The National Audubon Society has named this year’s winners of its bird photography contest. One of the winners is Sandra Rothenberg, from Warren, Pennsylvania. WPSU reporter Sydney Roach talked with her to learn more about the picture of a yellow Baltimore Oriole that won the female bird prize.

Sydney Roach

Help me set the scene here for how you got this picture. Before taking the shot, you say you went out to your bird blind — that’s an outdoor wooden structure with windows — so you could see the birds and take pictures. And you set out some food and nest building materials for any birds passing through. Then what?

Sandra Rothenberg

Yeah. She came in very briefly. She flew in. And generally when female Orioles come in, if they’re building their nest, they will take one tiny little strand of horsehair and usually then they go and have a bite of orange. Or they’ll have a sip of nectar or a bit of grape jelly and often they forget they have the horsehair and leave it there. But in this instance, the female Oriole just swooped in and took this large clump of horsehair and with a little bit of twine mixed in and flew off immediately. She didn’t pause or she wasn’t distracted by the food. She was completely directed in her pursuit of this clump of horsehair and off she flew. I kept my finger on the shutter, hoping to capture images as she flew off, but it just happened so fast that I only got the one image of her. But it looked, as she flew it just looked like this wonderful diaphanous veil, enveloping her. And it was so unique. It was something I had never seen before. So I was very much struck by the image and kind of entranced by it also.

Sydney Roach

How did you get the picture? Did you already have the camera set up? Like, were you already watching her?

Sandra Rothenberg

During the month of May, I just become obsessed with the magic that happens in May. I spend as much time as I can outdoors and witness the kaleidoscope of colors emerging as the Earth shrugs off her winter sepia and white hues, those dull tones and observe the burgeoning display of their verdure, the explosion of blossoms. So I spend about five or 10 hours every day in May outside. I’m standing in my blind with my camera and lens. In this case it was a 200 to 600 millimeter lens. Usually I use the 600, but I’m kind of glad I was able to go a little bit wider for her, and I’m just so pulled in by the beauty as I stand there. It’s kind of an opportunity to release any thoughts that you’ve been caught up with about political or environmental or family or whatever you’re worrying about or thinking about and just be swept up into the beauty of nature. For me, it’s kind of like my cathedral, I’d say, where I feel more actively awake and aware and just really present to all my physical experiences. My feet standing on the ground, and the solidity of the camera, just waiting for the next bird to come in or whatever comes in. Sometimes it’s not a bird. Sometimes it might be a wood duck or a tiny eft that marches in on its path.

Sydney Roach

How did you get started with bird photography?

Sandra Rothenberg

I got started with bird photography, or photography in general, from the time I was a child. My first camera was a Brownie camera. I was probably eight or nine. I was just really loving it. I developed my own. It was black and white that I liked, to begin with. And I developed some of my own images and mostly nature, but I did photograph people back then. And then life went on and I became a psychotherapist and a yoga teacher and didn’t really have the time to devote to photography. But now that I’m retired I have all the time in the world. So there’s a lot to love about photography and just being in nature. For me it’s also that awareness of the passage of time. All creatures, all flora are ephemeral. Each instant becomes precious. And with a photograph you’re capturing one infinitesimal facet of a moment and as you look at that photograph, after I’ve taken the image and I go home to my computer or come into the house to my computer and import it, you see so much more. First you see that gestalt, the integrity and wholeness of the image. And then you begin to see more and more. With the image that you’re referring [to] it’s the Baltimore Oriole female. I hadn’t noticed in that second when I took the image, her intense gaze. She just looks so focused and determined. Well, I’m projecting onto her, but that’s how she appears to me. And just the weight of her body on the branch, you can see a little bit of dipping in the branch.

Sydney Roach

I really like just how much of the horsehairs are coming off of her. Like, it’s a pretty big amount. It’s like taking up the whole branch in that picture.

Sandra Rothenberg

Yes, and it appears very solid but in reality, it weighs nothing. I mean, those little horsehairs are just kind of weightless so they just floated around her. I thought they were so beautiful. [I’ve gotten] lots of attention since my image has been in the magazine and online. I’ve received numerous calls and numerous people wanting to purchase images.

Sydney Roach

How do you feel about all that attention?

