One of the things I love about the podcasting world is the instant camaraderie you sometimes feel when talking with other podcasters. It’s hard to explain the connection you get when you have something creative in common with someone, but it’s a pretty cool feeling. So, when a few months back I got a text from Kersten Luts, of the ‘Camera Shake Podcast‘, to see if I wanted to join him and Dave Clayton, of the ‘He Shoots, He Draws Podcast‘, for a joint podcast I answered with a quick “YES PLEASE!”.

Their idea was that we do a show on podcasting – a casual chat about how we got started, the ups and down, and why we still love doing our shows. We would record the show as a video, even though He Shoots, He Draws is normally audio only, and then we would each release the same show, on the same day, on each of our podcasts. I loved the concept as soon as I heard it, and the chance to do a show with these two friends made it even better.

I have had the honor of being on both Kersten’s and Dave’s podcasts. I was the guest on Episode 93 of He Shoots, He Draws, and I have been on the Camera Shake Podcast twice, for Episode 134: How To Take Great Music Photos,  and on Episode 178 talking about how to Instantly Improve Your Photos, plus I was recently on Kersten’s live streamed Coffee Time.

For today’s show we went pretty long, it’s tough to stop when you’re just having a fun chat with friends about a topic you love.

Join podcasters Kersten Luts of the Camera Shake Podcast, and Dave Clayton of the He Shoots He Draws Podcast, as they join me for a joint show – available on all of our shows – talk about podcasting, poor audio, the Royal Family, and birthdays, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Kersten Luts

Website: kerstenluts.com
Instagram (Personal): @kerstenluts
Instagram (Three Heads In A Row): @threeheadsinarow
Facebook: @kerstenlutsphotography
X / Twitter: @kerstenphoto

Camera Shake Podcast

Website: camerashakepodcast.com
YouTube: @camerashake
Instagram: @camerashakepodcast
Facebook: @camerashakepodcast
X / Twitter: @ShakeCamera

Connect with Dave Clayton

Website: itsdaveclayton.com
Instagram: @itsdaveclayton
Facebook: @itsdaveclayton
X / Twitter: @itsdaveclayton
LinkedIN: @daveclayton

He Shoots, He Draws Podcast

Website: heshootshedrawspodcast.simplecast.com
YouTube: @heshootshedrawspodcast3209
Instagram: @heshootshedraws
Facebook: @heshootshedraws
X / Twitter: @heshootshedraws

 

The photographers I am exposed to by doing this show never cease to amaze me. Recently, my buddy Ian Spanier told a friend of his that he should be on the show, and gave him my contact info. At that point, Jason Gardner reached out to me, and when Ian, who has been on the show a few times himself, suggests someone I need to pay attention.

Jason is an interesting photographer. He has galleries on his site for Editorial, Events, Personalities, and Lifestyle, and the work is fantastic. Honestly, there were a few of his lifestyle images I really wanted to cover on the show, and hopefully we get to revisit that subject one day. For this show though we look at a project Jason has been working on for years, a lot of years.

For over 15 years, throughout 15 countries, Jason has documented the ritual and festival of Carnival, focusing on traditional, folkloric, and community celebrations. The resulting images, which are the subject of his second book, We the Spirits, and a window into how humanity, worldwide, celebrate life, tradition, and folklore. Photographs from We the Spirits were displayed in the exhibition Costume and Masquerade: at the Stadhaus in Ulm, Germany, and the project was selected to be exhibited at the Mois de la Photo OFF Photography festival in Paris, and that’s just two of the many exhibitions that Jason’s work has been displayed at, and in fact the images from We the Spirits will be on display again for an exhibition at Ted and Nune Studio, Street Hastings-on-Hudson, NY from April 6 – May 19.

With a client list that includes Con Edison, HBO, TED Talks, Dassault Systèmes, Electrolux, Grand Central Station, Samsung Corporation, N-Y Historical Society, Freshworks, Ogilvy & Mather, Direct TV, Pfizer, Big Brothers Big Sisters NY, and Human Rights Watch, it’s no wonder Jason has seen the success he has. Seriously, go check out his Lifestyle / Editorial work, or his Personalities gallery. So good.

Getting back to that term “Visual Anthropology”, Jason describes it this way:

“In my practice, I document visually various aspects of a culture, and how it is celebrated, both venerating traditions and looking forward.

I am interested in what constitutes cultures and most especially how they are celebrated, from honoring traditions to envisaging the future. By focusing on cultural manifestations such as music, dance, festival, and spectacle, as well as symbols, street art, glyphs, costumes, or shrines in a closet, I capture the intangible, visually translating the symbolic connections of what might not be visible at first glance.

