WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A Wichita photographer who’d been on life support after suffering a traumatic brain injury early this week, died at a local hospital, her husband confirmed.

Linda Gregory was injured Monday while shooting photos at a junior varsity high school football game at Wichita Northwest High School. Gregory fell and hit her head in a sideline collision. An ambulance took her to a local hospital where her husband, Mel, said her condition worsened and she was on life support. Friday afternoon, Mel confirmed his wife has died and “Is at peace.”

In her years dedicating time to sports photography, Linda formed close-knit friendships with coaches, players and parents in the League 42 youth baseball league, as well as at Northwest High School.

Linda’s family said they plan to have her organs donated, fulfilling one of her final wishes.

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Wedding photography is a challenging genre that requires rock-solid technique, the ability to think on your feet, and a ton of people skills. One of the most difficult aspects of the day is large group portraits. If you are a budding wedding photographer and want to learn how to take those big portraits, check out this awesome video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know.

Coming to you from Jana Williams, this great video tutorial will show you how to take large group wedding portraits. No doubt, this can be an incredibly tricky part of the day, particularly under the sort of time pressure typical of weddings. This is why it is so crucial to be highly prepared in advance, both in terms of being solid with technique, lighting, and composition, but also in terms of knowing who is who and what combinations of people need to be photographed. Be sure you have a printed list of all these in advance and ideally, a person to help you corral everyone. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Williams. 

If you would like to continue to learn about wedding photography, be sure to check out “How To Become A Professional Commercial Wedding Photographer With Lee Morris and Patrick Hall!”

While there’s been much ado about the death of stock photography in the wake of AI-based imagery, there are still many photographers earning passive income from the trade. Just how are they doing that, though?

Full-time stock photographer and videographer Luka Ažman made this video that shares a few tips on how he makes money on his stock images and video.

First, it’s important to distinguish the passive income of stock photography, where you upload an image to a service and it generates revenue over time without further input from you (i.e. you can be asleep and people can buy your images and make you money) versus active income, such as freelancing or working for a newspaper or magazine as a photographer, where if you don’t work, you don’t get paid.

Ažman notes that many images and video that he uploads follow a curve. At first, they’re not purchased much, followed by a period of decent sales, and then a tailing off as the image gets purchased less and less.

Part of the reason for this, Ažman surmises, is the opaque algorithms governing these sites. Sites want to reward active contributors by pushing their new photos forward, but at the same time, want to keep popular, older photos at the forefront since they’re, well, popular. Therefore, it’s important to get thrown into the mix often by constantly uploading new photos, lest you get bumped by the algorithm.

A better tip than shoveling photos non-stop onto a site is to research new and emerging trends, such as activities or items that don’t have a lot of stock photography available to illustrate them. Ažman throws out an example of a unique activity he found that hasn’t been truly discovered by the stock photography. Looking for keywords can be helpful here, he says.

While it may not be as lucrative as it used to be, there’s still some money to be made with stock photography work. Check out Ažman’s tips above, and if you’re a stock photographer yourself, share some of your tips in the comments below.

Not even three months ago, my colleague Feroz Khan took a dig at the judges behind the Sony World Photography Awards. As a dig, it was very well deserved; said judges not only failed to recognize an AI-generated picture as such, they even gave it an award. Apparently, some people took note of this failure and reacted in the most intelligent way they could think of. No, it wasn’t by training their judges. Not by using AI Image Detectors or checking for weird hands or crooked fingers. No. By establishing an AI Image Developing and Creating in their Photography Awards.

For Artificial Intelligence Image Developing & Creating category, images developed or created using any AI tools are accepted. Tools used should be added in the description. In the case of the use of a real photograph, the source should be added in the description.

Taken out of the rules of the 2023 Spotlight Awards

If there’s ever been a time when my dislike for the old adage “if you can’t beat them, join them” was more intense, I can’t remember it. To us, this doesn’t promote the progression of photography at all and instead plays more to the idea that we’re all screwed.

