Tips from a Photography Mentor
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Photography Advice
Is SOOC an Admission of Lazy or a Humble Brag?
The quote: “SOOC is NOT a badge of honor; it is code for too lazy to process images.” I posted this quote and image on social media as part of my daily Photo Quotes Series. It is from an article that I wrote back in 2021. I kicked a hornet’s nest…
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Photography Advice
Top 16 Super Important Year-End Tasks That Every Photographer Should Do
Table of ContentsIntroduction#DoTheWorkThe List1. Clean Your Cameras and Lenses2. Remember Your Lighting Gear3. Bags and Cases Get Dirty Too4. Check and Update Firmware5. Insurance6. TECH: Computers, Hard Drives, and Memory Cards7. File Management8. Personal Development9. The Business of Business10. Bookkeeping11. Look at the Numbers12. Establish New Business Goals13. Update Pricing14.…
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Photography Advice
Stop Thinking Photography Is a Competitive Business, and Here’s Why!
Table of ContentsIntroductionWhy are photographers so damn competitive?A Little HistoryCompetition Is a Self-inflicted ProblemDo YOU!Top 5 Ways To Avoid Competition With Your PhotographyIn Closing Introduction Competition is a critical topic, and one I realize is getting in the way of many photographers finding the success they seek. And remember, only…
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Photography Gear
Why I Have a Love-Hate Relationship With My Sony Cameras
Sony A7RiVa with Tamron 70-180mm F/2.8 Di III VXD Table of ContentsIntroductionThe Switch and The ChoiceWhat I Dislike About Sony and My Sony Mirrorless CamerasWhat I Love About My Sony Cameras – a7RIVa and a7IV(2)The Important QuestionsMy Top Tips for Selecting Your Next Camera and When To Do ItHow do…
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Photography Advice
How To Make Sure People Dislike Your Photos
Yes, you read the title correctly. So why would you want someone to dislike your photograph? You wouldn’t! But that is what frequently happens when you give your photo a title. You may know that I operate an online learning community called The TOGKnowledge Photographic Community and a Facebook Group.…
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Photography Advice
Reasons Why Most Photography Workshops Suck
Sorry, but it needed to be said I know what you are thinking. Doesn’t Joe teach at photography workshops? Why would he say most photography workshops suck? Before I tell you why let’s be sure we are on the same page. Just because someone is an excellent photographer doesn’t guarantee…
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Marketing for Photographers
Under Promise & Over Deliver Is a Bad Idea
I first learned the concept of under promise and over deliver from a trusted mentor way back in my twenties. Turns out, it is an aphorism. Aphorisms, like clichés, are those pithy, often overused observations that contain a general truth, like, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I mean,…
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Photography Advice
5 Ways Collaboration Will Improve Your Photography
The Oxford Dictionary defines collaboration as “the action of working with someone to produce or create something.” Pretty simple right? It really is that simple. You know that old proverb; “Two heads are better than one”? Well, that phrase has been around since 1546. We still know it because it…
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TOGCHATS
Five Things Learned From Budding Photographers with Marc Silber
Episode #258 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded July 16th, 2021
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Marketing for Photographers
How to Add VALUE to Your Photography and WHY it is So Important
Episode #256 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded July 1st, 2021
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TOGCHATS
SHOOT PREP — How to Make Your NEXT Shoot Your BEST Shoot
Episode #246 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded April 9, 2021
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TOGCHATS
Personal Branding Is Not Just for Professional Photographers
Episode #245 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded April 1st, 2021
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TOGCHATS
Photography Critiques Suck! So Let’s Fix Them!
