An Open Letter to the Photography Industry
As an industry, we need to do better. For our craft, for new and experienced photographers alike, for those clients who don’t get the full information.
Dear Lens Makers: Please Make Slower, Longer, Lighter Macro Lenses
Dear lens manufacturers,
I'm writing this letter to remind you of something you well know. The age of mirrorless cameras is upon us. And with this comes the benefit that we can compose, focus, and shoot at f/8, f/11, and f/16.
Dear Camera Makers, Please Secure Our Camera Gear to Stop Robberies
Dear camera manufacturers,
The photography community and content creators would like to voice an urgent need for camera gear to be equipped with anti-theft protective systems.
FFS, My Camera Should Be Better Than My Phone…
Dear camera manufacturers, I am deeply annoyed that my phone often takes better pictures than my DSLR (or any mirrorless) straight out of the camera.
Passenger Pigeon Manifesto
A call to public galleries, libraries, archives, and museums to liberate our cultural heritage. Illustrated with the cautionary tales of extinct species and our lack of access to what remains of them.
My Response to David Burnett’s Open Letter to the NPPA
Dear Mr. Burnett,
I have some concerns I’d like to address in your recent open letter regarding the Photo Bill of Rights (BoR). I am a 36-year-old white female editorial and commercial photographer. I am a member of APA and a Houston chapter board member for ASMP.
David Burnett: An Open Letter to the NPPA on Ethics
World-renowned photojournalist David Burnett recently published an open letter to the National Press Photographers Association in response to the recent debates surrounding photojournalistic ethics and the controversial new Photo Bill of Rights that calls for, among other things, consent from subjects in public spaces.
Photojournalists Publish Guidelines for Editors During COVID-19 Crisis
Certain genres of photography have come to a screeching halt during the coronavirus pandemic, but there are still countless photographers on the front lines of the public health crisis, risking their own safety to create visual journalism for the world. Now some photojournalists are speaking out about inadequate resources and protection being given by editors and publications.
Flickr CEO Posts Public Plea for Help to ‘Keep the Flickr Dream Alive’
Flickr is in trouble... again... or maybe still. In an open letter to Flickr users and fans published on the company's blog, SmugMug CEO and Co-Founder Don MacAskill admitted that his company has not yet managed to make Flickr profitable, and implored photographers to consider upgrading to Flickr Pro in order to "keep the Flickr dream alive."
Dear Live Nation: An Open Letter on Behalf of Photographers and Media
Dear Live Nation,
This is an open letter to your company regarding the increasingly poor treatment of media and credentialed photographers.
‘Can I Just Get the Digital Files?’
Dear potential client, I have no crystal ball, yet I know you will be calling me this week for information about what I do. You might have seen one of my displays or my website or, hopefully, you were referred by a friend. And you will have liked what you saw—otherwise, you wouldn’t be calling me. And for that, I am truly happy.
A Letter to New and Aspiring Wedding Photographers
I have read so many magazine articles, social media posts, and had discussions in which ‘established’ photographers don’t think new and aspiring photographers should be allowed to chart the same course that they once did (and perhaps still do). I’m referring to the general idea of starting with little or no fee to gain experience and establish themselves.
Wedding Photog: This is Why Guests Should Put Phones Away
A Texas-based wedding photographer is making waves online after speaking out against a wedding guest who ruined an important photo by sticking her iPhone into the aisle at the ceremony.
Here’s an Explanation of PPA’s New Pro Photographer Certification Process
Hello, everyone. I'm Audrey Wancket, President of Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and this article is a response to recent reaction to PPA's new "Certified Professional Photographer" certification process.
I Am Certifiably Confused About PPA’s ‘Certified Professional Photographer’
I don’t mean to step on any toes, but... deep breath... here we go…
Photographers, We Need to Put Nature First
What is the most important thing for a photographer? The simple and easy answer is the camera, or something closely related to it (like tripods or lights). And for many photographers that might be true… but not for a nature or landscape photographer. What we prize most, what we need most is uncompromising vistas of land, views unobstructed by the hand of man.
Dear Partisan Journalists: Don’t Drag Us Photographers Down With You
As perceptions of bias have led to devastating levels of mistrust in the media, the role of political photography has remained relatively uncontroversial. While writers might deftly tweak facts to fit a narrative, photographers covering politics have less of a scope to inject their personal opinion into their work. The camera, as they say, doesn’t lie.
You Be You, I’ll Be Me: A Note to Photographers on Pricing
If you are a member of any photography groups, I can guarantee you've seen the issue of pricing come up often. One of the favorite activities of some photographers seems to be analyzing/criticizing how others run their businesses. It's wonderful to be able to ask for advice in these groups, but unsolicited criticism, or random rants on how everyone else is doing it all wrong and you're doing it right, are never okay.
Dear Mirrorless Camera Makers: Please Bring Back the Frame Line Selector
Have you ever used a Leica M Camera? If so, you may know of the little front mounted lever that displays bright frame lines in the viewfinder to show the field of view for lenses of different focal lengths?
Dear Camera Companies: Please Make Slower, Lighter Prime Lenses Between 50mm and 150mm
PetaPixel recently published an open letter from photographer Usman Dawood entitled: "Dear Camera Companies: Please Make a Fast Lens Between 50mm and 85m." Today, I am asking for the pretty much the opposite: slower, lighter prime lenses.
