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Sean is a world-traveled commercial photographer and author specializing in adventure, lifestyle, nature, and travel; for ad, corporate, and editorial clients. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he’s had freelance and contracted assignments with hundreds of publications and companies worldwide including Amazon, American Express, Backpacker, Engadget, Fuji Film, GEO Germany, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, National Geographic, The New York Times, Nikon, The North Face, Outdoor Photographer, Outside, Peterson’s Photographic, Rangefinder, REI, Sunset, Timex, and Via. Sean has authored many feature articles and books which he photographed including The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure (Jan 2009 – Amphoto/ Random House), and his most recent book The Complete Guide to Nature Photography (Dec 2011 – Amphoto/ Random House). As the Photoguru, he has appeared on numerous television segments, radio and web shows including ABC San Francisco’s The View from the Bay, CBS San Francisco’s Bay Area Focus, ABC Radio Southeast, Scott Sheppard’s Inside Digital Radio and Nik Radio, and Ibarionex Perello’s The Candid Frame discussing various aspects of the photo industry.

Find out more about Sean Arbabi at www.seanarbabi.com

It’s 2013 and the landscape of the photography industry has completely changed. We now live in an era where virtually every DSLR is capable of capturing HD Video and we are being bombarded from all angles as photographers to learn, capture and create video projects. It would be interesting to discuss how our industry came to this juncture, however, it’s ultimately more important to discuss how photographers like you and me can evolve and continue to be relevant in an increasingly multi-media driven industry.

Let’s be honest, we all hate change.  We all hate the fact that our favorite things evolve and that we eventually have to start using a new brand of shampoo because the manufacturer has decided to “take things in a different direction.” It’s annoying. It’s frustrating. We have routines and we want to keep them, but in a world where things are shifting and we either have to change or be left behind, we simply don’t have the luxury of sticking to our routines anymore. Simply put, taking photographs is a routine and it’s time to evolve or be left behind. I’m not asking you to abandon your roots as photographers. I’m simply asking you to open yourselves up to the idea that capturing a little video will only increase your ability to tell a story.

So where do you start? Lets start by understanding that capturing video isn’t simply hitting record on the camera. In very much the same way creating a photograph is not the same thing as pressing the shutter button, capturing meaningful video is important because it has the power to reach us on a visceral level.  Video is multi sensory – It allows us to see, hear, and feel the emotion of what’s being communicated to us.  Some of you may argue that photographs have the same characteristics, but how many times have you seen a photograph of a great sports play and the next thought was to wonder what the actual play looked like? That is the power of video. That is why we must evolve.

© Victor Ha

As photographers, it would be silly to think that any of us are going to become the next Stanley Kubrick or the next Christopher Nolan over night. However, with a little effort, some knowledge, and lots of practice we can begin to create meaningful content in a practical and relevant way. A great place to start is to begin visualizing how your best photographs would translate into video. It’s a great mental exercise and lets us focus on the fundamental concept in storytelling of showing your audience what’s happening, not telling them what’s happening. Once you’ve got the hang of that, try to keep the following things in mind as you venture further into the world of video:

1.  Trust your photographic instincts – As a photographer, you have a number of innate skills that will help you develop into a competent filmmaker. Use your experience as a way to inform some of your decisions as a filmmaker.

2.  Start simple – It’s not about how complex the project is or how much equipment you use… It’s about creating a cohesive and complete story through a series of images. Keeping things simple will let you keep your focus and make sure you concentrate on capturing the right content and telling the best story.

3.  Add a soundtrack – Until you’re comfortable with the idea of capturing video and its various elements, imagine you’re going to use music as the soundtrack to whatever you’re capturing. Just make sure you have permission to use copyrighted music. The last thing you want to do is receive a cease and desist letter for using a copyrighted piece of music in a video.  I recommend going to Triple Scoop Music to find some great royalty free music.

4.  Go to a video workshop and take an editing class – Video has a variety of different facets and making sure you take the time to expose yourself to all of them is important. By going to a workshop or attending a class, you’ll get a chance to see some techniques and learn a lot from the instructor and the others in the class. Creating video is a collective process. Get involved collectively!

Like it or not, capturing video on our HDSLRs is something that will continue to drive our industry – The proposition of being able to capture high quality stills and flip over to capture high quality video is simply too great to ignore. It’s not enough to just accept the change. We have to also find where it fits in our workflow and make it apply to what we deliver to our audiences. Some of you will read this and think that video isn’t something that you’re capable of. Others will think it’s something they know nothing about. It wasn’t so long ago that the same things were said about digital photography and, in the blink of an eye, the industry changed. So when it comes to the notion of capturing video with your DSLR, I’m imploring you adapt. Ultimately, I’m asking you to evolve because I want you to stay relevant.

