Reed Hoffmann’s Photography Blog
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 […]
With Lighting, it’s about Quality, not Quantity
A long time ago I learned the hard way that the more I tried to do fancy lighting for portraits, the less likely I’d get a good picture. So my rule became “simple is good.” And that’s just what I did last week. I’ve got a friend who coaches his kids’ sports, and I sometimes join […]
Photography in the Arctic
In June I got a call asking if I was available to teach photography on an Arctic cruise in July. And since I’d already be there, could I stay and do a second cruise? While my calendar’s been pretty full this year, July was the one month that was wide open. So, after getting permission […]
Why I Return to the Serengeti
If you follow my Facebook page, then you know I’ve just returned from leading a photo safari to Africa. That marks my eighth wildlife workshop trip to Africa, and the sixth to Tanzania and the Serengeti. When people hear how many times I’ve been there, they inevitably ask, “Why go back to the same place […]
Using Flash to Stop Action
One of the unique “gifts” of photography is its ability to stop time. We can freeze a moment and study it, which we can’t do with our eyes alone. Athletes in the air, a baseball coming off a bat, dogs in mid-bark are all photos we love to look at for that reason. And while […]