View a snapshot into the world of photography with other local enthusiasts on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Quicksilver Photo Lab is hosting a photography expo inside the Bloedel Donovan Park Multipurpose Room. While photographers and businesses can rent a table for $25 to display their equipment and work, anyone may attend the event free of charge. 

Cate Reed, the owner of Quicksilver, hopes the event will bring Bellingham photographers together to strengthen bonds in the community. 

“I want people to network and understand what community resources we actually have [for] photography,” said Reed.

Reed is also counting on this event to help kickstart more events and classes from Quicksilver.

“A lot of people think of us as just a film shop, and that’s another purpose of the event — to remind people that we’re here,” she said. 

The expo will have tables set up from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with three guest speakers presenting periodically throughout the five hours. 

One of the guest speakers is Alan Sanders, a former advertisement and public relations photographer who now teaches at Whatcom Community College. He plans on speaking about the evolution of photography, speaking from over 40 years of experience. 

Sanders said that his presentation will focus on women and people of color as he said that these groups are often overlooked when discussing the history of photography and their contributions are ignored.

“I don’t just want to show the work of dead white guys,” he said. 

This event is a sneak peek into what a class with him at WCC consists of, Sanders said. 

The other presenters include Tommy Gibson, who will speak about the importance of compositional elements of a photo, and Jay Terrill, who will talk about shooting with purpose.   

Some photographers have never been to a Quicksilver event before and are thrilled to have the chance to see what the business offers.

Of those looking forward to attending is Connor Crowe, a nature photographer who specializes in macro-photography, a style that captures small subjects and makes them appear larger than in real life. Crowe said he enjoys shooting water droplets because they contain whimsical reflections of the world around them.

“I am drawn to photography by the chance it gives me to appreciate the world we live in,” he said. “It forces me to slow down and take in every detail. It gives me a chance to connect with other people, both in places they have explored, and also in sharing how they creatively see the world.”

Crowe is eager to immerse himself in the community and learn what else he can do with a camera. 

“The photography community is such a fun and lively community,” Crowe said.”I hope this event helps bring different kinds of photography groups together to bond over one thing we can all nerd out about together.”

• Written By Light is selling 107 photographs signed or estate-stamped prints of iconic pictures, both seen and never seen before
• The aim is to celebrate the difference between photography and AI-generated images 
• Portion of the profits will be donated to International Committee of the Red Cross

By Ishita Srivastava For Dailymail.Com

Published: 16:52 EDT, 20 October 2023 | Updated: 17:00 EDT, 20 October 2023

Iconic images of Marilyn Monroe gambling at the tables in Reno, Neil Armstrong on the moon and Ingrid Bergman are up for grabs at Magnum Photo Studios’ bi-annual sale. 

Titled ‘Written By Light‘, the exhibition is selling 107 photographs signed or estate-stamped prints of iconic pictures, including some which have never seen before. 

The sale is in collaboration with the World Press Photo Foundation. Both studios aim to celebrate the basic difference between photography and AI-generated images: the use of light. 

The collection comprises work by 76 Magnum photographers, estates, and 31 World Press Photo winners. All of the 6 x 6 sized photographs are priced at $110.

A portion of the profits will be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The selection of pictures being sold spans five decades. 

Magnum Studio President, Cristina de Middel said: ‘As photographers, we were all at some point, seduced by light and the possibility of capturing it in our own unique way.

‘The time feels right to go back to our roots and reflect on the very origins of our photographic practice, to the camera obscura, and how an image is recorded by the impact of light on a surface.’ 

The Magnum Photo Studio represents some of the world’s most renowned photographers and has existed for more than 70 years. 

Known for their rare pictures, the studio has produced some of the most iconic images since the Second World War. 

Its website reads: ‘In short, when you picture an iconic image, but can’t think who took it or where it can be found, it probably came from Magnum.’

Over the years, the studio has provided pictures to media, charities, publishers, brands and cultural institutions. It considers itself as a ‘living archive’. 

