Matt Theobald of Breakthrough Photography, makers of the world's sharpest and most color neutral filters, joins Chris to talk about the success of his business and his best tips for using lens filters. Matt shares the situations you need to be using filters in, best practices for handling your filters, and the major differences between cheap and well-made filters. He also discusses how filters can assist in various landscapes such as Yosemite and Chicago's Botanical Gardens.  Chris then talks...

Rafael Pons joins Chris to discuss PhotoPills, an app that helps you plan your shots during all hours of the day. The incredible app lets you see when and where the sun, moon, and stars will rise and fall, so that you'll never miss the perfect moment.  Listen as Rafael tells us the first thing you should do after downloading the PhotoPills app, previews the forthcoming PhotoPills Camp, and teases the next big feature coming to PhotoPills: Meteor Shower Forecasts. Visit...

Chris is joined by Sean Bagshaw, who was at Out of Oregon and will join us again for Out of Acadia (https://www.outofchicago.com/acadia/) in 2020. They discuss everything there is to know about Luminosity Masks, including why someone may want to use them and how to avoid going too far in post-processing. Speaking of post-processing, the two chat about replacing skies, one-click photo post processing apps, and why they both prefer to get granular in their editing.  Before becoming a...

Toby Harriman, who will be a featured guest at Out of Chicago in June (https://www.outofchicago.com/chicago/) , joins Chris to discuss how he became a professional photographer, his aerial work, and how businesses research photographers before working with them, no matter their numbers on social media.  As someone who spends a lot of time shooting in Alaska, Toby shares why he struggles to find a camera that can handle the northern winters, and the cameras he relies on. He also discusses how...

Chris hosts a panel with Ian Plant, Ryan Smith, Blake Rudis and Michael Shainblum at Out of Oregon 2019 to discuss how they all make a living in landscape photography and the evolving technology landscape. The discussion opens with how they got started in their craft. Later we learn how they currently make money in landscape photography, how to handle social media, how to build an audience, advice for hobbyists who want to launch their own website, and the best ways to create an eBook -- if...

Photographer Charlotte Gibb joins Chris to discuss what it means to shoot intimate landscapes, her favorite places to photograph in Yosemite, and why winter is her favorite season to shoot there. She also shares her go-to lens, tips for photographing fall's colors, rules for shooting that may not come naturally, and how she turns a simple subject into a masterpiece. Later, Charlotte explains why she prefers to shoot alone, and what she hopes to contribute to our Out of Yosemite conference...

Nature First (https://www.naturefirstphotography.org/) co-founder Matt Payne joins Chris to discuss the origins of the alliance, its principles, and to debate whether photographers should share shooting locations.  Preserving nature is important to Matt and many other photographers, so he shares the questions you should ask yourself when you're thinking about giving someone else a shooting location. He also provides specific examples of locations that've been negatively affected by...

Chris is joined by landscape photographer Ryan Smith, who has his own annual event in the southwest, Outsiders Conference (https://outsidersphoto.com/) . The two discuss managing photography conferences and preview their respective events coming up in Oregon (https://www.outofchicago.com/oregon/) (October 13 - 17, 2019) and Kanab, Utah (March 20 - 22, 2020). Ryan has a lot of experience with selling his prints, so he talks about what he does to close sales. He also discusses his field tricks:...

Chris is joined by wildlife and landscape photographer Juan Pons, who hit pause on podcasting to start a YouTube channel for fellow photographers.  In their wide-ranging chat, Chris and Juan discuss the state of Sony's camera offerings including the new a7R IV, and why he primarily shoots with the a7R III.  They also discuss the benefits of shooting in Acadia National Park (including the best trails, outlooks, and what animals you can expect to see), and his favorite places to shoot in the...

Chris is joined by "The Snowflake Guy," Don Komarechka, who discusses UV photography and macro photography. Best known for his work shooting snowflakes, Don explains how he achieves these photographs (including tips on when to use focus stacking) and the Hollywood-level projects it's brought him. Don also talks about how he sets aside time for shooting, his advice to landscape photographers on finding a unique shot, and details his upcoming book Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet,...

Chris and Out of Chicago team member Anne Belmont are in Costa Rica as discuss what Anne, who is a flower photographer, will be presenting at Out of Longwood later this year.  In a laid back chat amongst Costa Rica's evening nature, Anne shares what she likes to help people with while they're out in the field, and talks at length about what a Lensbaby is. Anne is so well-known for her Lensbaby work that she wrote a whole book about it: Creative Flower Photography: An Illustrated Guide to...

Chris sits down with landscape photographer Alex Noriega, who shares how he created his award-winning (2016 USA Landscape Photographer of the Year, and 2016 International Landscape Photographer of the Year) photographs. In our wide-ranging interview, Alex talks about seeking a sense of mystery when he's out in the field, and why he loves shooting nature instead of architecture.  Alex also offers his favorite National Parks to shoot in, how to escape the crowds that are found in America's...

