Peter Tellone's blog

Everyone in photography has an opinion when the word HDR is mentioned. Sometimes it is all about perceptions or misconceptions. In this blog post, I'm hoping to change your mind or your thought process a little, when you hear the term HDR.

I was reading a forum post by someone, who said, "I prefer prime lenses, and would rather zoom with my feet." I also read a blog post by someone that was comparing lenses of two different focal lengths, and they said, "If I want a wider angle, I'll just back up." Now, of course we've heard these references to "zooming with our feet" for years, but does it really work? We'll explore that in today's blog post.

So I was sitting in the dining room in the lodge at Death Valley; across from me was a photographer I met while there. We were comparing notes about calendar sales. I was impressed with his and asked, “So how did you do it?" He replied, “It’s all in the marketing.” My head sunk into my hands as I looked down at my Cowboy Steak. Ughhh…there was that word again, “Marketing.” That's everybody’s mantra these days on how to succeed.

On top of my framing desk sits what I affectionately call "The Pile." It is a stack of probably 300 or more images that I have printed and thrown on the pile, most of which will never be seen by anyone. But it’s my pile, and I love it.

To quote Kyle's Mom from South Park, "What, what, WHAT?! Have you gone mad, man?! There is no color in a black and white image!" Well no, there isn't, but there is a correct way that those colors should be converted and represented in a black and white image.

As photographers, we often say, “It’s all about the light,” and of course, we understand what that means. A photograph isn’t possible without light. What make a great photograph is great light, and the quality of the light...or is it? Is it really about great shadow?

 After the storm on Sunday, I went down to the beach for a walk. I didn’t intend to shoot, but I always carry my camera with me, anyway. As I walked along, I saw the local camera club pile onto the beach 20+ strong, with tripods in hand, and obligatory camera vest and hats. So I stopped to watch them.