Reed Hoffmann’s Photography Blog
Basketball Photography
Ref’s butts. That’s what we spend a lot of time looking at, and cursing, when photographing basketball. Despite that, it’s always been one of my favorite sports to shoot. Nearly constant action, just ten players, only a few officials to get in the way, and you can cover the whole court from one spot with two cameras […]
Making the Most of Autofocus
Having lots of menu choices and switches on our cameras today is both good and bad. It’s great to have options, but can be difficult to figure them out. Nowhere is that more apparent than with autofocus. Over the last six months I’ve had several shoots with time to play with those AF options, and […]
African Photo Safari Details
This summer I’m leading another photo safari to Tanzania and the Serengeti, for Mentor Series. I’ve led this same trip five times previously, so thought I’d write a story telling those attending what to expect. And, if you’re interested in doing a trip like this in the future, I’ll probably be returning in 2017. This […]
Why you should join me on a photo trip to Peru
This April I’m returning to Peru, which is an exceptional trip and there are still a few spots open. Having led workshops there a few times, I’ve found that while people come for Machu Picchu and the Incan ruins (which are as spectacular as you’ve heard), they find the personal encounters with the people even […]
India Photography Workshop
In 2001, when I was new to leading photography workshops, I was invited to take a group to India. It was beautiful but exhausting. The sights, smells, colors and sounds were overwhelming. Last month I took a group to India again, for the Mentor Series, and this time it was delightful. India hadn’t changed, but […]
Football Photography in the Rain
Bad weather can make good pictures. Which is about the only reason I was at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday afternoon. For the second home game in a row, we had constant rain. What a pain. On the plus side, the light was nice and soft, meaning no contrast problems or faces hidden in shadow. But shooting […]
Photographer Gift Ideas
It’s that gifting time of year again, so here’s a list of suggestions for that photographer near and dear to you. Some will make them better photographers, expand what they can do, keep them comfortable or just be fun. Some are expensive, some aren’t. And don’t feel bad if you decide to get something for yourself – […]
The Challenge of Photographing Fall Color
One of the joys of living someplace with four seasons is watching them come and go. Fall has always been my favorite of the bunch, with its change of color. Of course that’s especially nice if you’re into photography. But it also presents two big problems – it doesn’t last long, and it’s actually hard to […]
Print Time
An old friend once told me, “It’s not a picture until you can hold it in your hands.” There’s some truth to that. Having a physical print to touch, to be able to change its angle to the light, move it closer and further from your eyes – there’s something special about that. Which is […]
When things don’t go as planned…
I’m a big fan of planning. Thinking through what you’re going to do, having the right gear, being prepared – those are all important to being successful. But things don’t always go the way we plan. So it’s just as important to be flexible, prepared to toss that original idea and start fresh. Which is […]