Demeaning photography, one prompt at a time

According to their own website, The Spotlight Awards focus on the most sought-after photographic talent shooting within designated advertising categories, and they’ve been doing so since 2018 when they started their contest.

One would think that if they were so interested in promoting photographic talent, they would be for respecting our work and against these so-called AI-generated “photos” — as this tech relies on nothing else but thousands of stolen images.

One would think that if they were so interested in helping photographers across the industry, they wouldn’t give AI and its users a shabby coat of respectability by making it into a category in a photography contest, even if it’s one you have to pay to participate in.

And apparently, one would think wrong, because they’ve already released the shortlist for such category. Where this becomes even more fascinating is with the fact that AI visuals cannot be copyright-protected within the United States. However, according to their website’s FAQ page, you retain the copyright to the images that you submit.

Anything but photography

If you’ve ever written anything, you should know that words matter. This holds true regardless of what you’re writing, even if what you’re writing is just a “prompt” on Midjourney.

An epée is not a sword. A fork is not a spoon. And AI-generated art is not and will not ever be a photograph.

Photography is created by exposure to light, whether film or a digital sensor.

Words do matter.

As such, any image mixed, blended, and spewed out by an algorithm —no matter how complex— should not ever have a place in a photography contest.

Now, I would never demean the art of eliciting imagery from textual prompts because doing so is incredibly hard. As previously said, you have to use the right words, in the right order, and in the right context.

Luckily, there are legitimate places where you can submit such art if you’re interested in doing so.

Additional reporting was done by Chris Gampat.

By Ed Cullinane via SWNS

A teen girl with Down syndrome has reached the finals of an international photography competition – with a series of selfies.

Rosie Clutterbuck, 14, wowed judges with her photos – black and white self-portrait images called ‘Rosie Jet’ and ‘Cosmic Rosie’.

The teen from Bristol is competing in the Down’s syndrome Association’s ‘My Perspective’ international photo competition.

It gives budding photographers who have the genetic condition a chance to show off their talents to a group of industry professionals.

Rosie says she wants to take part to support others with Down’s syndrome, inspired by the rapper Aitch, who is a Patron of the Down’s Syndrome Association.

Rosie said: “I feel pleased that I have reached my goal.

When I see myself in a photo I feel wild and free in the way of expressing my talent.

“Aitch inspires me because I love rap music and he has a sister with Down’s syndrome who he wrote a song about.

“Singing brings the love in my creativity to life. I am inspired by things that I watch including cartoons, dramas, films and theatre.

“I support people with Down’s syndrome because I have it too, I support them expressing themselves in the talents that they love to do.”

Rosie, as well as a keen photographer, says she loves speech-writing, dancing and music.

Describing her photos, she described ‘Rosie Jet’ as “a selfie of a cool person who likes to sing. I have adapted it using different settings.”

Speaking about ‘Cosmic Rosie’, she added: “‘This person is going out with her friends to a live gig. It is a selfie I have edited using the different settings on my phone.”

Rosie is one of 30 finalists in the competition, which includes entries from India, South Africa and North America.

As a finalist, Rosie will get the chance to attend a special ceremony in London on October 12 where the winners will be announced.

The Down’s Syndrome Association say they hope that the event will help ‘turn the camera around’ on people with the genetic condition.

A spokesperson for the group added: “The most important thing to remember is that everyone who has Down’s syndrome is an individual, with their own strengths and weaknesses and personality traits that make them who they are.

“In years gone by, people with Down syndrome were photographed as exhibits; the viewer was not supposed to see the person, just the difference.

“The Down’s Syndrome Association’s ‘My Perspective’ competition aims to turn the camera around and give people with Down syndrome the chance to show the world from their point of view.”

A photographer shared an incredible clip showing a 300-pound-plus silverback gorilla beating its chest inches from another photographer.