Sandra Rothenberg

I feel curious about it. I mean, of course I’m honored to have my image in the magazine and I’m always hoping with my images of nature to promote other people to get out there and open their eyes. Sometimes I see so many people hiking with their cell phones. Of course I have mine, but I do keep it tucked in my back pocket. There’s so much to see and so much to hear and so much to feel. Just the air touching your skin. And how your body, your trapezius muscle maybe, relaxes in the back of your neck and shoulders with the sun on your back. And just feeling your feet on the earth. I love the sensual aspects of being outside and just again, I know I already mentioned it, but the wonder and awe at the beauty of the sunset, the beauty of a flower. Or even a tiny mosquito if you see it on your arm. My sister often holds up her arm to look at it as we’re walking and watches it closely. Just feeling that connection to other creatures that we share the Earth with and hopefully it will instill a love of nature and people will want to do something to protect our mother Earth.

Sydney Roach

Sandra Rothenberg, thank you for talking with us.

Sandra Rothenberg

Well, thank you so very much.

There are few sporting events as grueling and chaotic to photograph as the annual Tour de France, the world’s premiere cycling race. The multi-stage race covers about 3,500 kilometers (2,220 miles) across just over three weeks. To capture great shots of the event, photographers are outdone only by the cyclists themselves.

A video by EF Pro Cycling, as seen on DIY Photography, follows husband-and-wife photographer team Ashley and Jered Gruber as they photograph the 19th stage of the Tour de France.

Working for the EF Pro Cycling team, the Grubers plan their route and scramble from location to location as quickly as possible to get the perfect shot at the right time and from the ideal vantage. While they have photographed the event multiple times, the Tour de France’s route changes yearly, so photographers must devise new plans for every stage.

As seen in the video above, Ashley Gruber is sporting a cumbersome cast on her hand. In a move many photographers can sympathize with, Gruber protected her gear while she slipped on an embankment, leaving her hand to suffer the damage. While Gruber broke parts of her hand, she added that “The camera is fine.”

“He’s a really, really good photographer,” Ashley says of her husband. “It’s super nice to have him as a teammate on a professional level. On a personal level, it’s just nice to have your person with you.”

Jered echoes the sentiment. “The fact that I get to work with my best friend every day is pretty awesome. It’s just the two of us together, and we figure it out…I absolutely couldn’t do this without her,” he says.

“On an average day, I think at this year’s tour, we take about 10,000 pictures,” Jered Gruber says as he browses the day’s photos. “I take a lot of pictures of just pretty much anything that looks in any way interesting.”

Ashley and Jered Gruber are both Nikon Europe ambassadors. In an article for Nikon Pro Magazine, Jered talks about the Tour de France. “It’s always interesting but there’s a certain point, with the routine the same every day, when you’re just kind of over the details of it. But, what’s always interesting and always different are the people on the side of the road. An amazing assembly of humanity shows up to watch the race.”

I’ve been hearing about Patreon for a while, and I’m officially curious. Join me on my experiment to see if Patreon is actually a viable income source for photographers.

As a photographer, there are numerous opportunities to earn money in this diverse field. From weddings to headshots, wildlife, product, documentary, and music photography, it offers a wide range of niches to explore. Personally, I find it to be an excellent and rewarding profession. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that the field is highly competitive due to the significant number of photographers out there.

To thrive in this competitive landscape, diversifying income streams is crucial, especially considering how fast technology is evolving. Apart from traditional avenues like photo shoots, print sales, courses, stock photos, and leveraging social media, there may be one more promising stream of income for photographers: Patreon.

Patreon is a platform that enables creators and artists to offer exclusive content and perks to their supporters, allowing them to access various tiers of content based on their preferences and interests.

For photographers and other creatives, Patreon serves as an excellent way for their audience to support their work. Content creation is a demanding and time-consuming process, and supporting the creators who inspire you is vital.

Instead of giving away all your content for free on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, Patreon allows you to share more in-depth and exclusive content for a monthly fee. This approach ensures that your dedicated supporters receive special content while also providing you with a sustainable source of income. 