Chris is by himself this week to offer a candid preview of Out of Chicago’s 2020 events. He also shares what he’s learned from running Out of Chicago, and how he and his team have applied these lessons to future conferences. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter (Visit the home page of our site) to become an Out of Chicago Insider. By doing so, you'll be the first to know when tickets for our conferences are on sale. Out of Chicago’s 2020 conferences: Out of Yosemite: February 5 – 9, 2020 Out...

Mark Denney, who went from working at an unfulfilling job in corporate America to becoming a full time landscape photographer, joins Chris to talk about how he found success on YouTube and how he makes his living. Mark also discusses how you can tell if you've over-edited your photo, what he still messes up when shooting (Edge control), his favorite tripod, and Sony versus Fuji cameras. Join Mark and Chris at Out of Oregon (https://www.outofchicago.com/oregon/) later this year. Visit...

Chris is joined by Rad Drew, who'll be a presenter at next month's Out of Longwood in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.  Rad will be teaching different ways to photograph flowers using your phone, and how to use the selfie camera to capture unique perspectives. In his chat with Chris, Rad discusses how to decide between shooting on a phone versus a traditional camera, what type of phone captures the best photographs, and his workflow when capturing on a phone. Rad is also experienced with the...

How can photographers lead happier and more content lives? Chris is joined by Ugo Cei, who teaches better living through photography. Ugo shares why it's the best time to be a photographer, and what baselines you need to hit in order to turn it into a full time job. He also discusses how to step out of your comfort zone if you're hesitant to put out your work. For those who are getting started, Ugo talks about what you should master first in three-hour practice sessions. Visit...

John Kosmopoulos joins Chris for a free-wheeling discussion on developing your own style of photography, and what makes his work different from others.  John also shares how he experiments with color, how he decides what will be monochrome, and a trick involving a black and white adjustment layer. He explains how he guides a viewer's eye around an image, what happened to spending a long time looking at a photograph, and we hear his thoughts on galleries. John shoots in both nature and urban...

This week we're joined by street photographer Steve Simon, who just released a revised and remastered edition of his book, The Passionate Photographer (https://www.amazon.com/Passionate-Photographer-2nd-Bestselling-Photographers/dp/178157636X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+passionate+photographer&qid=1560442972&s=gateway&sr=8-1) . After Steve kicks off the show by turning the tables on Chris, the discussion turns to the ever-evolving business of photography and how The Passionate...

Urban Explorer Alanna St. Laurent joins Chris to discuss her favorite places to photograph in Chicago and Detroit, and specific vantage points she likes to pursue. She also shares tips on safely roaming the streets of these cities, and what kind of gear she takes into the field. A self-taught photographer who has found success through art fairs, Alanna offers tips on shooting at night in the city (including how she handles white balance). She is also a drone photographer, and shares her...

Chris heads to Menorca, Spain for PhotoPills Camp 2019 and chats with landscape and timelapse photographer Michael Shainblum. Considered by Chris to be the best timelapse photographer in the world, Michael shares timelapse photography tips, the differences between landscape and timelapse composition, how he uses Google Earth to find new places to travel to, his most fulfilling project, and the scariest moment of his life. As someone whose only career has been photography, Michael also shares...

On this episode of F8 | The Photographer's Perspective (new name!), Chris is joined by landscape photographers Rick and Susan Sammon, who discuss their new book, "The Oregon Coast Photo Road Trip (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NZ2FG2C/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) ," all about points of interest and how to shoot the area. Rick will be a featured instructor at Out of Oregon (https://www.outofchicago.com/oregon/) this October. The Sammons discuss the benefits of shooting on...

Floral photographer Jackie Kramer, who'll be at our Out of Longwood (https://www.outofchicago.com/garden/) conference this August, joins Chris to discuss the secrets behind her creativity, including how she shoots her own textures.  Jackie also shares her favorite gardens up and down the eastern seaboard, her favorite equipment (she's all Canon), and the one tool every photographer can't leave home without. She also discusses photographers who inspire her.  On the late Nancy Rotenberg: “I...

Chris heads to Yosemite to talk with landscape photographer Michael Frye, who shares his best tips on photographing one of America's National Parks (it isn’t all about sunrise and sunset). Michael also shares his favorite Yosemite locations to shoot, and how to follow your passion rather than trying to compete with others or copying someone else. As Chris preps for his winter conference at the iconic California location, Michael explains what small scenes to look out for in over the colder...

Chris talks with fine art architecture photographer Angie McMonigal about her favorite buildings to shoot in Chicago, which cities are on her wishlist, and how conference photo walks help participants improve their skillset. Plus, is there a right amount of time to be spending at a location? Angie has sold her work to places like […]