I love to read. I always have. For me, reading has been an adventure and an education, a bridge to what matters, and a steadily reliable escape from what doesn’t. I spent a lot of time in libraries growing up. As a military family, we moved again and again and again. So my first best friend in every new city was actually my library card. Eventually, I’d find a human friend, but I was never able to get one of those just by filling out an application and showing proof of reside

We all need some extra motivation at times. I landed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) late Saturday night just as a ton of giant snowflakes started falling. It was cold, I was tired, and I was juggling several heavy bags. I was already covered in wet snow that was starting to drip down the back of my neck. By the time I found my car, I immediately shoved all my bags in the back, jumped in to start the engine and waited for the heat to slowly kick in. Then I loo

Join me (and about 12,000 photographers) at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas for the upcoming WPPI Conference + Expo Feb 24-28, 2018. This link will get you a FREE WPPI Expo pass, w/live talks & demos & 15% off classes + photo walks. ALSO! Win the opportunity to receive a $500 Gift Card to my favorite photography superstore, Adorama! All you have to do to enter to win is simply leave a comment here. With all the stress and anxiety out in the world today, share how photog

Capturing Candid Portraits Candid photography can be challenging, even for professional photographers. Capturing unscripted moments is something Michael Bonocore loves about his work as a photographer. He shares his favorite moments in photography when he sees intimate images and captures the fleeting expressions of people in every day life. Adorama https://www.adorama.com More from Michael Bonocore https://bonocorephotography.smugmug.com/https://www.facebook.com/mbonocore

Travel Magazine Editor Michael Bonocore, Part 1 Travel is in his blood. Michael Bonocore's work as editor of Resource Travel Magazine takes him to extreme environments. He can go from one assignment in the bone-chilling Arctic Zone to photograph daredevil surfers, and then, he jets to the Caribbean to photograph catamarans in action. Adorama https://www.adorama.com More from Michael Bonocore https://bonocorephotography.smugmug.com/https://www.facebook.com/mbonocorehttp:/

Becoming an Independent Photographer Defining yourself as an independent photographer takes time. In this episode of reDefine Show with Tamara Lackey, Drew Gurian talks about his evolution from photography student to intern to first assistant and finally breaking out on his own as a professional photographer. Adorama https://www.adorama.com Related Products at Adorama: Nikon D810 https://www.adorama.com/inkd810.html?... Nikon 24-70 https://www.adorama.com/nk2470e.html?... P

Building an Etsy Studio library Need ideas about product photography? Check out this video. Erik Valind gives examples of how he created a full-service commercial photography project for Etsy Studio. He created a full digital image library to inspire creatives to be, well, creative. Erik said he used stylized still photography, stop-motion videos, web tutorials, and more. Watch this interview with Erik Valind and Tamara Lackey for the reDefine Show on AdoramaTV and then chec

Join Tamara on the reDefine Show as she speaks with commercial photographer Erik Valind about how he achieved success in commercial photography. Erik started out pursuing a business degree and doing photography on the side to get a good basis for business. He photographed all different types of things including his friends surfing and subjects he was very familiar with, which gave him an edge to know when the best shots were about to happen. After photographing a wide variet

On this episode of reDefine Show, I interview my friend, photographer Brian Matiash - educator, image maker and industry influencer - and he shares how he saved his creative soul by leaving corporate marketing. Gaining experience from his time at Google, Sony, and Wacom, where part of his role was to study creatives and social media, Brian shares some intriguing observations in the interview. After working for other companies for years, and being nervous to leave as they pro

The 2018 Photo Summit is a completely free digital event that you can watch from your computer or phone, with 35+ successful photographers showing exactly how they built their businesses. Whether you’re just starting out or already have a thriving business, there’s a ton to watch and learn. Each day, you can watch 5-6 talks - 100% Free - that will equip you with a variety of specific and proven ways to improve your photography and attract more clients (regardless of whether

I'm excited to speak at the giant 2018 CES Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week for Nikon! I'm fortunate to be sharing the stage with a number of amazing presenters - including NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly (author of Endurance, A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery). I'll be speaking a couple of times on art & activism, photography AND I'll doing a live shoot on stage. At no time will I be floating in space, though. Although, since this huge show is in Vegas, I

I'd love to share the latest updates from our Beautiful TogetherOrphan Prevention Care Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where we are working to keep impoverished families together by protecting children & empowering women through education, vocational training, and community support. Four months into program kickoff: As their children are now being well cared for, the women in our program are attending this vocational training center three times a week and will be doing so f

From Start To Finish: The Portrait Shoot Playbook Love portrait photography, but don’t know where to start when it comes to shooting a portrait session? Or have you already been shooting photography sessions but feel like you could use some clear guidelines to follow, so you don’t miss a thing? Want to improve your exposure, focus, lighting, posing, interaction style and the authenticity of expression in your portraits - while also spending less time editing, so you can s

With the holidays here, many of us turn our thoughts to giving to those less fortunate. We'd love for you to consider joining us in donating to Beautiful Together. Most people think of family when they think of the holidays. But for children waiting for families, the holidays are a little different. Beautiful Together works hard to make children waiting for families have a better life. From improving living conditions in orphanages to feeding funds and disaster relief to

Drew Gurian photographs A LOT of musicians. Often, he has very little time with them. One minute was all he had with musician Ed Sheeran. Drew clicked 16 frames. That's it. In this episode of reDefine Show with Tamara Lackey, Drew shares his behind-the-scenes stories of photographing celebrity musicians and, more importantly, how his own experiences as a drummer for a rock band helps him connect with his subjects. Luke Bryan was another example of a quick and simple portra

Playbook Bundle! If you want a fully comprehensive set of guides with multiple examples of the What, Why, and How of children and family portrait sessions, the bundle of all three Playbooks is a fantastic. Learn what to prepare for, what to keep in mind while shooting, and how to deliver, as well as get a breakdown of multiple posing ideas for all children and family groupings! What's included: From Start To Finish: The Portrait Shoot Playbook by Tamara Lackey This downlo

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From Start To Finish: The Portrait Shoot Playbook How to Shoot A Photography Session I am so very happy to share that I will soon be releasing my new book, From Start To Finish: The Portrait Shoot Playbook, How To Prepare For, Shoot, And Deliver A Photography Session. It is available for pre-sale now, and we also have some pretty fantastic add-on gifts, as well. One of the most common questions I get in my 3-day portrait workshops is, basically, some form of this: "Okay,

During my 2-day business program at CreativeLive, (which kicks off on Monday!!), I'll be covering a whole section on websites, portfolios, and the impact of layout, navigation, and positioning of your work on your site. I'll also be giving away some Imagely awesomeness while doing website and portfolio critiques. One of the simplest tips I can offer upfront, though, is to ask yourself if you wish to be a web designer and coder. If you do not want to be those things, use a te

We are soooo close to fully funding for our Orphan Prevention Care Center in Ethiopia! Help us set up daycare rooms (one of the current ones is pictured here - may need to zoom in to see all the babies) that offer these little souls more space, mind/body stimulation, early literacy education opportunities and are also connected to an eating area that would provide children with regular meals - ALL while empowering mothers through education, vocational training, and an opport