What every photographer wants to know

Last week I spoke in Tokyo and had a mini-exhibit. After the event some photographer waited around to ask questions. 

It seems every one has the same questions all over the world when it comes to photography, so I put a list together to help answer some of the questions people had. You can get the list here by clicking this link: RESOURCE GUIDE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

I"m headed to my final meeting now in Tokyo about doing a shoot in the New Year, then off to Shibuya to shoot a time-lapse for tomorrow's blog.

The Perfect Camera Bag

Are you happy with your current camera cases or bags? This week my podcast (Master Your Lens) touched on one of the 10 tools that photographers need to take better pictures.  # 10 on the list is camera bags because you can't concentrate on getting great pictures when you are worried about your camera gear how you will carry it.

The last few weeks I've been traveling all over, from South Carolina to visit my family to Tokyo, Japan to speak and have an exhibit. I've used my Lowepro backpack on all of the recent travel and it has been great on these trips. In the past I've had a problem finding a backpack that allowed me to include my laptop and ipad when I travel, something that is always a must for me. My current backpack, the fastpack BP 250 gives me everything I need to be able to travel and carry my gear. 

The other day, I did a hike up to the top of Tokyo's Mt. Takao with all my gear.  I wanted to get a view of Mt. Fuji, but the sun was too bright and you couldn't see it.  I was hoping to get a decent view before it was too late because you don't want to hike down the mountain in the dark. I was about to give up when I saw a cloud start to move toward the sun and it gave me a brief window that allowed me to photograph Mt. Fuji in a beautiful way. 

Photographed with Nikon 810 and the 35mm 1.4 lens

Patience paid off this time and I got my shot. I was still hiking down in the dark, which is another story for another time, but it was worth it to get my first images of Mt. Fuji.

To get the list of 10 tools click here:

Always dream big.

How to use a light meter

One of the first things my assistants do on set before we start shooting is take light meter readings. We always do a series of meter readings so we know exactly where the light is falling on our subject and where it falls off. 

Whenever I have a new person on set, we make sure they know the importance of doing meter readings not only during the start of a photo shoot, but during the entire process. If I could point out one mistake I see often it would be someone assuming that the nothing has changed during a photo shoot and not using a meter thoughout the photo shoot. 

If you want to improve your images make sure to use a light meter and use it often during your photo shoots.

Check out the top five tools to use in studio

Link: Top Five Tools

Always dream big!

My Top Studio Tools

We all have our favorite tools that we use for creating photographs. I am often asked what I use in the studio so this week I will concentrate on sharing the gear I use. Today I'm  giving away a resource guide of my top studio tools with links on where you can get them for yourself.

To get your FREE guide download the file here. 

Link: FREE RESOURCE GUIDE

A day on set

Have you seen the light meter app?

Today I received a question related to shooting a 10 page fashion story and having a consistent exposure in all the images. In the question the person said they were shooting outside and because the sun changed throughout the day, the exposure was inconsistent.

My answer to this question is to use a hand-held light meter, or the light meter app if you have an iphone. Surprisingly, the light meter app for iPhone is very reliable and even gives you the color temperature. We have tested the app beside my high-end meter and it has read almost the same. It does not work as a flash meter, but it is perfect for shooting pictures outside.

To have consistently beautiful images get into the habit of always using a light meter. This way your images will have a consistent exposure and your time editing will be greatly reduced. More on light meters in a future post. 

This weeks podcast will discuss using light meters in more detail and make sure to tune in for the free giveaway. A new episode of the Master Your Lens podcast is available every Wednesday morning in the itunes store.

Always dream big!

American Crime Story and Birthday's

Today will be a hectic day, but it seems every day is these days. Today is the 9th birthday of a good friends son and I'm going to the bday party...on a yacht.

After sailing around Los Angeles I'll zip to Hollywood for the wrap party of American Crime Story and photograph the cast and crew. 

Images like the photographs I'll make today are always fun, but they become more precious with time. I'm curious how people will show up for the wrap party since it's the night before Halloween.

