since 1931, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (A.M.P.A.S.®) has conferred the Scientific and Engineering Award® on companies and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the process of making motion pictures. The Scientific and Engineering Awards®are presented each year, along with the well-known Oscars®for acting and film direction.

The experience of many successful cine lenses has gone into the development of Master Prime lenses. Numerous Oscar®-winning movies have been shot with ZEISS lenses, including the legendary “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which won a total of 17 Oscars®. ZEISS cine lenses can cover almost any angle of view used on a professional set, making them the most comprehensive lens range on the market.

Super speed with breathtaking optical performance
The Master Prime family of lenses has set new standards in cinematography. The lenses combine an extremely high speed with outstanding image sharpness, perfect contrast, and color fidelity. With these qualities, the lenses ensure that the mood created on the set is transferred realistically to the screen, regardless of whether for an action scene or the subtle facial expression of an actor shown in close-up. Scenes that are difficult to illuminate, such as a city by night, can also be realized with the Master Prime lenses.

Accordingly, these lenses open up completely new creative possibilities for the cameraman and director, resulting in a highly appealing experience for moviegoers. The precision optics that are used in film production must also be able to withstand the harshest of conditions, such as heat, cold, vibrations, shocks, sand, rain, snow, smoke, and dust. The robust ARRI/ZEISS Master Prime lenses were the first fast lenses to feature outstanding optical performance at wide-open apertures. For this reason, they are used around the globe for numerous top-rated motion pictures, including the Oscar®-winning films “The Social Network”, “The Fighter” and “The King’s Speech”. With the right focal length for any situation, ZEISS cine lenses can cover almost any angle of view used on a professional set, making them the most comprehensive lens range on the market.

The success story continues
This is the third time that Carl Zeiss has received the ©A.M.P.A.S.®Scientific and Engineering Award®. In 1999, they received the award for the concept and optical design of zoom lenses (Variable Prime) with a performance equivalent to that of fixed focal length lenses, and it received the award in 1987 for the design and development of extremely high-speed lenses (Super Speeds).

Carl ZEISS and ARRI jointly introduced the Master Prime lenses in 2004 for the ARRI cine cameras. They are built by Carl Zeiss and marketed by ARRI.

BACKGROUND

“I was in love with landscapes before I was a photographer.  It started in childhood.  I went to a college with a great photojournalism department, and I was probably lucky I didn’t take any classes. In 1975, I moved to Moab from the Midwest.   Before I moved here, the only thing I had to dream about were books like Slickrock by Phil Hyde, Utah by Dave Muench,  and The Place No One Knew by Eliot Porter.  These three photographers got me interested and became my heroes, so shortly after moving out here, I bought a 4×5 with no clue how to use it.  My other influences are literature (I have a degree in English), painters (I love all kinds of painting), movies (I see everything from Tree of Life to Transformers and love it all), TV ( I loved Lost immensely and watch shows for ideas on places to shoot).  The most important to me, however, is music. I am a musician and an inductee into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I still play my baby grand when I’m home.”

THE TOM TILL GALLERY

“I had wanted to open a gallery at home [in Moab] for some time,  and in 1997 another photo gallery closed and a space became available on Moab’s main street.  It was a big risk. My stock business was going gangbusters, and the gallery was an unknown quantity.  I remember shooting at Big Bend just after the Gallery opened, and lying in my tent I was thinking, ‘I’ve destroyed my family’s life savings.’ Fortunately,  it was successful right from the beginning. Until 2008, except for choosing the images and working on the Ilfochromes to get them the way I wanted them, it ran itself and it was so financially successful I could just stay in the field and not worry about it. Since the recession began, and the bottom has fallen out of the stock business, I have had to be very hands on down there.  We introduced metal and canvas and now acrylic prints, and they have been a godsend.  We figured out a way to print in and ship from the UK to all over Europe, so we can sell to all the European customers and their shipping costs are the same as what they would be for the U.S customers.  Also I had a huge website business at the gallery before the crash, so we’re trying hard to bring that back some.

"Fog 'Sea' in Canyonlands" by {link:http://www.tomtill.com/gallery/product.cfm?id=1121}Tom Till{/link}.

We have a huge number of repeat visitors (not always buyers) to the gallery and a lot of people who always stop in when they come to town. It’s very gratifying.  I think I have been around so long I have a brand, so people are sometimes drawn to that.  I had a 22-year career and had done 20 books before the gallery existed, so I had some name recognition before we even started.”

EQUIPMENT AND POST-PROCESSING

“As I mentioned, I started with a 4×5, and I am self-taught.  My friend, the great photographer Steve Mulligan, is college-trained and he shoots with a 4×5 much  differently than I do, so I guess I devised my own system. It’s seemed to work OK. I loved  everything about the 4×5, and I have many first visits with a 4×5 at some now iconic places: The Subway, False Kiva, Coyote Buttes,  Antelope Canyon (I may be second here),  Zebra Canyon,  which I named–the list is long.  My move to 35mm was mostly due to the fact that many of my colleagues were having double knee surgery and had other health issues from carrying 50 pounds all over the country, and in my case, all over the world. I  didn’t want to go down that road, so along with the difficulties of buying and developing film now, and the cost, and with clients who only want digital imagery, it made sense to change.  I was considering a medium format digital, but those cameras weigh a ton also. I now use a Canon 5D Mark II, with a Canon 7D as a backup. I use lenses from 8mm to 400mm, and I have a Really Right Stuff tripod and head.  If Canon or Nikon releases a 30-megapixel camera, I would be the first in line to get it.