Episode #239 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded February 17, 2021
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TOGCHATS
Practical Composition
Episode #237 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded February 3rd, 2021
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TOGCHATS
9 Ideas To Make You More Creative and Your Photographs Unique
Episode #227 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded November 25th, 2020
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TOGCHATS
8 Things Every Successful Photographer Does
Episode #226 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded November 18th, 2020
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TOGCHATS
Stop Making Excuses and You Will Improve Your Photography
Episode #225 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded November 11th, 2020
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TOGCHATS
The Most Valuable Learning Technique That Most Photographers Ignore
Episode #220 of the TOGCHAT Photography Podcast - Recorded October 7th, 2020
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Photography Advice
The Problem With “Fix It in Post” and “Get It Right in the Camera”
It’s time we put some updated sensibilities’ behind the statements “fix it in post” and “getting it right in the camera”. A few people mentioned these phrases to me recently and honestly I was surprised to hear how they interpreted the meaning behind them. I was even more surprised and…
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Photography Advice
7 Things My Subjects Have Taught Me About Photography
Learning to be a better photographer is not all about learning photography. Especially if you want to photograph people. Don’t get me wrong, you still need to read your camera manual, learn about exposure controls, Depth of Field and the dreaded Inverse Square Law. Let’s face it, there is no…
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Photography Advice
9 Behaviors That GREAT Photographers Embrace
We all look at the most successful photographers and wonder what would it take to “be them”. There are some things that we can point to with certainty that are key to their success. Skills, intelligence and very importantly discipline. You have probably heard the phrase “Work smarter, not harder”.…
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Photography Advice
Why You Need To Join Professional Photographers of America (PPA)
Did you know that Professional Photographers of America is NOT just for professional photographers? And it’s not just for photographers based in the US. PPA is short for Professional Photographers of America. It is the world’s largest nonprofit photography association organized for photographers by photographers, with over 30,000 members in…
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Photography Advice
3 Most Important Things You Must Do To Improve Your Photography
It’s a new year and the beginning of a new decade. All of which means – opportunity. Opportunity to become a better photographer. Opportunity to improve your photography skills and even improve your ability to make money as a photographer if that is your goal. 2019 was a great year…
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Photography Advice
It’s Time To Hold the Photo Industry Media Accountable!
I am so disappointed! First and foremost – I am disappointed with the companies that make our cameras. Not just my brand – Olympus, but all of them… Canon – Nikon – Sony – Fuji – Panasonic – all of them. Secondly – I am disappointed in photography YouTubers who…
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Photography Advice
If You Want To Find Success as a Photographer Stop Asking for Opinions!
If you want to find success as a photographer – STOP asking people what they think about your photographs or what they think you should do to improve – just stop. It’s not helping you – in fact it’s making it harder to progress and improve as a photographer because…
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Photography Lighting Techniques from Joe Edelman (Cr.Photog.)
Your Best Shot Is a Mistake!?!
Sometimes your best shot presents itself as a mistake, and if you are not paying attention you will fix the mistake and wind up with a less creative, less exciting, less interesting photograph. I want to show you an example from a recent shoot where this happened to me and…
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Shoot Breakdown
How To Save a Shoot When Your Idea Isn’t Working
What do you do when you have a beautiful subject with amazing makeup in front of your camera and you want to produce a shot that is truly special and… it’s just not coming together? Maybe the lighting is boring, the camera angles are bland, and the sweat is starting…
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Photography Gear
10 Tripod Tips and Tricks
A tripod is one of the most important pieces of gear that you should own and use as a photographer. Yet I see so many photographers struggle to choose the right tripod, or– even worse–not use them properly or– the absolute worst of all–not use them when they should be…
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Photography Advice
Can We Please Stop Watermarking Photographs?
My Facebook group recently blew up in a heated debate: Why is watermarking an issue? Painters add their signature right into their painting as an assurance that people will be able to identify them as the artist but they do it in a way that you frequently need to hunt…
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Photography Advice
Success in Photography – It’s in the Details
Last week, fStoppers.com published an article by a very talented Canadian shooter named Ryan Cooper. The article was titled “Why being pickier will make you a better photographer.” The article reminded me of a presentation that I’ve been doing variations of for almost ten years. It’s titled The Art of…
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Photography Advice
A Picture Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect – To Be Perfect!
A few weeks back, Darryl Currey from Australia, who is a member of my Facebook Group posted an image with a question. He asked, “Does a photo have to be perfect to be perfect?”and “Have we become more obsessed with the technicalities of photography than the art of it?” My…
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Photography Advice
Will That New Camera Make You a Better Photographer?