The weekend will be full of photo shoots as well and I"m not sure when I'll get to sleep, but the holidays are now right around the corner. Stay tuned for something special coming up just for photographers.

Always dream big!

Who's your hero?

Lsat week I spoke on the subject of having a "hero" in your photographs. I believe every successful picture has a hero, or a  theme, character or feeling that brings an image to life. I like to call it my hero.

Creating images with this in mind helps you focus on making powerful images vs just taking a picture. The great thing about finding your hero in each image is that there is no right or wrong way to select your hero. It's totally up to you and based off of how you feel. 

If you want to stand out as a photographer practice finding your hero every time you shoot.

Always dream big!

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Last week in New York City.

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Today, it seems like I am reliving the past as I wake up in New York City. It is Photo Expo week and NewYork is alive as busy as ever. The familiar sounds of sirens are all around me day and night and riding the subway here make me feel like I never left. 

I found myself comparing the subways in New York to the Subways in Tokyo last night. Both are always packed, but the glaring difference is that in New York you can always hear people talking to each other and making connections.

As I rode the subway last night I saw a woman with my old Lowepro roller bag and knew she must be a photographer. I told her I used to have the same case but just upgraded to the new Echelon line and we fell into a conversation about camera bags. 

One of the things I love about New York and Tokyo  is how people interact with each other. You find this in most big cities, but you don't have this in Los Angeles. My time in L.A. is coming to a close. I feel so inspired whenever walking around in a big city and yearning to have that every day again.

Time to walk the city!

Who's Your Hero?

Have you ever wondered what makes one picture stand out from another? This week, I will speak on this topic in New York during Photo Plus Expo.

What's inside your bag?

A few months ago I did a post about my gear but didn't mention the bags that hold my gear. With the amount of travel I've done over the years I thought it was time to upgrade to the latest and greatest.

I have always used Lowepro roller cases, backpacks and shoulder bags for my gear because they are durable and dependable. The roller I've had over 20 years is still in amazing shape but  this year I thought it was time to upgrade all my cases. The Echelon series by Lowepro is better than ever and I'm taking my gear on its first trip to New York today. If you'll be in New York for Photo Plus check out Lowepro and the new Echelon series. The roller case is really incredible along with the shoulder bag and backpack.

I will be speaking for Nikon this week, so come by and say hi. In my off time I'll be walking the streets of New York with large Sandisk media cards in my Nikon and photographing the city day and night. I hope to see you soon!

Always dream big!

I'll be in New York next week. Join me!

Time flies by so fast. Last week this time we were on the edge of funding our Kickstarter or not funding it but thank God we made it. 

Next week I will be in New York City speaking for Nikon during Photo Plus Expo.  Come by and say hi. I will speak each day  at 12:30 pm!

Oh, by the way, to celebrate the Kickstarter making our goal we are giving away a FREE video. To get your free video go to MatthewJordanSmith.com/FREE

Always dream big,

Mattehw

Photography Workshop in Los Angeles with Matthew Jordan Smith

Early bird registration for the Master Your Lens photo workshop has been extended until Saturday, October 24th, at midnight. 

On Set

A lot of hard work goes into creating a great picture, It's more than just learning about a camera, fstops, shutter speed and lights. The most important parts are the things you can't see.

This afternoon, I will speak at Santa Monica College in Los Angeles, California. and then next week I will speak at Photo Expo in New York City. In November I will teach a workshop in Tokyo, and then finally we will end they year with the Master Your Lens photography workshop in Los Angeles. The workshop in Los Angeles is now open for enrollment. Early bird registration ends Saturday the 24th of October, so sign up today to reserve your seat.

Always dream big

LAST DAY!

Today is it! The 30th and final day of the Future American President Kickstarter campaign. To celebrate, we have a few things.

1) We have reduced the price of the Master Your Lens photography workshops to $1297.00 for the early bird registration, and extended the deadline until Friday, October 16th at midnight PST.