Placing my photographic practice within the framework of Visual Anthropology, I hope to tell stories by focusing on cultures, traditions and practices which often happen behind the public’s view. I capture things that build up to define the cultural milieu and community’s regional identities. I look for that ineffable moment of transformation in a ceremony, the traditional song or costume epitomizing regional pride and identity, a symbol representing a culture, these all combine to reflect the culture.

I wish to reveal some of the diversity of the spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional landscape of a community. Making the connections among the various manifestations, to show their relationship with each other, and how they interlock, helps to form my view of the culture I am documenting. These displays of culture are significant, to me, in that they represent one of the more profound ways that humans can express themselves.”

And I think all of that comes through in his work.

Join documentary photographer Jason Gardner and me as we talk about his “Visual Anthropology”, and as we dissect one of the images from his travels documenting the ritual and festival of Carnival throughout 15 countries, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Jason

Website: jasongardner.net
Instagram: @visualanthropology1
Facebook: @jasongardnerphoto
X / Twitter: @JGardnerPhoto
LinkedIN: @ jasongardner

Jason’s Book

We the Spirits: jasongardner.net

Jason’s We the Spirits Exhibition – April 6 – May 19

Ted and Nune Studio, Street Hastings-on-Hudson, NY: tedandnune.com

Jason’s Photographer Pick

Roberto de la Torre: roberdelatorre.com | @rober.delatorre

I never used to go to photography conferences. It’s not that they didn’t interest me, it’s just that none of them cover my genre of music photography. WPPI is all about weddings and portraits, and while Imaging USA seems to cover a bit more, it doesn’t go anywhere near concerts. Still, a few years ago I went to WPPI with a friend, to cover it on the show, and I found out that I didn’t care what the conference covered. What I enjoyed the most was meeting other photographers after hours to talk shop. Since then, I have been to all but one WPPI, and a few of the old Photoshop World conferences – which I really miss.

That is all to say that no matter what you think of conferences, the networking side is almost always worth the trip. This past January I decided to try out my first Imaging USA, partly because it was in Louisville, KY, the home of the Bourbon Trail. The conference, for me, was a huge success. I was able to hang out with some old friends, and meet a few new ones, like today’s guest. While at Imaging I stopped by to say hello to my friends at the Platypod booth, and while there I met fellow Platypod Pro Lenworth Johnson.

Lenworth is a commercial fashion and beauty photographer based in Houston, TX, and originally from Jamaica. We talked a bit at the conference, and I browsed through his site, and knew right then I needed to get him on the show. My original thought was to cover one of his amazing fashion or beauty shots, since that’s what he’s mostly known for, but that would have been obvious. Instead I decided we should focus on a tangential part of his work. Lenworth also shoots fashion related product photography, like perfumes and makeup, and I have never really had that genre on the show before.

The challenges of product photography are quite varied, from holding highlights on reflective surfaces, to subject separation and color accuracy, and Lenworth tackles these challenges so well I thought he could help you and I get a better sense of this difficult subject matter.

His work has been honored with multiple awards:

2019 Guru Awards Photoshop World Award
2020 Silver Advertising Award MIFA Award
2022 Gold Commercial Photography-Product MUSE Awards
2023 Gold People Photography-Portrait MUSE Awards
2023 Gold Commercial Photography-Fashion MUSE Awards

As a KelbyOne instructor, Lenworth teaches a few classes, including Fashion & Beauty, lighting, and getting published.

Join commercial fashion and beauty photographer Lenworth Johnson and me as we talk about his fashion and beauty work, and as we dissect his product shot of Chanel makeup, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Lenworth

Website: lenworthjohnson.com
Instagram: @lenworth.johnson
Facebook: @photographyLJ
X / Twitter: @LJ_Photography1
LinkedIN: @lenworth-johnson-2966a319

Lenworth’s KelbyOne Classes

KelbyOne: KelbyOne.com

Lenworth’s Photographer Pick

Mary Bel: marybelphotography.com | @marybelphotography

One of my favorite parts of doing this podcast is that I get to discover and meet some amazing photographers, and L.A. based Nikon Ambassador Joey Terrill is a perfect example.

We’ve all joked about a photographer we know being able to “shoot anything”, but in reality very few people can truly shoot any subject matter. There are a few out there though, Joe McNally comes to mind, that just get it. Their photography seems to breath it’s own air, and be alive. Joey is one of those talents. His career has included a range of specialties including architecture and interior design, advertising and corporate photography, golf course landscapes, and editorial portraiture, and his macro photography is fascinating.