More megapixels, faster shooting speeds, greater dynamic range… it all costs more money – lots more money- but will it make you a better photographer? 2017 has been an exciting year in the world of photography, especially when it comes to the cameras that we use. Sony released the A9…
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Photography Advice
When Should You Start Getting Paid for Your Photography?
When should you start getting paid for your photography? I can actually answer that in four simple words… When you are ready. But what does that mean? When you are ready? Let’s face it – we have all met the photographer who has owned their prosumer DSLR camera for three…
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Photography Advice
Smartphone Photography Can Improve All of Your Photography
In part one of this Smartphone photography set, I promised to share my favorite apps for shooting and processing my smartphone images, and I told you that I would share a list of apps that can help you improve ALL of your photography – even with your expensive pro cameras.…
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Photography Advice
A Smartphone Is the Best Camera to Improve Your Photography
I want to challenge your way of thinking about camera gear and prove to you that your smartphone is the best and possibly most important camera that you own. Now, I bet you are thinking I’ve lost my mind; that I’ve finally crossed over to the dark side, sold my…
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Photo Shoot Tips
To Pose a Model or Not To Pose? That Is the Question
Before we get started, be warned: this is not a how to pose article. In fact, if you’ve read any of my articles on posing or heard me talk about the subject in one of my videos, you already know how I feel about most books and videos that teach…
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Photography Advice
80% Of Portrait Photography Is Psychology
I have mentioned often that 80% of portrait photography is psychology and 20% of it is photography. I go into the psychology in a lot of other pieces, so I wanted to take a moment to address that 20%. 20% of portrait photography. . . Understand that the 20% that…
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Photography Advice
The BEST Photography Composition Rule
If you want to learn about photography composition, fill the frame, fill the frame, fill the frame! Seriously, fill the frame. Hey, gang. Guess what this conversation is about? Yeah, photography composition and why you should fill the frame. I’m honestly kind of dumbfounded. As I’m lecturing and I’m spending…
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Photography Advice
The Most Important Question For Photographers To Ask
I wanted to take a moment to share with you an article that I saw on digital-photography-school.com. It’s about a topic that’s been discussed many, many times for year over. It’s about why asking what camera settings were used is not as helpful as you think. “Can you tell me…
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Photography Advice
How Important are Photography Conventions and Conferences?
Where can you meet and learn from the most well known photographers? Touch, try, and drool on the latest and greatest photography gear? Meet other like minded photographers and talk and share ideas and stories? At Photography Conventions or Conferences. In this post I am going to talk you to…
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Photography Lighting Techniques from Joe Edelman (Cr.Photog.)
Learn How to SEE Light. Remember the Egg!
When I started telling the egg story in my workshops many years ago, I got the sense that people were just humoring me as they sat there nodding their heads as if they understood the message. So I went ahead and recorded a video to show what I was talking…
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Photography Advice
STOP asking for Constructive Criticism on your Photography
And STOP being so quick to give bad constructive criticism! Stop it, stop it, stop it! Posting your pictures on Facebook, Flickr, 500px or ANY website with those two horrible words – Constructive Criticism – is NOT helping your photography. For years, I have watched photographers posting their works online…
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Photography Advice
Best Way to Dramatically Improve Your Photography Skills
Hey gang! If you’re reading this, then you’re either really bored, think I write better than J. K. Rowling (which I assure you I do not), or you want to improve your photography skills. If the last one is the case, BRAVO! You’ve come to the right place. Improving as…
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Photography Advice
It’s Okay To Suck if You Want To Be a Great Photographer
You heard me right… Don’t be afraid to SUCK! if you want to become a great photographer. Yes, it’s okay to fail in order to become a better photographer. In fact, you need to fail if you want to improve your skills! Think about it- the lessons that tend to…
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Photography Advice
Don’t be a ZOMBIE Photographer
Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukah, Habari gani… well, you get the idea. It’s the holiday season and as we near the end of 2016 I wanted to take a few minutes and share with you MY Holiday wish lists for all of you. This year has been an incredible ride, meeting…
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