© Victor Ha

© Victor Ha

Matt Armendariz is a photographer, writer, avid traveler and blogger that specializes in food, drink and tasty spots all over the world. His food blog, www.mattbites.com, was voted as one of the Top 10 Food Blogs in the World by London’s Times Online and was recently selected by GOOP’s Gwyneth Paltrow as one of her 10 favorites food blogs. Mattbites focuses on all things flavorful and has been recognized by The New York Times, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Saveur, Bon Appetit, Gourmet as well as tastemakers like Tori Burch, Design*Sponge and a variety of food and lifestyle editors.

With appearances on the Martha Stewart Show, Paula Deen’s Best Dishes, Gordon Ramsay’s Hell Kitchen and various Food Network and Cooking Channel shows, Matt’s motto is that he’s a “man obsessed with food, drink and everything in between.” As a professional food photographer, his work as appeared in the pages of Bon Appetit, Time Magazine, Coastal Living and online at Martha Stewart and Food Network, as well as a variety of editorial and advertising assignments. He recently photographed a new global campaign for Coca Cola and the 2012 Olympics, coming out next year. His first cookbook, On A Stick!, was released in May of this year. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner Adam Pearson, a food stylist.

You can find Matt online at http://www.mattbites.com, on twitter at @mattarmendariz and see his portfolio at http://www.mattarmendariz.com.

STREAM     |     LISTEN ON iTUNES

Run Time 36:36

© Matt Armendariz

© Matt Armendariz

© Matt Armendariz

To learn more about John visit www.johnbatdorff.com.

Click on any of the links below to view videos by product. Start with Dfine 2 to learn how to reduce noise or skip ahead to any of the other products.

Basic – Dfine 2

Basic – Viveza 2

Basic – HDR Efex Pro 2

Basic – Color Efex Pro 4

Basic – Silver Efex Pro 2

Basic – Sharpener Pro 3

Here on the Google+ Photos team, we’re busy building tools for all kinds of photographers. Today, and for all the professionals out there, we’re bundling the complete set of Nik plug-ins as the Nik Collection by Google. Our 6 plugs-in are now more affordable than ever and available for a 15-day free trial. If you’ve already purchased one or more Nik plug-ins in the past, we’re also going to upgrade you to the entire Nik Collection by Google for free. Just keep an eye out for emailed instructions in the next few days.

Read the complete announcement here

Tim Grey has been answering questions from photographers for over a decade, and in that time he has found that certain questions just won’t go away. Those tend to be the questions that confound and confuse photographers, and in this Hangout On Air with Tim Grey will address those questions. You’ll gain insight as Tim cuts through the confusion to provide clear answers to the big questions in digital photography. And you’ll likely have a bit of fun too.

Bio
Tim has authored more than a dozen books on digital imaging for photographers, including the best-selling Real World Digital Photography and Color Confidence. He has produced over a dozen video training titles on a wide variety of subjects, and has had hundreds of articles published in magazines such as Digital Photo Pro, Outdoor Photographer, and others. He publishes the Ask Tim Grey email newsletter, as well as the Pixology monthly electronic magazine. Tim teaches through workshops, seminars, and appearances at major events around the world.

You can learn more at www.asktimgrey.com, and www.pixologymag.com.

Click here to watch this Hangout On Air

Jon Cornforth will be discussing his evolving work as a marine wildlife photography specialist. He will be sharing images, stories, and techniques from his recent work above and below water, from Antarctic to the South Pacific.

Jon has been a full-time nature photographer since 2001. His images regularly appear in magazines and calendars. Though initially admired as a landscape photographer, his work has been increasingly focused on the marine environment, with a special emphasis on humpback whales. He lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and two young daughters. www.cornforthimages.com

Click here to watch this Hangout On Air

Join this informative and fun Hangout on Air, talking with +Matt Kloskowski with Host Scott Sheppard as Matt shares his workflow process with his Landscape and Nature Photography.

Matt is a full time Education Director for the NAPP and Kelby Training. He’s a best-selling author of various books on Photoshop and Photography co-hosts the live weekly photography talk show “The Grid” and is co-host of “Photoshop User TV”. In his spare time he practices as a 1st degree black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys spending time with his family in Tampa, FL.

Check out his Google+ page at https://plus.google.com/103275414019940070295/

Click here to watch this Hangout On Air