Joey’s website has three galleries, Portraits, Scenes, and Macro, and if you spend a little time there you’ll get some insight into how Joey sees the world. Perhaps this quote from his website sums it up best:

“My camera is the window through which I experience life”

From extreme close-up or a vast valley, to a portrait of a corporate CEO made to look like a star, Mr. Terrill just seems to understand what we are doing when we take a photo. He understands how to make a viewer feel something, as though they’ve been invited into the scene. That, my friend, is a skill I wish I had.

Joey has worked with clients like American Express, Coca-Cola, Disney, Golf Digest, Major League Baseball, Nikon, Red Bull and Sports Illustrated. As an educator he teaches workshops and speaks at seminars including PhotoPlus Expo, WPPI, CES, Imaging USA, and of course Nikon School.

Join photographer and Nikon Ambassador Joey Terrill and me as we dive into the artistic world of his macro photography, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Joey

Website: joeyterrill.com
Instagram: @joeyterrill
Glass: @joeyterrill
Facebook: @joeyterrill
X / Twitter: @joeyterrill

Joey’s Photographer Pick

George Hurrell: georgehurrell.com | @hurrellphotos

I find guests for Behind the Shot in a number of ways. Sometimes it’s a referral from a friend, sometimes it’s a cold email I send after seeing an image I just need to know more about, and now and then it’s through a photographer’s PR company. Regardless of how I find them, more often than not I end up being introduced to an amazing artist I wasn’t familiar with beforehand. That is the case today.

Jiří Lízler was brought to my attention by the folks over at Wonderful Machine, a company I think of as a PR firm, but that describes itself as “an art production agency with a network of 559 photographers in 44 countries”. Whatever you see them as, they have a pool of talent that includes some of the best of the best, and they’ve brought me awesome guest ideas in the past. When they brought Jiří up to me two things jumped out… one was that I had never, that I recall, had an architectural shot on the show before, and the other was that Jiří’s work is insanely good. I am so glad this show worked out.

If, like me, you were not familiar with Jiří Lízler, let me introduce you…

Jiri is a renowned Award-Winning commercial photographer from the Czech Republic, with a portfolio that features luxury hotels and high-end residential interiors. His work has been featured in international media fixtures like Conde Nast Traveller, The Telegraph, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, The Times, Archilovers and more.

From a clientele perspective, I am not sure you will find bigger names, with clients that include Microsoft, McDonald’s, Chanel, Warner Bros Discovery, St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, Six Senses, The Luxury Collection, and Hyatt.

As I am writing this, I have the Tear Sheets page of his website in front of me, and wow. Jiri’s work is truly fantastic.

Join Czech based commercial photographer Jiří Lízler and me as we discuss his world of photographing hotels & resorts, travel & tourism, architecture and interiors, and more, while taking a deep dive into his photo of the pool at the Corinthia Hotel Prague, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Jiří

Website: jirilizler.com
Instagram: @jirilizler
LinkedIN: @jiri-lizler-hotel-photographer

Jiří’s Photographer Pick

Rupert Peace: rupertpeace.com | @rupertpeace

 

One look at the client list at the bottom of Paul Mobley’s About page and it’s quickly apparent that he’s one of the best commercial, advertising, and editorial portrait photographers working today. It’s a list of A level celebrities & musicians, and Fortune 500 companies, that speaks volumes about the type of work Paul creates.

Whether it’s a celebrity promoting his or her latest project or a 100-year- old farmer celebrating his family’s legacy, Paul has that rare ability to direct as well as photograph his subjects, to create some connection with them that puts them at ease in front of the camera. They seem to trust him at an almost uncanny level. The result? He creates portraits that are authentic, and timeless.

In addition to his corporate, advertising, and editorial work, Paul is an accomplished author, having  published four books of his photography with Welcome Books: American Farmer (2008), Everyday Heroes (2012), If I Live to Be 100 (2016), and American Firefighter (2018). For all four books, Mobley traveled around the country to meet the subjects in their hometowns and photograph these ordinary citizens leading their extraordinary lives. Mobley has also put together a traveling exhibition of his American Farmer photographs that will tour museums and colleges around the United States until 2025. You’ll find links to his books and exhibition below.