For the Kickstarter

If we hit 15k by Monday at 5:02 pm PST we will upgrade all our Future American President Kickstarter orders to include two special gifts.

2 Our original American Map poster which kids can refer to as they learn about America. The map shows the birthplace of each U.S. president, their order chronologically, and years served in office.

3) We will also include our behind-the-scenes pdf of the making of the book, which includes images from the Zendaya photo shoot, taken for the books foreword and much more.

4)If we hit 15K by 2:00 pm PST, we will REDUCE the signed Zendaya book package, which include the original poster she holds in the book and a special edition book signed by Zendaya with your child's picture on the front and back cover. We will reduce the cost from $1000 to only $100!

5) We will host a PIZZA Party for all supporters in the Los Angeles area. At the pizza, for every parent who has purchased a special edition book I will  photograph their child for free! Date to be determined.

FUNDED!

THANK YOU!

We started this journey 29 days ago and tomorrow it will end at exactly 5:02 pm PST. We are now fully funded with over 100 supporters who believed in our project enough to vote with their wallets. I am eternally grateful for all who have joined us and even more excited about how our combined efforts will influence the children who receive these books.  

Thank you for helping make this project possible!

Always dream big,

Matthew

Weekend Wisdom with Skip Cohen

Skip Cohen has been an amazing friend over the years and he is also the host of an amazing photography podcast.

I was fortunate to be featured on today's podcast. Take a listen and check out Skips podcast often for amazing information and inspiration regarding photography.

http://www.skipcohenuniversity.com/scu-blog/weekend-wisdom-with-matthew-jordan-smith-special-projects

Two FREE Photography Videos

It's not every day that something incredible comes along, but today is different. Starting today and Sunday morning, October 11th at twelve noon. I am give two FREE video's to any photographer who pledges $2 to this Kickstarter campaign. 

The two FREE videos will help you become a better photographer in many ways. The videos are

1) The secret to Making Creative Photographs

2) Creative Ways to Promote Your Photography

To receive these free videos we must fund this Kickstarter project successfully, so the more photographers who take us up on this offer the better for you as well. We are trying to get 5000 photographer to take us up on this deal so help us spread the word.

This offer will expire on Sunday at 12 noon, but act fast!

To pledge go to this link: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0

Gun Control and the Oregon Shooting

Did you hear what the Oregon shooter said?

"This is the only time I'll ever be in the news, I"m so insignificant!"

If a child grows up and feels they have no chance for success in life they can grow up and become our worst nightmare. On the other hand, if we make our children feel special it can have a profound impact on their lives and lead to greatness.

I know a lot of my  friends are tired of my posts about Future American President, but the reason why I created this project is to help children feel important. In How To Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie speaks about the importance of feeling special. If a child feel special the gun issue would be a concern.  I believe when a child grows up feeling special it can lead to a great future. The dangerous part is what can happen when  a child grows up feeling worthless.  Guess how the Oregon shooter felt about himself.

To inspire a child, it doesn't have to be our child, it can be a neighbor or a friend's child, but we all need to encourage kids to believe they have possibilities. I named my book project Future American President not because I was looking for children who want to become the president one day. I use the word president as a metaphor for greatness because if a child grows up believing they can become the president, they believe they can do anything in life.

To an adult, a picture of a child may just be a cute picture, but to the child it's a vision of themselves and endless possibilities.

Caption: Future American President

Caption: Future American President

If you believe in this message then please pledge 1 dollar today as a symbol to let others know this message is important and worth spreading. You can pledge here.

Caption: Future American President

Caption: Future American President

We have only 7 days left to bring this project to life. If it doesn't hit its 10K goal then this project will go away forever and no more books will be printed. However, we have a chance to make an impact on a child and keep them from feeling the way the Oregon shooter felt. Today you can make a difference. Please join us in bringing this project to life.

For each person who makes a pledge I will give a public thank you mentioning your name on Facebook, on my podcast and on my daily Periscope broadcasts.

Pledge here: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0

Make a child feel special here: http://kck.st/1UOLOn0

Always dream big,

Matthew