TWIP #125 – Contentious Photography in Haiti

This week: A discussion on Haiti from a photographer's perspective, a Lighting 101 lesson, and an interview with lifestyle photographer Michael Corsentino.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Steve Simon, Alex Lindsay

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Steve's Olympic Torch Photography
The guys chat about Steve's recent assignment in Canada to cover the Olympic Torch relay. Steve shares some cold weather shooting tips and recommends experimenting with Auto ISO.

Contentious Photography in Haiti
Fred, Alex and Steve discuss the situation in Haiti from a photographer's standpoint and how they feel about photographers and reporters inserting themselves into the situation. The gang also gives some tips and advice to photographers when travelling into areas where there may be food, water, or power shortages. Alex mentioned the Hypermac external battery which is a handy gadget to bring with you if you need to power your MacBook or iPhone.

For those who would like to help out, the most obvious choice is to donate to the Red Cross, which has told various news outlets that it has already exhausted all of its supplies in Haiti and that there are far more people in need of help. You can also donate to the Red Cross on iTunes. However, the Red Cross website isn't the only place you can donate anymore-the organization says you can donate a quick $10 just by texting the word “Haiti” to 90999. There's also Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, an international organization created by doctors that provide relief efforts around the world.

LIGHTING 101

Over the next couple of shows we'll be digging into a particular topic and first up is the topic of lighting. This week, Alex, Fred and Steve talk about what light is from a photographer's perspective. How does light work and what role does light play in photography. Steve also provides some basic tips for working with flash and ways to work with one flash by getting it off the camera. One tip is to look at the quality of the light. If it's even and low you're going to get great results.

INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL CORSENTINO

Fred chats with lifestyle photographer Michael Corsentino about a variety of topics including how he works with wedding clients to order prints, albums, etc. Be sure to check out his website at www.corsentinophotography.com.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Steve – Tiffen Digital HT ND Filter

Alex – Delkin Fat Gecko Camera Mount

Fred – TWiP Workshop in Joshua Tree, CA

WRAP UP

Frederick Van Johnsonwww.frederickvan.com or www.twitter.com/frederickvan

Steve Simon – www.stevesimonphoto.com or www.twitter.com/stevesimon

Alex Lindsay – www.pixelcorps.com or www.twitter.com/alexlindsay

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

Visit the blog at www.twiplog.com and the Flickr critique group. We also have a new Facebook group so be sure to check it out.

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly. Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

Show producer Aaron Mahler at www.halfpress.com or www.twitter.com/halfpress

TWiP is sponsored by the new voice-activated SYNC. SYNC listens to your voice, so SYNC knows what to do when you tell it to play TWiP or call home, or play your favorite play list, or give you turn-by-turn navigation. Even weather and traffic updates. All hands-free with the sound of your voice. For more details visit Syncmyridepodcast.com. And to enter to win a free Nano or Zune, send a tweet with hashtag “Syncmyridepodcast.”

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4 Comments

  1. re:lawsuit

    The studio was a Christian "branded" studio. The suit smells of somebody trying to make a few bucks. The overtly religious should be avoided.

  2. I reflected on the controversy of the podcast #125 re Haiti, and that brought to my memory a very similar situation which a famous photographer (Nick Ut) faced in Vietnam 1972.

    His image of a naked 9 year old girl running towards the camera won that years Pulitzer Prize and became Nick’s best known photo.

    Right after taking that shot, Nick rushed Kim to a South Vietnamese hospital where she spent 14 months recovering.

    Both Nick and Kim recognize today that that moment ultimately changed both their lives.

    Kim now runs a foundation dedicated to provide funds for free medical assistance to children who are victims of war and terrorism.

    That horrible moment gave Nick and the art of photography the opportunity to save hundreds of lives.

    Regards
    Pedro

    Kim’s Foundation: http://www.kimfoundation.com
    Nick’s Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Ut