Join commercial, advertising, and editorial portrait photographer Paul Mobley and me as we talk about his portrait work, compositing portraits, and as we dissect his multi-shot image of comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Paul

Website: paulmobleystudio.com
Instagram: @paulmobleystudio
Facebook: @PaulMobleyStudio
X / Twitter: @PaulShoots
LinkedIN: @paulmobleystudio

Traveling Exhibition

Website: eusa.org/exhibition/american-farmer/

Paul’s Books

Amazon: amazon.com

Paul’s Photographer Pick

Ruvén Afanador: ruvenafanador.com | @ruvenafanador

Zoe Rain is one of those photographers in the rare group of artists that was born to do what she does. Some people can learn to become amazing artists, while others, people like Zoe, seem to have a natural gift for seeing the world through a lens.

At the young age of 20, Zoe was already touring with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and that work brought a bit of notoriety, to say the least. Since then, her work has graced the cover of Rolling Stone, appeared on subway car ads, and been plastered on billboards across the world.

Working with some of the biggest names in music, including Chance The Rapper, Ed Sheeran, Christina Aguilera, Ke$ha and Vic Mensa, has brought Zoe into the world of successful commercial photographer – a leap many people in music photography dream of. From multiple opportunities as an Apple keynote speaker, to being on industry panels hosted by agencies including Soho, Havas, & Leo Burnette, Zoe is now a sought after artist, and speaker for some of the largest brands in the industry.

Zoe’s love of travel has led to her photojournalistic projects, involving intimate collaborations with nonprofits such as the 30-30 project & Construction for Change. This work includes Rain’s portraiture series “Woman of Togo”, which has been featured in galleries across the US.

After over a decade of success, Zoe is at the top of her game.

Join commercial photographer and filmmaker Zoe Rain and me as we discuss everything from her life on the road with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, to her wonderful portrait work, and as we examine her portrait of Ed Sheeran, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Zoe

Website: rainstudio.com
Instagram: @ZoeRainPhoto 

Back in June I did a review of the StellaPro Reflex line of lights titled “Is This My New Favorite Light?“. Well, today I’ve got an update. StellaPro has upgraded the hardware.

The StellaPro Reflex lights are “Continuous Strobe Hybrid” LED lights. They allow you to do constant light, as you might do for video, or using digital burst mode you can use the lights like you would a flash. Technically, these are not flashes, they are LED lights, but they allow you to over-charge the LED and release all of that charge as a burst of light, a burst that can be up to 1 stop brighter than the constant light.

And that constant light isn’t just some weak modeling light, like you might have in a standard studio monolight. These are bright, very bright.

After doing that deep dive review I was impressed. I mean, no product is everything we want, and there’s definitely a wishlist I have in my head for these lights, but for me the pros outweighed the cons.

And now StellaPro has made some interesting changes…

First, they consolidated the Reflex line into one model, eliminating the standard Reflex (no S), and leaving only the Reflex S. There is a Reflex Studio too, but the light head in that model is the Reflex S. Secondly, they’ve increased both the continuous and burst power 50%, doubled the runtime, and made the light 50% faster – now delivering 30 fps of full power bursts without missing a burst.

How much more do these upgraded lights cost you ask? Well, it’s not more expensive. It’s not even the same price. The upgraded lights are almost $250 cheaper! It actually feels weird writing that. An already good product is made better and they charge less? What the hell is the world coming to.

The StellaPro Reflex S lights are now $849, and with the added power they’re a pretty damn good deal – that is if they live up to the claims.

Today we are going to test this new upgraded hardware, which comes in the form of a larger battery handle, and a firmware update to the light head.

The Reflex Lights I will be using in this show were sent to me by Stella Pro Lights for the purpose of that original review show back in June, and the upgraded battery handles were sent to me for the review of the upgrade. Let me be clear though, they have not paid me further and this is not a sponsored review. I am free to have and state any opinions that I have, and StellaPro doesn’t get to see this show before it goes live. This is just my honest opinion based on what I might look for in a portable light.

As always, If you want a crazy technical review – that’s not me, but there are a lot of those out there.

Here are the various sections in the show, so feel free to jump around to the areas that interest you.

00:00 – Intro
01:21 – Disclaimers
03:11 – What is the StellaPro Reflex S?
04:09 – What Changed?
04:38 – The Upgrade
06:35 – Old vs New Battery
09:11 – Updated Specs
10:58 – Testing Intro
15:16 – Black Background Tests
19:45 – Block Wall Test
20:56 – Portrait Tests Intro
21:43 – Portrait Tests
24:30 – Light Falloff Test Intro
25:21 – The Falloff Setup
25:53 – Light Falloff Tests
27:01 – Wishlist
30:57 – Final Thoughts
32:33 – Outro

Join me as I take a look at the recent update to the StellaPro Lights Reflex S. We’ll take a look at the upgraded hardware, and check out the claim of 50% more power.