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent under its Ford Global Technologies, LLC branch to turn future Ford automobiles into a photographer’s assistant.

As reported by Ford Authority, the patent, number 0269463, was initially filed in February 2022 and published this past August.

“The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods associated with a vehicle that is configured to provide photography assistance. An example method executed by [the] processor of a vehicle may include generating a guidance associated with a photo capture operation and conveying the guidance to a vehicle controller. The processor may assist the vehicle controller to execute a vehicle maneuvering operation to capture a photograph of an object of photographical interest located outside the vehicle,” describes the patent.

The patent describes potential vehicle maneuvers, like parking the vehicle at an excellent spot to photograph a selected object or even slowing the vehicle down while driving past a photogenic location. The idea of a car automatically slowing down so that its occupant(s) can take a picture sounds interesting, albeit potentially hazardous.

According to Ford, an onboard processor could also determine if an object is within the field of view of a camera mounted on the outside of the car or truck. The patent also describes a processor that can configure an external camera to capture photos.

The patent’s contents practically beg the question, “Why is this something photographers need or want?” To that, the patent outlines the problem it aims to solve: “Capturing a photograph of an object located outside a moving vehicle can be quite challenging, especially when one is unprepared for taking the photograph and/or is unaware of an upcoming opportunity to do so. It is therefore desirable to address such shortcomings associated with photography.”

That said, many photographers use their vehicles as an extension of their overall photography kit, not just for getting from point A to point B. Many wildlife shooters, for example, use their cars like a makeshift, portable blind for safely and effectively photographing skittish wildlife. There are even products designed to make it easier to rest a lens on a car door.

It is easy to imagine the utility of a semi-autonomous vehicle that can locate and safely track wildlife as it moves through its habitat.

“Cars have lots of room, great visibility, a great seat, heat, and even a radio. I would estimate 90 percent of my white-tailed deer photography is from my car. Unlike approaching on foot, a car does not threaten an animal nearly as much,” says photographer Jim Roetzel in an article from the National Park Service.

Perhaps a car that can detect when a good photo opportunity is in the offing and alert its occupants is not such a crazy idea after all.

Image credit: Ford

It is important to start learning artificial light with a single source, as this will allow you to better understand the properties and fundamental behavior of light. Once you have mastered that, though, adding a second light will open up a lot of creative possibilities that simply would not be achievable otherwise. This fantastic video tutorial features an experienced studio photographer sharing four effective two-light setups for working with models. 

Coming to you from Nathan Elson, this great video tutorial will show you four effective two-light setups for model photography. If you are new to working with multiple lights, notice how Elson emphasizes the use of a second light as a means of controlling contrast and making the lighting look more natural. Rarely will you use the second light as a second key light; rather, it will allow you to control some parameter independently of the key light, which, in turn, will allow you to push the overall look in a more creative direction. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Elson. 

If you would like to continue learning about how to light a portrait, be sure to check out “Illuminating The Face: Lighting for Headshots and Portraits With Peter Hurley!”

Photography can be a tremendously rewarding hobby or profession, but it is important that you have a realistic understanding of what it is like to be a photographer and what it takes to find success. This important video essay features an experienced photographer discussing six harsh truths that every person should be aware of. 

Coming to you from Roman Fox, this insightful video essay discusses six truths about photography and life as a creative. Though they are all very important, I think the idea that everything takes longer than expected is particularly salient. It is common for photographers to plateau after the first few months or years of working and to grow frustrated or even disillusioned with the craft. No matter the hobby, it is common to make a lot of progress when you first start, then for things to slow down as you advance. The steps forward tend to grow smaller as you become more capable, and this is the point where many people fall out of love with the craft. If you find yourself at that point, remember that just because you are not progressing by leaps and bounds, it does not mean you are not progressing. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Fox. 