Pros of Patreon

• Financial support: Patreon provides a stable income stream, enabling creators to receive consistent financial support from their audience.
• Creative freedom: With direct backing from patrons, creators gain independence and creative freedom, allowing them to pursue projects close to their hearts.
•  Community engagement: Through Patreon, creators can foster a closer bond with their audience. Patrons become part of an exclusive community, accessing behind-the-scenes updates and exclusive content while feeling connected to the creator’s journey.
• Diversification: For creators, relying on a single income source can be difficult. Patreon offers a means to diversify revenue streams, reducing dependency on a single platform or source of income.
• Feedback and collaboration: Utilizing Patreon, creators can gather valuable insights and feedback directly from their patrons. Before releasing new content or business ideas on mainstream social media, they can seek input from their dedicated supporters.
• Ability to share knowledge: Patreon is a wonderful platform to teach and share knowledge that adds value to others, but you might not necessarily want to give away for free.

What excites me the most about Patreon is its tier system. The platform offers multiple levels, allowing creators to charge varying amounts for access to different tiers of content. This presents an interesting opportunity for photographers. We can utilize Patreon to share exclusive content such as unreleased photos, behind-the-scenes insights, valuable tips, advice, and more while earning from dedicated supporters. 

It is often said that the artist behind the art can be just as captivating as the art itself. People are intrigued by the creative process, the equipment used, and where the inspiration comes from. They also love hearing about mistakes you’ve made or personal lessons you have learned on your creative journey. I see great potential in Patreon being the perfect platform to share this type of content, allowing Facebook and Instagram to be the space for showcasing the finished products. Patreon enables artists to connect intimately with their audience, providing a behind-the-scenes look at their journey and fostering a deeper appreciation for the photography.

Cons of Patreon

• Dependence on audience support: Patreon’s success hinges on the goodwill and financial backing of your audience. If your fan base is limited or lacks high engagement, generating sufficient income through Patreon can be challenging.
• Income volatility: Patreon income can fluctuate, especially if you rely solely on it as your primary source of revenue. Patrons can come and go, and their support levels may change. 
• Pressure to deliver exclusive content: Attracting and retaining patrons may compel you to create exclusive content or perks for them, adding pressure to your creative process as you strive to meet their expectations.
• Additional administrative work: Managing a Patreon involves administrative tasks, such as creating and fulfilling rewards, communicating with patrons, and handling payment processing. These additional responsibilities demand time and effort.
• Platform dependence: Building a significant portion of your income on Patreon means relying on the platform’s continued success and stability.

I think the two biggest challenges with Patreon seem to be: How do you reach people and build a community? And how do you show consistent value so that people continue to subscribe each month?

Those are two big challenges to overcome, but if you can crack the code, the potential upside is tremendous. I have no idea how hard that is to do, but if you can figure it out to the point where you can even earn a couple hundred extra bucks each month, it can be a helpful additional source of income that compliments your regular shoots. 

But the question arises: How much effort does it truly take to run a successful Patreon? Is it worth it? One common downside to Patreon is the perceived level of time and energy investment, making it seem not worth the trouble. But does it really take that much time and energy? 

The Experiment

Personally, I have contemplated creating a Patreon for a while. While giving away content for free in exchange for likes and kind comments is nice, having a few dollars accompany it is even more rewarding. I’ve been hesitant though because I’m just not sure if Patreon is a platform people really want to spend time on. The biggest thing that’s been holding me back though is time. Time is valuable, and I don’t want to waste a ton of my own time and energy with minimal results. But I don’t want to regret never trying, so I decided to just go for it and do it as an experiment to see what results I can produce within the next six months. 

My husband and creative partner, David, and I recently launched our own Patreon, offering five different membership tiers starting at $3 per month. We plan to provide behind-the-scenes content of set builds and shoots, unreleased photos, extended blog posts, works in progress, and more. We have a decent following on Instagram, and I am curious to see if those supporters will follow us over to Patreon or not. Currently, we have nine patrons, bringing us a total of $67 per month. I am fully committed to being consistent with it for the next six months to gauge the results. Throughout the process, I will be fully transparent and share my experience and findings with all of you, assessing whether Patreon is a worthwhile platform for photographers and determining which type of content resonates best.

If you have tried Patreon, I welcome your opinions and insights in the comments below!
 

Earlier this year, nature and landscape photographer John Fielder donated his life’s work to the public, preserving his incredible images of Colorado’s natural beauty for future generations. Sadly, per a new CBS News report, Fielder is battling terminal pancreatic cancer.

