The Lens

This week we bring you the photographer known mostly by his first name, Sandro! You might know one of his recent projects where he captures John Malkovich in a number of homage images to other master photographers (http://edelmangallery.com/exhibitions-and-projects/exhibition-pages/2014/sandro-miller-malkovich,-malkovich,-malkovich-homage-to-photographic-masters.html) but there's much more to his work!  Sandro tells us a bit about his life and the photographer who inspired him to get into his career in the first place.  We kick if off so strong that we don't even get to the introduction for the first three minutes!  You can find more on Sandro at... http://www.sandrofilm.com/ A book we talk about at the end of the show is called "Finding Freedom" and you can find out more information about it here... https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1370965963/finding-freedom-poetry-and-portraits-of-former-inm

Leanne Valdes is our guest this week who has a unique view point on the wedding planner industry.  She's not only a planner but also a coordinator for The Haight, a venue located in Elgin, IL.  Leanne covers the ins and outs of what goes on from the planners perspective as well as giving some great advice on how to get an in with planners in your local market.  Check out her company called You Name It Events!   http://younameitchicago.com/ http://www.thehaight.net/

We saved this episode for the middle of that busy shooting season you're in.  Right when you need a break and a smile, along comes Tell Draper!  Tell is a Mitzvah photographer from Vernon Hills, IL.  One of the first points we cover is how Tell unexpectedly and succesfully uses his actual personal Facebook page to connect with clients and his transition from an acting career to Mitzvah and event photography.  There's that and much much more!  You'll just have to listen. http://telldraper.com

He's got a smile that never quits and will rub off on you!  If you're feeling down, Levi is your man.  Full of positive energy, Levi has done a number of personal projects featuring thousands of people.  Most recently his "Steve Jobs Portrait" project unites people from all over the world in one signature pose.  Levi also talks about how his attitude has opened many doors for him.  On top of being a speaker, instructor and photographer, he manages to balance his home life with a wife and daughter.  We record at the Out of Chicago conference this week which was simply a tremendous learning opportunity for photographers in the Chicagoland area and beyond!   Visit his site at... http://www.levisim.com/

Several years ago Rob Gregory lost one of his legs to cancer.  So he set out to keep in shape with wheelchair basketball and years later ended up with some of the most fantastic athletic marketing photos.  Beyond that, Rob has been an art director in the commercial world and you'll hear how he's applied his talents from work into his new career as a photographer.  You'll get the best of both worlds in this interview and some inspiration to get out there and create your own concepts!   Rob Gregory Website // http://robgregoryphotography.com/

Kate Higdon joins me at PPN for a chat about two important topics that go hand in hand.  The pursuit of a masters degree through the PPA and print competition.  Aside from the more traditional online and in-person courses that are easily available to photographers, this is easily one of photography's best kept secrets.  One of the best ways to improve is to pit yourself against your fellow photographers not only to push your personal boundaries but to keep in check with what's current in photography.   Find Kate at Captured Moments // http://www.capturedmoments-ky.com/?load=html

This Week In Photo host Frederick Van Johnson is our interview this week and we get into his start in photography.  Unlike many photographers who choose photography as a career or hobby, Frederick was handed his photo career in the form of actually being assigned to the role!  What would be a dream come true of access to all types of gear and equipment.  Frederick will take you along on his journey in his career which includes the newspaper industry, tech companies such as Yahoo, AOL and Adobe, and to his current roles as a photographer and broadcaster. Find our more about Frederick at... http://frederickvan.com/ http://thisweekinphoto.com/

This week we feature Dave Jordano on our podcast and as our May 2015 spotlight speaker.  Dave began his career in 1977 after being exposed to photography during his time in the service.  In this episode Dave discusses how he went from being an aspiring fine art photographer in Detroit to a well established commercial photographer in Chicago; working with some of the biggest agencies and names in the industry.  He also talks about why he has gone back to Detroit on a regular basis to document what life is like there.  Detroit might appear to be a photographic haven of abandoned homes and deserted factories but Dave wants to pull back the covers and show you that there's much much more that Detroit has to offer.   http://www.davejordano.com/

Our spotlight speaker for April is Master Craftsman Photographer Peter Yu who will be talking about taking your photos to the next level.  There is no one secret trick or lighting formula that will get you there.  Instead Peter will focus on a more holistic approach to upping your game and hitting that next level.  Print competition, networking, self-assignments and more will be covered in his talk.  Stop by to check him out on April 27th at Calumet in Chicago.