The now-viral clip — that’s amassed over 92 million views on TikTok and over 22 million on Instagram — shows the large male in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda standing close to a squatting photographer when he begins to inflate his air sacs, which sounds like a whinny.

Then the mountain gorilla raises to his hind legs and beats his chest as he charges over toward the squatting photographer who barely moves, staying calm and collected.

The clip was shared by Richard De Gouveia, a professional guide and pro photographer who explains that the gorillas beat their chests to keep warm.

“While watching another gorilla, the silverback came marching in from behind us and put on a show that won’t be forgotten in a hurry by our cool, calm, and collected guest who handled the moment perfectly,” explains De Gouveia on social media. “She then moved out to make sure we kept a safe distance from the gorillas.”

De Gouveia says that his groups try and maintain a big distance from the gorilla but “in reality, it doesn’t always work out this way.” The photographer in the video, who is holding a telephoto lens, is also wearing a mask which helps to “minimise any passing on of our diseases to them.”

The gorillas in the video are the Kwisanga family, mountain gorillas who live in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.

“We are also limited to one hour with the family as this is the point at which the chance of sharing our diseases with them exponentially increases,” adds De Gouveia.

Most people in the comments remarked on how calm the photographer was and how scared they would have been had they been in her situation.

“That cameraman either got nerves of steel or dirty drawers,” writes one person. “My soul would have left my body,” adds another.

De Gouveia, who is a Sony Alpha ambassador, operates Arc Earth which offers customized safaris with a focus on conservation.

Hi! I’m Omica and I am a photographer from the Netherlands! I have always been interested in photography and dogs, ever since I was little. I got my own dog in 2019.

My pictures are now known all over the world, therefore, this time I have selected some of my favorites.

More info: Instagram | omicaphotography.nl | Facebook | youtube.com

This year’s Boneyard Arts Festival, my first event as Arts Editor, introduced me to the work of many talented local artists. One of my favorite things that I encountered was quite simple in theory: a photograph of a lemon. Yet, the photograph was vibrant, clear, intricate, refreshing, and above all, memorable. The close-up shot was the work of Fraya Replinger, a photographer born and raised in Urbana. Replinger’s family has long been a part of the C-U art community: her grandfather, Jack Replinger, was a professor of architecture at the University of Illinois from 1950s through the 80s, and built many houses in the community. Her grandmother, Dot, was an art teacher and prolific fiber artist. Although Replinger moved away from C-U for several years, she “felt called back to Champaign-Urbana.”

Since Boneyard, I’ve encountered Replinger’s work at other venues around C-U, and likely you have as well. She had work at Art Around the Block, Crystal Lake Art Fair, and currently has a collaborative billboard up as part of 40 North’s Sky Gallery. Replinger’s work is interesting, and her portfolio is quite diverse: you can tell that she isn’t afraid to try new things. I recently corresponded with Replinger about that lemon photograph, her billboard for Sky Gallery, and more.

Some responses have edited for length and clarity

Smile Politely: How long have you been a photographer? How did you get started?

Replinger: I have been a photographer for as long as I can remember. My father is a photographer and I recall following him with my pink 35mm point-and-shoot camera, taking pictures of flowers, clouds, and people. I contribute my love and passion for photography to him. I also took photography classes in high school and college. Over time, my perspective and style began to crystalize. In 2009 I entered the Champaign County Camera Club Best in Show Competition and participated each year until 2018. Part of the competition is a critique moderated by the judges. I found this incredibly valuable and I applied much of what I learned into my photographic style. Thanks to encouragement from my family and a number of artists I admire, I continued to evolve and began showing my work in 2017.

SP: I first saw your work at Boneyard; you had this incredible close-up photo of a lemon called Citrus, and I felt it was this perfect example of an artist taking something that we see every day and elevating it to this higher level. What inspired you to photograph food in this way? 