After a lifetime of capturing thousands of incredible images and now sharing them all with everyone, Fielder is focused on living in the present moment. As Fielder tells CBS News‘ Barry Peterson for CBS Saturday Morning, he still cannot resist a good photo opportunity.

Peterson first met Fielder in 2015 for a prior story on CBS Sunday Morning where he told Peterson, “I never get tired of being in places like this. It’s my medicine. I’ve been to the park a hundred times in the last 40 years, and it gets better each time I come here.”

Speaking to Peterson this year, Fielder says that 40 years ago, all he wanted to do was be able to quit his department store job and turn his passion for photography into a new career. After authoring dozens of books, and winning numerous awards, it is safe to say that the nationally renowned photographer, educator, and environmentalist succeeded at that and so much more.

While Fielder’s work and career are synonymous with Colorado, he was actually raised in North Carolina. He first visited Colorado on a school trip at age 14.

“In all my life, I have not forgotten my first sight of the Rockies rising up before me over the plains. I was simply smitten by this wall of snow-capped peaks above a treeless plain. And the word C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O, it was the most poetic name for a place I had ever heard. I realized at that moment that someone or something had guided me to this place, and that I belonged here for the rest of my life,” Fielder writes.

Fielder’s images have long encouraged others to head out into nature and enjoy the great outdoors. However, he also hopes that his photos will prove critical for scientists aiming to understand how climate change is affecting nature, including the many places in Colorado that Fielder has captured over the last 40-plus years.

The accomplished photographer stresses that the political process is responsible for much of the protected land in the United States, and that people must vote to protect nature. “Unless [people] care, they won’t do it,” he explains. When viewing at the thousands of images that Fielder has collected, it is very easy to care about nature and to feel inspired.

To cull his images down to the more than 7,000 that he provided to History Colorado to preserve in the public domain, Fielder needed to go through his huge library of transparencies.

“Good memories when you went through them?” asks Peterson.

“Yes. This was my life happening all over again for the second time going through 200,000 transparencies,” Fielder replies. “It was all very humbling.”

“You have probably seen as much as any man of nature — birth, life, and death. I sometimes have the sense talking with you, John, that it informs the way you are approaching death as part of life. Help me understand this,” Peterson says.

“My mind always tends to think scientifically, logically, deductively, and analytically — trying to understand what’s going on around me,” Fielder replies. “Living in the moment. It sounds like a cliché, but living in the moment, in the present, is medicine for me, and it allows me to appreciate the past and the future but by always being focused on what I’ve been given today and not yesterday or the day before.”

“I never felt that I owned my photos. I felt that was kind of selfish,”

It is worth ruminating on the incredible gift that he has provided for everyone. His selfless gesture of turning over his life’s work to everyone else to enjoy is fantastic. Fielder will also provide History Colorado with various artifacts from his career, including photography equipment, books, papers, and oral histories.

For now, John Fielder is taking life day by day. His work is featured in a new exhibit, “Revealed: John Fielder’s Favorite Place,” at the History Colorado Center in Denver. John Fielder’s photography is available on his website and in the History Colorado collection of Fielder’s work.

“There’s always photos to be taken,” Fielder says.

Image credits: John Fielder

A photographer is seeking compensation in a court of law after alleging that the cannabis website Leafly used his photos of rappers Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.

Leafly, which provides consumer product reviews and the location of dispensaries, has been sued by T. Eric Monroe after the photographer claimed the website unlawfully published and displayed his photography.

According to Green Market Report, the alleged infringement was on an article about blunts — hollowed-out cigars that contain marijuana.

Leafly’s post featured a side-by-side portrait of Tupac and Snoop Dogg that contained a caption explaining that it was Tupac who taught Snoop how to make blunts. The Drop It Like It’s Hot rapper went on to smoke 10 blunts per day.

However, according to court documents, Monroe was not credited on the photos of Tupac and Snoop Dogg. The photographer says that he is the sole owner of the photos and maintains exclusive rights to them. Furthermore, he has registered the works with the United States Copyright Office and says that he did not authorize Leafly to use his photos.

“Monroe has not in any way authorized defendants … to copy, reproduce, duplicate, disseminate, distribute, or create derivative works of the subject photography”, the lawsuit says.