Dear Camera Companies: Please Make a Fast Lens Between 50mm and 85mm
For some time now, my favourite portrait lens has been the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 art. This lens, as many of you may know, is simply incredible when it comes to performance. Even the price of this lens isn’t unreasonable when you compare it to some alternatives currently available.
DJI Demands Withdrawal of ‘Misleading’ Drone Strike Video
Last month, the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) published an article and video showing what happens when a drone collides with an airplane wing at high speeds. The Chinese drone juggernaut DJI wasn't pleased with the study: it's demanding that UDRI withdraw the video and article, calling it "misleading."
Dear Kodak: Please Let Smaller Shops Help Film Come Back
If you’re a film enthusiast, you probably love watching Kodak make a comeback. When Kodak filed for bankruptcy back in 2012, it seemed like the end of an era. Luckily it wasn’t so.
Dear Wedding Vendors: Photographers Don’t Owe You Images
In a recent episode of the podcast we host, The Secret Life of Weddings, we chatted about a major hot topic among wedding photographers these days. We got a little heated and felt it was important enough to write out our thoughts as well.
Dear Panasonic: A Plea from a Photojournalist
It’s not often camera news puts dread in my heart, but Panasonic’s full frame announcement felt like watching CNN at its most doom-laden. The future, suddenly, does not seem so bright for us Micro Four Thirds (M43) shooters.
Lightroom Sucks: An Open Letter to Adobe
“Panic on the streets of London, panic on the streets of Birmingham, I wonder to myself, could life ever be sane again?” You’d be forgiven for thinking The Smiths were singing about wedding photographers mid-summer running around the streets in a naked hysteria after they’ve just installed the latest Lightroom update.
Dear Newbie Wedding Photographer, Here’s Some Honest Advice…
With this article, I don’t want to ruin someone’s life and business or stop them from pursuing their passion, dreams, or whatever they’re after. But I do want to speak about this subject, as my frustrations with unprofessional wedding insiders have been slowly building up in the last few months.
Why I Rejected Your Request for Free Photos
This post is dedicated to all the people who have completely lost their sense of common decency. I have a destructive humbleness that most people do not understand (myself included). I do not have a Patreon page, I do not run ads on my website, I have never asked for donations. However, for some reason, I get the feeling that this leads people to believe I do everything for free. This could not be further from the truth. You want to use my work? Great! How about you pay me for it? No? Of course not, what was I thinking. I’m sorry.
Dear Minted, About Your $100 In-Home Photo Shoots…
Dear Minted,
I’ve been photographing families for seven years. Let me tell you; it’s been a long slog. I’ve learned so many things through the years that make my work consistent and creates happy clients, I’ve also learned that I work in a community of other independent photographers and we have also come to help, rely on and yes, compete with one another and still be friends at the end of the day.
An Open Letter About Sexism, Feminism, and the Industry That I Love So Much
My name is Susan Stripling, and I'm a wedding photographer based in New York. This is an open letter about sexism, feminism, the industry that I love so much, and everything in between...
Dear Canon, What Happened To Your Innovation?
Dear Canon,
You and I have had a very, very long friendship that has lasted many years and many, many generations of cameras. Ever since my first camera purchase, you have been my brand of choice. I still have my original Canon IXUS 40 and multiple generations of full frame and APS-C SLRs going back as far as the 450D, which was released in March 2008.
Who Needs a Photo Permit in Nevada State Parks?
Nevada Law and the Nevada Administrative code have a simple definition of when you need to have a permit to shoot photos in their parks. It is based entirely on whether or not the pictures will be sold.
An Open Letter to Nikon from a Time-Lapse Photographer
Dear Nikon,
I am writing as a longtime Nikon photographer and someone who has been working extensively with your cameras and who has written many reviews in the past years. I have been shooting in the area of timelapse photography for many years now, and have given many workshops and training sessions.
Dear Photography Workshop and Conference Organizers…
Dear photography workshop and conference organizers, we need to have a chat. There is a lot of nonsense going on in the workshop world, and it needs to stop. Taking someone’s money and promising that you can help their business is no joke, and it needs to be taken seriously!
Dear Camera Makers, Please Bring Back the Compact Film Camera
Over the past several years, I have watched as the prices for compact film cameras have steadily increased into the sort of price ranges usually reserved for collectible cameras.
Dear Camera Makers: Please Help Us Left-Hand-Only Photographers
Hi, everyone. My name is Giannis Papapostolou, and I’m an amateur photographer based in Greece. Photography is a big part of my life. However, about a year ago, I had an accident.
Yes, Photo Client, You Do Have ALL of Your Pictures!
I covered an event some months ago over a period of a few days during which, as you can imagine, many hundreds of photos were taken. Due to the popularity of this event, (we've covered it over a number of years, thankfully) I knew the folks that were a part of it were really going to be anxious to see, share, print, etc.
Photojournalists Ask Camera Brands for Encrypted Cameras
A new open letter signed by over 150 filmmakers and photojournalists is asking major camera companies to build encryption features into digital cameras and the photos they produce.
Major Media Groups Pen Open Letter to Trump for Press Freedom
A group of 18 major journalism associations have banded together to publish an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump, asking that the new administration take steps to protect freedom of the press in the United States.
An Open Letter to Vicars and Priests, from the Wedding Photographer
Dear Vicar,
I am writing an open letter to Vicars. Not all Vicars, I hasten to add, but unfortunately this has becoming such a regular occurrence, that I feel compelled to write to all those that it applies.