My very own destination wedding photographer, Bryan Newfield stops by this week to talk about his journey from being the guy who sells cameras at Best Buy to hanging out with the guys over at Nat Geo on assignment and then to his current profession as a full time destination wedding photographer.  Bryan gives some advice for folks who are aspiring to travel for weddings as well as covering some details that are easy to overlook!   http://bryannewfield.com/

Our guest this week is Chris Smith who I get a chance to sit down with in studio and discuss all things Chicago.  If you haven't heard of the Out of Chicago conference, here's the place to get the scoop and some early bird registration by April 15th!  We also talk about Chris's book "The Photographer's Guide To Chicago: 100 Of The Best Locations And How To Photograph Them". Out Of Chicago // http://outofchicago.com/conference/ E-Book // http://www.amazon.com/The-Photographers-Guide-Chicago-Photograph-ebook/dp/B00F08993Q

Business is business, and Sal Cincotta is certainly well versed in it.  Sal talks about his relatively quick success in the photographic industry.  He explains how he went from nearly going bankrupt in his photo business and returning to corporate America, to turning it around and why you may want to consider learning to fail.  Sal now owns a multitude of businesses including Shutter Fest and most recently Shutter Magazine which has gone from being a digital only magazine to print.  All that and more in this weeks show!

Bryan Allen brings his cool and calm attitude to talk about his very positive style of teaching and giving feedback.  It's a true privilege to have had the opportunity to sit down with my very first mentor and master photographer to chat about a variety of topics.  Bryan also discusses what many have on their minds.  What is it like to leap from a very successful career in the corporate world to full time photography?  How he did it, why he did it and more.  To find out more about Bryan, check out his work at: http://www.bryanallenphoto.com/ and http://www.gopopfizz.com/

Detlef Kortge is our guest this week.  We go on a journey as Detlef talks about how he made his way from Germany to the US in 1997.  He then takes us through his entire inspirational and creative process of how his concept portraits come out of thin air, materialize in his mind and then become reality.  His portraits are unique and have a flavor which is very distinguishable as his own.  To see more of his work you can visit http://epigramstudios.com/ 

This week, our guest is also the Chicago Photographic Society Spotlight speaker for the month of February.  Angie McMonigal talks about her entry into the world of architecture.  There's more detail out there in the world of manmade structures than we often notice.  Angie gives a quick insight on the approach she takes when taking on new projects and her mental process of what she does while out on location.  She also touches on a project that she recently took on which included work over seas.

This week we catch up with Skip Cohen and get his perspective on the state of the industry.  Skip is an industry icon having been not only a photographer but a former president of companies such as Hasselblad and WPPI / Rangefinder.  He talks about some of the behind the scenes things that newer photographers might not be aware of and offers a slightly different perspective than what we're accustomed to seeing.  This is a truly inspirational episode and highly motivating.

All the way from the absolutely beautiful and bourbon filled state of Kentucky.  Tony Calarco and Michael Novo catch up at the Photo Pro Expo.  Tony explains his journey into food photography and how he ended up the photographer for a new cookbook by Eric Levine called Small Bites Big Flavor: Simple, Savory, And Sophisticated Recipes For Entertaining. This week we also indulge in Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale as the drink of choice. http://tonycalarco.com

This week we catch up with Steve Neilson and chat about photo and video fusion! Steve will be speaking at the Chicago Photographic Society on January 19th at Calumet Photographic - 819 W Eastman Street, Chicago, IL 60642.