Original StellaPro Reflex Review Mentioned in the Show (June 2023)

Is This My New Favorite Light? A Review of the Stella Pro Reflex:YouTube.com

Inverse Square Law Video Mentioned in the Show

Digital Photography 1 on 1: Episode 59: Inverse Square Law:: Adorama Photography TV on YouTube

Connect with StellaPro Lights

Website: stellaprolights.com
Facebook: @stellaprolights
Instagram: @stellaprolights
YouTube: @stellaprolights

Connect with Steve

Portfolio: stevebrazill.com
Facebook: @SteveBrazillPhotography
Instagram: @stevebrazill
Twitter: @stevebrazill
Mastodon: @stevebrazill

StellaPro Reflex – Black Background – 3 Feet – Old Battery

StellaPro Reflex – Black Background – 3 Feet – New Battery

StellaPro Reflex Outdoor Portraits of Steve

StellaPro Reflex Light Falloff Tests – Old Battery

StellaPro Reflex Light Falloff Tests – New Battery

StellaPro Reflex with Steve – Pool Side at Dusk

There are times when I see a photographer’s work that I have an emotional response, a feeling that I am seeing something special. That’s what happened the first time I browsed through Victoria Will’s website. Photo after photo there was something…. with impact. That doesn’t happen very often.

Victoria’s career in photography began as a photojournalist, but has now moved to a focus on celebrity portraiture, editorial, and commercial assignments. That beginning, however, is readily obvious. Her images feel spontaneous, like she just happens to be there with a camera while some A List actor, or Hall of Fame musician. happened to be posing. Victoria’s portraits just feel honest and authentic.

Victoria’s images have appeared in the pages of some of the top publications, including Vogue, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone, ESPN and W Magazine. Commercial campaigns for brands like Carhartt, Levis, Netflix, Hulu, Epix, AT&T, Bose, Samsung, Ralph Lauren, and Miller High Life have also used her work.

Her About Page says that her approach is “rooted in collaboration and meaningful connection where she seeks intimacy, authenticity, and elegance with a thoughtful eye and composition”. I would probably just describe her work as magic, but I guess her wording is probably better for the website.

You don’t get to this level of success, and talent, without other people noticing, and she has a crazy collection of awards. Victoria has been recognized by American Photography, PDN Photo Annual, and Communication Arts, and her imagery has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions internationally.

Her first monograph, Borne Back, a collection of tintype portraits, was published in 2017 by Peanut Press. Tintype photography is something I know very little about, or more accurately, nothing at all. Luckily for all of us, Profoto has a video on their YouTube channel documenting the process. You can check out “Victoria Will Shoots the Stars at Sundance” here.

In 2023, Victoria became one of the newest members of the Canon Explorer of Light program, an honor I will say is so very well deserved. She is one of the best working today.

Join Canon Explorer of Light Victoria Will and me as we explore tintype photography, and discuss her tintype image of famed actor Sam Shepard, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Victoria

Website: victoriawill.com
Instagram: @victoriawill
Twitter: @vwillphoto

Victoria’s Book

Borne Back: peanutpressbooks.com

Profoto Video on Victoria Shooting Tintypes

Victoria Will Shoots the Stars at Sundance: youtube.com

Victoria’s Photographer Picks

Dana Scruggs: danascruggs.com | @danascruggs
Benedict Evans: benedictevans.com | @benedict_evans

Regular watchers / listeners of the show will know Dave Williams. He’s a great friend, and amazing photographer, and he has a skill I value… an eye for great guests. In fact, he has connected me to more potential guests than I think anyone else. Because of that, when Dave sends me someone, I pay attention.

Today is the result of that process.

Dave described Paul Kober’s work to me, and I was immediately struck by how unique the concept was. Paul is what most would call a wildlife and nature photographer, but I have never seen his subjects photographed in quite the same way before, or since for that matter.

All of Paul’s photos are taken in his backyard, and he places various string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments hanging from the trees or sitting on the ground. Next, he smears jelly, peanut butter, or birdseed in strategic places on the instruments to attract wild animals. Then, he waits…. and waits, sometimes for many hours. When the squirrels, birds, deer, or other wildlife come into the scene he has created, he grabs the shot. Catching the wildlife in artistically pleasing positions is the key, and somehow he does exactly that. It’s also important to note that no animals are photoshopped into position, it’s all about the patience he has to wait for just that right moment.

