The human element in landscape photography: An overview

A richer visual story -- Larry Moskowitz

Whenever people think of landscape photography, it’s likely to conjure up images of mountains and the vast wilderness. But it’s also common to incorporate a human element in landscape images to humanize the image and tell a richer visual story, according to professional photographers.

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Larry Moskowitz. Landscape photography is, by definition, purely natural. It is intended to tell the tale of life’s astounding diversity as well as the continuing geological process on Earth. A person, however, can be a means to tell a richer tale. For one, a person set against massive landscape is a lesson in scale and perspective and can solicit a range of emotions including awe and wonder.

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People remove the dullness in ordinary shots of lighthouses, beaches, or wildlife. They add story to the picture, reflecting emotion and power through their portrait and its combination with the landscape. They demand composition and more careful positioning in order to translate as a high-impact component of the image. Larry Moskowitz.

Thus, as seasoned photographers explain, the next time people see a landscape photo, for example, what would be left if they remove the man on a boat on the shot of a sleeping river? How does it make the storytelling different? This is the power of the human element, and one that photographers should continue to explore. Larry Moskowitz.

Photography for everybody: Introducing children to the wonderful hobby

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Photography is for everybody, including children. However, when introducing photography to kids, here are some important considerations.

Click and learn - Larry Moskowitz
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First off, have children use cameras that are not too expensive. Kids can get pretty excitable and may bounce up and down and drop the camera, which can be very unfortunate if they’re holding DSLR. Larry Moskowitz

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If the child is still too young, let them get used to pointing and shooting. A tried-and-tested tip: Have them take pictures of both still and moving objects.

It is a great idea to take the children out on a walk and have the camera handy. Start with the nearest park or receptive and safe open space. Allow the kid to look for interesting subjects. Let then find and experiment with vantage points. Larry Moskowitz

Finally, another activity to get children interested in photography is to bring them to a photo exhibit. Exhibits have a way of inspiring children and educating them in terms of what a good image should be like. Moreover, through exhibits, they can learn the different types of photography and see great examples of them. Larry Moskowitz.

Monochrome photography: Tips and insights

I’m Larry Moskowitz, professional photographer. Here’s the one thing about stock photography – it can get incredibly boring. I find that to be a good thing though because I get to flex my creative juices to keep myself from being bored. I find time to experiment as much as I can.

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 For a few years now, I’ve been mixing in a bit of monochrome photography into my work. While stock photography mainly uses colored images, taking them in black and white helps me with learning how to take monochrome shots. I think of it as good practice for my hobby, which is all other sorts of photography.

And by golly, have I learned a lot.

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First, always shoot in RAW. That format can be modified as easily as any other format, but the quality of the image stays the same. Photographers who usually take black and white shots know the value of RAW. And so should you.

Next, mind your shapes. Stock photography has helped me with this a lot since the products I shoot come in all shapes and textures. I simply imagine how they would look like on a newspaper printed in black and white. It need not be boring.

Finally, don’t go for subjects that rely on their color. Yes, there are some images that need color, such as flowers and the sunset. Instead, look for images that can tell a story in monochrome.
If you have more monochrome tips, feel free to share them with me, Larry Moskowitz in the comments section below.

Larry Moskowitz is a professional photographer focused on stock photos for sale as well as nature photography. He is married and has a son and a daughter, and they recently went on a holiday in the Virgin Islands. For more on Larry, click here.

How good is an iPhone for photographers?

I’m Larry Moskowitz, a stock photographer. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved photography. I own all kinds of cameras and I have all kinds of equipment. Yeah, it’s not just my hobby, it’s my way of life.

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I’ve seen and welcomed a lot of hobbyists who were looking to get into the photography scene. Many of them were young kids who were still in school. Since they didn’t have the money to buy quality gear, most of them only used their smartphones (mostly iPhones) – which isn’t a bad thing.

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iPhones have great cameras, better than most other smartphone cameras in production. As far as point-and-shoot cameras go, iPhones are in a league of their own. They’re great for beginners because they’re not as complicated as DSLRs, and what’s more is that an iPhone has editing capabilities built into its app.

DSLRs are still the top-of-the-line when it comes to photography, but the iPhone is probably the handiest. From taking photos to instantly sharing them online, it can be done in just a matter of seconds.