Replinger: Each year I take part in the Boneyard Arts Festival, I try to come up with something different — something outside of my usual landscapes and colorful sunsets. Last year I focused on close-up, colorful images of rock formations and printed the images on aluminum. This year I explored macro photography. While shooting landscapes takes me outside of my home and usual daily routine, shooting food and other everyday items reminded me of the energy and delight that can flow from something as simple as a lemon.

SP: I noticed a lot of your work skews either very large scale or very small scale: you photograph wide open landscapes and also have photographs showing the end of a crayon, or a single thin piece of garlic skin. Do you deliberately set up this juxtaposition with your displays? What draws you to each?

Replinger: Shooting macro has opened a new side of my work. The contrast between a wide, expansive landscape and the tiny details of a vegetable demonstrates that there’s beauty everywhere, in big places and in small ones. When I set up my macro shots, the challenge is in planning the shots while leaving room for experimentation. I’m always thinking about color and form. For my garlic pieces, for example, I emphasized the purples of the peel. There’s a whimsical softness to garlic that I discovered and played up through observing and capturing the way the peels reacted to the light. As for my landscapes, it’s all about capturing the right moment. I love to shoot dramatic cloud formations — the challenge with that is that I’m a little weary of thunderstorms. Capturing a scene with the perfect light is also a challenge, and so is maintaining restraint in the post-production process. But each time I go out and explore the world around me with my camera in my hand, I return having learned something new.

SP: Is there a difference with large versus small scale when it comes to planning and experimentation/improvisation? 

Replinger: With my large-scale landscapes, I often have no plan. It’s almost always spontaneous. The weather can change in an instant, especially on those late afternoons in the summer. The small-scale, close-up images are planned set-ups with room to adjust on the fly. As I have grown in my artmaking practice, I’ve realized I approach the work in the same way a painter might. I have my still-life-esq works, shot in my home using what I have around, allowing me to hone my technique and take my time capturing details. I also have my landscapes, each one captured as a plein-air artist would, each click of my shutter a brand-new moment, like brushstrokes. There’s a time for planning and crafting. And there’s also a time to abandon your plan and go where the land and the sky takes you.

SP: You currently have a mural up as part of Sky Gallery. Congratulations! I’ve really enjoyed seeing all of these around town. Yours is a collaborative piece with Greg Stallmeyer. How did that collaboration come about? As you were working on the piece, did you ever envision it on a billboard?

Replinger: Thank you! Greg and I started working on our collaboration in 2019 with the intention of it being displayed in a large format. It began with an image I created of Greg’s welding table and blossomed from there. Working with Greg inspired me to explore abstract photography more.

SP: Do you have more plans for future collaborations? 

Replinger: Greg and I talk often and have ideas, but no solid plans yet. As my friends and family could tell you, I spend much of my time at my shows chatting with other artists, exchanging inspiration and learning more about their processes. I hope to explore more collaborations with my network of art friends in the future.

SP: If you had to choose, which fruit or vegetable do you think is the most interesting to photograph?

Replinger: My current favorite is the kiwi. The vibrant color and the thin, radiating lines make for an energetic image. My first favorite was raw artichoke. An image I created years ago, with the help of my mother, that highlights the rich magenta and fresh green of the heart makes me smile every time I see it.

SP: What are you currently working on?

Replinger: My wheels are always turning. Lately, I have been exploring nostalgia and my own personal images and symbols from childhood and adolescence. I have also started examining old barns and farmhouses around the Champaign-Urbana area. I have several shows coming up and am in a constant flow of preparation for these events.

SP: Is there any place around C-U where people can check out your photography?

Replinger: I am currently showing work at Allerton Park & Retreat Center in the Mansion and in the Greenhouse Café. I am also showing work at Po’Boys in Urbana.

This fall, you can also find Replinger at West Side Arts, Sugar Creek Arts Festival, and the Craft League of Champaign Urbana 40th Annual Art Fair.