His interest in photography only started about twelve years ago, and over the years he has experimented with doing portraits, landscapes, and architecture images, before finding his niche.

Paul is very passionate about music, and in fact made a living as a professional jazz saxophonist for a number of years.  He’s also passionate about animals – he and his wife currently have five shelter cats.

In this relatively short period of time, Paul’s photography has garnered him a great deal of recognition. He has been showcased in Photoshop Magazine, and AirSpeed Magazine. He won the prestigious international GURU award, and nine awards in the London Photography Awards. One of his pictures was even used as the cover for a flute composition.

Join photographer Paul Kober and me as we explore his musical wildlife photography project, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Paul

Website: paulkoberphoto.com
Instagram: @paulkoberphoto
Facebook: @paul.kober.52

Dave William’s Post About Paul on DIY Photography

This Photographer Shoots Cute Animals Playing Musical Instruments: diyphotography.net

Paul’s Photographer Pick

Kaylee Greer: dogbreathphoto.com | @dogbreathphotography

Chapters

00:00 – Intro
00:38 – Intro to Paul Kober
14:12 – Photo Discussion
42:52 – Speed Round Q & A
47:44 – Paul’s Photographer Pick – Kaylee Greer
51:19 – Outro
51:41 – Remembering Terrell Woods

It never surprises me how often Scott Kelby's name comes up when I am talking about photography with someone. I remember, back when I started out in photography, how much I learned from watching his videos with "The Photoshop Guys". Scott, to me, is photography education personified. Scott has been on the show a few times, for Insights From Scott Kelby and Timeless Photography,  but I still remember the first time I met him in person. It was at a Photoshop World in Vegas, and I was at the hotel bar where everyone from the conference hung out. Scott walked in and the room seemed to gravitate slowly towards him. I recall thinking "it's gotta be weird to be him right now" at the same time as thinking "I should go introduce myself". Clearly, I am part of the problem. Still, I walked over and before I got to him he spotted me and walked towards me to say hi. Since then I have had the pleasure of seeing him at a few conferences, and hanging out for a few hours at the NAMM show in Anaheim, CA, but one of the most amazing things is to just sit in a session Scott is teaching and watch him work. Scott Kelby was born to do what he does, and I'm not talking about the business side of Scott here. Sure, Scott is an icon in the photography world. He's the founder and namesake of KelbyOne, the gold standard in online photography education, and the creator of Photoshop World, but the teaching... that is where Scott shines. His knowledge is up there with the best in the business, but his pacing, speech patterns, and demeanor, all make absorbing that knowledge so easy. He has authored numerous books, and he shares a lot of his knowledge on his blog at scottkelby.com.  I'd argue that his Guest Blog Wednesdays are one of the most amazing resources out there for photographers, and twice now I have been honored to write a post there, for Five Lessons Learned from Hosting the Behind The Shot Podcast and The Joy of Live Music Photography. Scott's Annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk – the world’s largest social photography event - just seems to get bigger each year, and he's more than just well versed in photography by the way. Scott is an accomplished musician, playing guitar (what an amazing guitar collection he has), bass, drums, and piano. Plus, he is one of the few photographers that seemingly can photograph anything – Any. Thing. Travel, fashion, beauty, people, the great indoors, automotive, sports, anything he points his camera at seems to crop itself for him, and that is one of the things I love about Scott's work. His eye for composition, and what makes a shot work, is amazing. That is what brings him here today. Scott does regular photo critique shows, usually blind photo critiques, on his show The Grid, usually with Erik Kuna, and his insight is amazing. I firmly believe that one of the best and fastest ways to improve your photography is to get fair honest critiques from a trusted source, and that's what Scott is doing. I also did a series of image critique shows, with my buddy Don Komarechka, for two years, but that stopped when the war broke out in Ukraine, and then Don moved to Bulgaria. At some point while we were doing those shows Scott wrote a blog post titled "What to expect from a photo critique", and it was so damn good that I started mentioning it at the start of every critique show I did with Don. Let me explain... Often I would get an email from someone who's image Don and I critiqued trying to explain the image, and in doing so trying to let me know why we were "wrong" with what we had said. The same thing happens when I judge one of the image competitions I do periodically here in California. People feel that if we judges and critique people only knew the hardships they went through to get an image, or what the crowd was like, or what the music sounded like, or insert your explainer here meant, that we would understand how amazing their image was. We just didn't understand their art!