As for me, I believe having an iPhone as a camera is valuable to a person entering photography simply because it keeps the whole thing interesting and affordable. While newer iPhones are expensive, you can buy used iPhones online for a much cheaper price and still be able to utilize its many wonderful camera features. That’s a Larry Moskowitz tried-and-tested tip.

Larry Moskowitz is a professional photographer focused on stock photos for sale as well as nature photography. He is married and has a son and a daughter, and they recently went on a holiday in the Virgin Islands. For more on Larry, click here.

Biggest problems faced by professional photographers

Being a professional photographer is no walk in the park. For photographers who don’t have an agent who helps them with booking gigs, it’s no news that the business can be difficult. Running your own photography studio or just being an on-site photographer on a daily basis has its fair share of problems. According to professional photographer Larry Moskowitz, you really have to be an artist if you want to survive in this profession. This is why a lot of people simply pack up and leave. Here are some of the biggest problems faced by professional photographers.

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Like most businesses, money is one of the biggest concerns of professional photographers. A lot of people don’t see why they need to pay $100 or more to a person who takes photos. Customers often lowball photographers citing reasons in the process. Some even ask starting photographers to cover their events for free in return for exposure and experience. Like most people, photographers need to eat, feed their sons and daughters, and pay bills. Keep in mind that what you are paying for when you hire a photographer is a combination of manpower, equipment rental, and skills.

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Another major problem faced by professional photographers is booking gigs. If you charge a decent amount, chances are there will always be a photographer that will charge less than your rate. They may not be as good as you, but these lowered rates hurts the entire business.

Lastly, another main problem professional photographers encounter in their career is diversifying. Whether in terms of specialization and the equipment that comes with it, a photographer needs to grow. According to Larry Moskowitz, photographers who do not invest in the future are doomed to fail eventually.

Larry Moskowitz is a professional photographer who is fixated in returning to the Virgin Islands for a vacation. He sells stock photos for living and very much likes nature photography as well. To read more about Larry and his interests, visit this page.

Photography as a business enterprise

I’m Larry Moskowitz and you may know me from the photographs I’ve taken or the workshops I’ve held. I have a photography business, in which I mainly shoot products. But on many occasions I branch out to different types of shoots just to keep my creative juices flowing.

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 But what I really want to discuss today is how photography for me turned from being a hobby into a profession. I started taking pictures of the things that fascinated me in my old neighborhood when I was 13. Then I volunteered to photograph events for my high school. It was fun and every day was an adventure. Of course, things weren’t as high-tech back then, even though a few cameras had phones and digital photography was already on the rise.

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College was no different. At this point though, I began to seriously consider a career in photography since my course taught me a lot about business. I knew it would take a lot of hard work and I knew I shouldn’t expect much for the first few years. So, after college, I got an office job while I still photographed events and products during my off-hours.

I didn’t buy all my equipment at one go. I bought them little by little until I was confident I had all I needed to start the business, my portfolio included. It’s a good thing I made friends with many of the companies whose products I had shot back in college. They were still willing to work with me.
And that is how I started Larry Moskowitz Photography.

Larry Moskowitz is a professional photographer focused on stock photos for sale, as well as nature photography. He is married and has a son and a daughter. For more on Larry and his interests, visit this page.

Five more tips for rookie photographers

I’m Larry Moskowitz, and I’ve been in the photography scene here in New York City for quite some time now. I’ve met a lot of beginners last year, many of whom seemed to be in it because they were influenced by friends. And that’s all well and good. However, in one of our social gatherings, I noticed that many of these rookies still need a bit of work when it came to the basics.
On this note, here are five more tips I can share with you.

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On surroundings: Always take the time to study the surroundings of your subject. Observe how the light hits it. Take note of the shadows that form. Look for things that can emphasize the story you want to tell.

On natural light: If you’re taking pictures outside, light will naturally have a different effect, depending on the time of day. Experiment. People know the name of Larry Moskowitz because I love to experiment.

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On children: When taking pictures of children, don’t force them to stay still. It’s always best to let them be their playful selves. Nothing’s as sad as a child that’s lost his playful spirit.

On gear: As a rooking photographer, some of the photography gear you own may still be a bit of a mystery to you. Learn how they work and how you can maximize them. Again, experiment.

On zoom: Always try zooming in with your feet. Don’t rely on the camera’s zoom capabilities if you have a choice and a chance to move closer to your subject.

Larry Moskowitz is a professional photographer focused on stock photos for sale as well as nature photography. He is married and has a son and a daughter. For more on Larry and his interests, visit this page.