You may well be familiar with the work of photographer Chris Burkard, one of the most followed photographers on Instagram, where he shares his vision of wild places with 4 million followers. His work, which has also been published in several books, is a journey of exploration of the seven seas, from otherworldly seascapes to coastal wildernesses to surfing in the frozen north Atlantic to the tranquil tropics, illustrating the diversity but also the fragility of the global ocean.

Growing up just steps from the Pacific Ocean in the central California town of Pismo Beach, Burkard grew attached to the sea at an early age through surfing. After first planning to be a mechanic, he discovered photography, interned at TransWorld Surf magazine and eventually found permanent work at the surf content and forecasting website Surfline. A self-taught photographer, he went on to build a career through his travel and adventure work, publishing several books, winning many awards, appearing on podcasts and lecturing regularly; a Ted Talk of his on the joy of cold water surfing has more than 2m views.

After experiencing western Canada’s coast, he began to looking for locations and stories away from more well-worn surfer trails. “Surfline marked the beginning of a frantic few years of adding new stamps to my passport, travelling from Costa Rica to Kiribati, from Mexico to the Mentawai Islands,” he says. “But it wasn’t until I traveled to Tofino and Haida Gwaii, islands in western Canada, that I really understood the saying ‘never turn your back on the ocean’.

“It was the first time I really experienced a truly raw ocean, a different body of water than the calmer Pacific that I was used to. It was colder, shaped more by the tides – meaner, more aggressive. Going there made me realise I wanted to push the boundaries of what was possible. I found that the more risks I took – not just in life but also creatively – the stories I was telling with my camera started to take on a greater depth, became more immersive and emotional.

“I fell in love with the desolate beauty of remote places – untamed, harsh environments where mountains meet the sea. Places like Alaska, the Faroes, the Aleutians, the far east of Russia, Chile, Iceland, and Norway, where there is a sheer drop from steep granite mountains to icy ocean.”

With his latest book of photography, Burkard wanted to produce something more comprehensive than previous collections.

“Some of the work I perhaps wasn’t known for – it’s rewarding for it to come out – and I’ve been excited to have a way to articulate my point of view not only for ocean and beaches, but to look at communities, food and what makes them interesting.

“As I have gotten older, my goals have shifted. Early on in my career, I wanted to get a photograph on the cover of Surfer magazine. Then it was chasing this or that award. Nowadays my practice is more about how I can uplift people who need their stories told, and advocate for some of the places that have fed my soul.”

Much of his photography has a sense of a carefully planned setting, but also has a spontaneity that clearly requires patience and preparation. “The ocean is a great teacher,” he says. “Unlike other action sports, when shooting surfing specifically there is an element of waiting and patience. You have to go when a storm is hitting, and that obviously only provides a limited window of opportunity. Every time it’s different, and you have to capitalise on it and be grateful for what you get.”

Burkard is colour-blind, and though he often struggles to match his outfits this has perhaps contributed to a unique approach to photography. “I’ve never looked to capture complementary colours in my images; instead, I’ve always looked for contrast. On that trip I was searching for striking, starkly different colour schemes that play off of one another, ones that emphasise the difference between light and dark. I can’t really say, but I sometimes wonder if being colour-blind has allowed me to home in on capturing this contrast a little more than I would have been able to otherwise.”

Burkard is very transparent with his audience on social media, detailing the logistics of a shoot or journey, or sharing some detail of the story behind the photograph. “I don’t believe Instagram has made my career but it has given me more access to the story – the readers, the communities – and when you are given that, you take advantage.”

He keeps returning to the cold-water surf destinations, an obsession that began with a trip to Iceland.

“A lot of the people I’ve met aren’t surfers. If you’re in a small village in the Faroe Islands, people might be shocked you’re even in the water at all, because it’s only in the last five to 10 years that people have taken to the ocean for recreational purposes. In these cold locales, anyone can tell you a story of an uncle or father or brother or friend who has died at sea. Many of these communities are riddled with similar sad tales. So it can also be very empowering when people come out and see you surfing and tell you that they had never imagined that this would be possible – that they had never connected the harsh reality of the ocean with the possibility of fun.”