Monroe claims that Leafly “knowingly induced, participated in, aided and abetted in and profited from the illegal reproduction and distribution of the Subject Photography.” He also says that he contacted the weed website in January and it did not respond.

The photographer has asked the court to determine the damages owed to him as well as asking for his legal expenses to be paid by Leafly.

Monroe chose to file the case in New York despite living in New Jersey and Leafly being located in Washington state.

The photographer’s work has been featured in Thrasher and XXL magazine and hip hop legends from the 1990s have passed through his lens including Nas, Big L, and The Fugees.

Image credits: Monroe v. Leafly Holdings, Inc. et al

When photographer Jonathan Semugaza has a paid gig, he usually pulls out his digital camera. 

But when he’s shooting friends and family or doing his own creative work, Semugaza is more likely to reach for his Canon Sure Shot, a popular point and shoot film camera.

“I like my little film camera,” he said. “There’s less pressure when I’m shooting with film. And usually, when you pull out a film camera, people get really excited.”

Semugaza is part of a growing movement of photographers who are returning to film, drawn by the vintage appeal of the medium’s imperfections and the slow, methodical process it demands of practitioners. 

Photo labs from Sydney to Toronto are reporting a surge in demand for old cameras, film, and film processing. The trend has created chronic film shortages and pushed prices higher, but that hasn’t discouraged the new generation of film enthusiasts.

“This current generation has a yearning for the authentic,” Semugaza said. “Something that’s kind of raw and untouched. And I think that’s where the film revolution is coming along.”

“Considering that our whole lives are online, it’s a nice disconnect and a reintroduction to some past technologies,” he said.

When Semugaza finishes shooting a roll and needs it developed, he goes to Peterborough Photo Service on Charlotte Street — the only remaining commercial photo lab in town and a regular destination for Peterborough film shooters.

“The folks who work there are truly wonderful people,” Semugaza said. “And they love photography.”

Peterborough Photo Service’s owner Josh Resar said the store has been operating since 1956 when it was founded by his grandfather.

Resar was in highschool when he started working at the store. That was in 2003, and Resar was “permanently in the darkroom” developing film, he remembered. At that time, Peterborough Photo Service was only developing black and white film in-house. They would send colour film away to be processed, Resar said.

But that changed shortly after Resar started working at the store. In 2004, the store got its own machine for processing colour film, which led to a big boost in business. “I would say we were doing like 50 to 60 rolls a day,” Resar said.

But that pace wouldn’t last for long. Soon, digital photography took hold and Resar saw the numbers dropping. But Peterborough Photo Service kept going, even as their local competitors abandoned the market altogether.

“You had the major box stores walk away from doing film,” Resar said. “And it came to where we were the only ones in town processing film. And that right there allowed us to keep doing film, even as the numbers went down.”

As the only lab in town, Peterborough Photo Service was well-positioned when the film resurgence took off. These days, the volume is still lower than it was before the digital era, Resar said, but it’s enough to keep his staff busy processing film a couple of days a week.

It’s been a boon for the business, drawing more people into the store and augmenting the other services they offer, such as camera sales and repairs. “It’s definitely brought greater revenue,” Resar said.

Resar couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the trend started, but he said the major push occurred during the pandemic: “I think that during COVID people picked up this hobby of shooting film.”

Another local photographer, Jillian Rumsey, said she “really turned to film in the pandemic.” She came to rely on her film camera for “familiarity and comfort when everything was so uncertain,” she said. “I took so many pictures of hard boiled eggs.”

Just like Semugaza, Rumsey drops her film at Peterborough Photo Service for processing. “It feels pretty special that Peterborough has a place that still develops photographs,” she said.

Resar appreciates all the new customers, but he isn’t counting on the boom lasting. Most of the people who drop off film are in their 20s and they’re drawn to “the retro style,” he said. He’s not sure they’ll stick with the hobby long-term. “I think it’s a new fad.”

Shooting film is also expensive, Resar pointed out. And it is only getting more pricey. Earlier this year, Kodak drew the ire of film shooters around the world after announcing a price hike of more than 20% on its professional line of films.

But photographers like Rumsey will likely hold on for a little longer because they’re attracted to film for reasons that transcend economics. While Rumsey sometimes earns an income from photography, she doesn’t with film. “I rarely use film photography to make money,” she said. 