For years I shot Kodak Ektachrome 64,  I’m sorry, but it was an awful film. The lack of color saturation was discouraging.  When digital post-processing came along, my philosophy was to match the way a Velvia transparency looked on the light table [Editor's note: Fuji Velvia was an ISO 50 film that was known for its color saturation].  I think my years with Ektachrome were so frustrating that it  may have made me go a little strong at times with some of the color in my images. I have toned many of them down since.  I love Adobe’s Lightroom and all the cool things you can do.  I am an HDR fan, and I have taken a huge load of criticism for it. I am not a photojournalist, and the highest praise I get is when someone says that one of my images looks likes a painting.  I guess I’m pretty liberal. I would never criticize another photographer for doing something experimental.  There are no true colors in nature, and a human being’s memory for color is very short.  Photographs have never been accurate representations of reality. I don’t feel nature needs to be improved by post-production, but art is nature seen through a temperament, and “post” is a way to perfect your personal vision.

As for equipment, I almost always use my Mark II and probably  the Canon 24-105 mm or the Canon 16-35 mm zoom most.  I just bought the Canon 24 mm f/1.4 for star and aurora shooting. I have never owned a fast lens before.

I have a very large body of work, and sometimes there are certain images I’m proud of.  Especially with editors, many of my favorites are not always the ones they like. One thing that has hampered my career some is my love for bad weather in images and the drama it can provide.  With travel photography, this type of work is not so popular, but it’s really the only kind I want to do. The possibilities are endless with storms, and I love experiencing them and shooting them.  The bestseller at the Gallery is an image of Green River Overlook in Canyonlands [seen right].  It was just a shot I did one day, and I could never have predicted people would like it best. Ironically, being mostly a nature photographer, my best-selling stock image (and I mean it was a monster) was a shot of the Twin Towers from New Jersey. After 9-11, it never sold again.

"Green River Overlook" by{link:http://www.tomtill.com/gallery/product.cfm?id=1089}Tom Till{/link}.

Yes, there are a lot of photographers out there now, and they are doing great work.  Unfortunately, I think a lot of great images will be made, and no one will see them.  To have a career like I’ve been lucky enough to have, where I’ve made a good living in landscape photography and have the resources to support a family and travel anywhere I want…I just think it is going to be very hard for people to do it.  I’m sorry to think I might be one of the last of a dying breed.  It would cost someone millions of dollars to produce the stock library I have, and in this economic climate I don’t know if that is possible for all but a few lucky individuals.  At the same time, there are millions of photographers around the globe shooting their particular location and doing a fine job. The Internet brings their images together, and they can make a little money, but a living?”

 TOM TILL WORKSHOPS

“Like most professionals in my age bracket, I’ve been doing a lot of workshops.  The secret of workshops is that I usually learn as much as the participants, so I enjoy them.  I find the same problems over and over. This is actually good, because I know these problems exist, and we can hit them at the beginning and deal with them and move on to more important topics.  My basic philosophy is that the camera has solved some major technical hurdles that were bugaboos for amateurs and professionals–exposure and contrast are two that can be dealt with pretty easily now. With those problems solved, we can move on to the things the camera can’t control:  how to use light, composition, working in the field, and the rationale behind what we’re doing. If you do a workshop with me and my friend Jon Fuller in Moab, I think we have the perfect package.  He knows the technical stuff down pat, and I work at teaching the art side, planning the shoots, and being a cheerleader.  I think having fun and being excited about what you’re doing is really important, and I try to get everyone as thrilled as I am to be outdoors playing with cameras.  Also, if you come with us to Southeast Utah, we have knowledge about this area that no other workshop teachers have.  There’s no way somebody can come in here from Seattle or even Phoenix and know what we know about where the goodies are here and how to best shoot them.  If Plan A does not work, we have backup plans all the way to Z.”

STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

“The stock photography business still exists, but for us it’s a far cry from the glory days of the 80′s, 90′s, and 2,000′s.  I do think it’s getting a little better lately, perhaps because of the economy. Fortunately, I can still support my self-assignments, which is what my whole career has been. Photo Shelter is OK, but it’s not going to make anyone rich. There are 60,000 photographers on there now.  It’s pretty hard to stand out from the crowd, but we get some business from it.  I’ve been pressured to sell my images royalty free, but I have never done it.”

"Kiva Ladder" by {link:http://www.tomtill.com/gallery/product.cfm?id=1092}Tom Till{/link}.

THE FUTURE

“I really would like to keep doing this job as long as I possibly can.  I am having as much fun as ever, perhaps more.  I love digital, and I embrace it. I’m overjoyed that my images still continue to be used by environment groups  both locally and nationally.  My son has taken an active interest in the gallery and stock and publishing businesses, and his business background will really help us. I’m also very proud of my daughter who contributes writing for some of my books and is a Grand Canyon river guide. This year we’re celebrating our 35th anniversary at Tom Till Photography and our 15th year at the Gallery.  Also, my 34th book about photographing the 200 greatest landscape subjects in the world will appear, so I hope everyone will drop by in Moab to help us celebrate.”

Bottom Line:  Tom Till is a well-established, well-loved Utah-based landscape photographer who continues to have a successful career after having photographed on 4×5 film for much of his photographic career and who has now switched to Canon digital equipment.  His well-rounded set of interests in the arts and his intimate knowledge of the West makes him a prime instructor for those wishing to gain some extra knowledge on photography and the landscape.  For all the information on Tom’s prints, workshops, books, and stock photography, visit his website at www.tomtill.com.

OTHER “FOCUS ON PHOTOGRAPHERS” ARTICLES
Focus on Photographers – Elizabeth Carmel