Instead, Rumsey’s film photographs often end up as gifts. She likes to take portraits of her friends and family, and then send them through the mail. “The feedback I get is that people feel so seen in [film] photographs,” she said. “It really captures something special that they haven’t seen reflected in other photographs.”

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In my daily routine as a photographer and filmmaker, I work with two Canon EOS R5 cameras. Along with the standard f/2.8 zoom lenses, I also carry a few prime lenses in my camera bag, such as the RF 50mm f/1.2 or the RF 85mm f/1.2.

For commercial projects for my clients, I naturally strive to deliver only the best quality. However, for a 4-week trip to Sri Lanka, I deliberately chose to limit my gear to a minimalist, compact setup.

Firstly, because I prefer to travel light, and secondly, to challenge the prevailing notion that good pictures require an expensive camera and high-quality lenses. So, I embarked on my journey with a setup that cost less than €2,000 (~$2,200): A Canon EOS R10 with the RF-S kit lens 18-150mm, a 100-400mm lens, and a teleconverter. I only packed the telephoto lens for a few sports and wildlife shots. The EOS R10 with the kit lens would be my standard gear for a few weeks.

Full disclosure: I am a Canon Ambassador, and the camera and lens were provided to me free of charge. However, my review of the camera reflects my personal experiences as a professional photographer.

The Advantages of Traveling Light

Anyone who has ever hauled a full camera bag with multiple bodies and lenses up a mountain knows: no pain, no gain. For me, this is a professional routine. Unlike many ambitious photographers, I am glad when I can travel with a light and compact setup during my leisure time. This has several key advantages.

A compact camera with just one lens is quickly stowed away but also ready to use in no time. And in the travel bag, there is enough space left for many other items. A critical aspect for me is readiness. In travel and street photography, you often only have a few seconds to capture the perfect moment. If you first have to open a large camera backpack, mount the correct lens, and get the camera ready for use, the fisherman has already emptied his net or the street vendor has already sold his wares.

The best camera is the one you have with you – not only with you but also immediately ready to use. Thanks to the extensive coverage of the 18-150mm zoom, I also do not need to change lenses. With the 1.6x crop factor of the APS-C sensor, this corresponds to 29-240m on a full-frame camera. From wide-angle to telephoto, I can capture every situation in both wide shots and detail.

Almost Incognito on the Move

One of the biggest advantages for me, however, is that I am not perceived as a professional with a small amateur setup. Especially in poorer countries, I do not want to stand in front of people with extremely expensive equipment.

On the one hand, I do not want to be perceived as a rich Westerner; on the other hand, a smaller camera allows me to approach people more personally and respectfully. It does not give the impression that a professional is at work, and everyday situations can be captured much more easily and without attracting much attention.

Compromises in Quality and Performance

Of course, I am used to absolute professional quality, both in the camera and the lenses. Here, a kit lens cannot keep up. It is quite dim compared to my prime lenses. So, I have to quickly ramp up the ISO. Especially under poor lighting conditions, I quickly reach ISO values that I would have strictly avoided a few years ago. However, thanks to modern software, I have no more concerns about using ISO 20000 or even higher.

In addition, the edge blur, vignetting, and general image quality are naturally far from the level of my L-series lenses. But here too, Lightroom and similar programs work miracles. I am willing to accept these quality compromises if it gives me a large zoom range and a compact, lightweight design. It is physically impossible to build a small, lightweight 10-200/f2.0 lens. So, I have to choose: large, heavy, and perfect quality versus small, light, and adequate quality. For travel photography, I prefer the latter.

When it comes to buffer memory – the camera’s internal memory – I quickly reach my limits with action shots. It is impressive that the camera can take up to 40 frames per second with the electronic shutter. But after just a few seconds, it starts to stutter due to the large amounts of data. Here you clearly notice that a professional camera like the R3 or the R5 is superior.

Similarly, the R10 quickly reaches its limits in terms of weather resistance and battery life. So, anyone expecting a Ferrari at the price of a Fiat Panda will be disappointed. As a professional, I quickly notice these points, as I have the higher-end models for comparison. However, for occasional photographers with a limited budget, the performance of the R10 is quite sufficient.

When Does Minimalist Gear Make Sense – And When Does It Not?

In my opinion, a compact setup is particularly beneficial when you are constantly on the move, be it in sports, while traveling, or in street photography. It’s readily available, inconspicuous, flexible, and above all small and lightweight – features that are invaluable in these genres of photography and make work easier.

For commercial projects, on the other hand, where different requirements and expectations are placed, the quality and performance of my Canon EOS R5 cameras and top-class lenses are essential to achieve optimum results.

How My Photography Has Changed

Reducing gear to the essentials has significantly influenced my photography. Instead of wasting my time changing the right lens, I keep my eyes open and am ready for new things. I focus much more on my surroundings and what is happening around me. I strive to capture moments and be in the “now”.

Many amateurs try to compensate for their lacking skills and creativity by purchasing new gear. They believe that only good cameras can take good photos. Sure, new technologies help to reliably focus on the subject in action shots. But they do not replace style and expression. Many young photographers who grew up in the digital age are trying their hand at analog photography.

I, coming from the analog era, enjoy the benefits of mirrorless cameras but want to consciously keep my technical footprint small to sharpen my vision and foster my creativity.

About the author: Martin Bissig is a professional action and outdoor photographer based in Switzerland. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Bissig is one of the most published outdoor photographers in Europe and a Canon Europe Ambassador. You can find more of Bissig’s work on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Lindsey O’Connor has been named the new executive director of Atlanta Celebrates Photography (ACP), it was announced today.

Prior to joining the organization, O’Connor was the Biennial coordinator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, where she coordinated the 2017, 2019 and 2022 Biennial exhibitions and film programs and many emerging artists’ shows. She has also held positions at the Guggenheim Museum, American Federation of Arts and most recently was senior manager of exhibitions at the High Museum of Art.

“I moved back to Atlanta to create critical platforms that amplify the voices of artists living in the Southeast, and I look forward to realizing that commitment within the context of ACP’s already robust program,” O’Connor stated in a press release.

O’Connor will spearhead Atlanta Celebrates Photography’s initiative to present year-round programming and exhibitions, lead fund raising efforts and oversee the organization’s 25th annual festival which kicks off on September 28.

“Lindsey’s extensive exhibition planning and project management background makes her uniquely qualified to lead Atlanta Celebrates Photography into the next phase of our organizational development,” stated Mary Stanley, ACP board president, in a press release. “Her stellar track record working with artists across the globe to produce exhibitions, events and catalogues ensures ACP’s leadership as a connecting agent for lens-based artists in Atlanta, the Southeast and beyond.”

Stanley told ArtsATL that other changes are pending at the organization and will be announced shortly.

Upon moving to Atlanta in 2022, O’Connor also joined the board of directors for Full Radius Dance.

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An exhibition by sculptor Olu Amoda, winner of the 2022 Hudgens Prize, will open Saturday, August 19 at the Fowler Gallery of the Hudgens Center for Art and Learning. The exhibit is titled Scavenging and Scanning: Sculptural Exploration of the Earth’s Belly.

Amoda was born in Nigeria and is known for his use of discarded consumer products such as metal plates, bolts, rusty nails and pipes to create sculptural figures that highlight various social, political and cultural issues. In 2009, he received a Master’s degree in fine art from Georgia Southern University and now lives in Alpharetta.

“I am interested in the former lives of the objects I use and in the new meanings they take on when they are brought together,” Amoda stated in a press release.

Open only to Georgia residents, the Hudgens prize carries a $50,000 cash award, one of the nation’s largest art awards, and an invitation to a solo exhibit.

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Merrill Elam, a principal of Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, Inc. in Atlanta, is one of only three architects named as 2023 members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Architecture. The others are Maurice Cox, planning director at the City of Detroit, and Michael Maltzan of Maltzan Architecture in Los Angeles.

Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects is designing MOCA GA’s new permanent facility at the Goat Farm arts complex.

The American Academy of Arts and Letters was founded in 1898 as an honor society of the country’s leading architects, artists, composers and writers. Other members elected this year include Maria Schneider (Music,) Yvonne Rainer (Art) and Anna Deavere Smith (Literature.) The Academy’s mission is to foster and sustain an interest in literature, music and the fine arts; the 300 members are elected for life and pay no dues.