Jeff Curto's Camera Position

Defining and planning a project is one of the most useful ways to build a body of work, learn about yourself and learn about your personal response to photography. With this podcast, we start a series of Camera Position episodes that will create and follow a project planning roadmap for photographers.

Photographer’s Bookshelf #5 highlights a stunning and interesting reprinting of Robert Frank’s important 1959 book “The Americans,” a must-have for your photographic book collection. Also, a reminder about registration for the Tuscany Workshop May 16 to 23, 2009 – the registration deadline is Friday, February 6 – register now! Robert Frank’s The Americans at Amazon … Continue reading Camera Position 72 – Photographer’s Bookshelf #5 →

I am very pleased to announce that I will be leading a workshop to Tuscany this May. In Search of the Personal: Photographing Tuscany with Jeff Curto Saturday, May 16 to Saturday, May 23, 2009 For more information, visit www.photographitaly.com Enjoy a photographic journey where you will experience many aspects of Tuscany’s remarkable culture, landscape … Continue reading Camera Position Special Edition : Tuscany Workshop Announcement →

How to get really good at photography! Finally, the secret is revealed. Turns out, it’s not all that hard… just live a life in the world. And make pictures. Tractor, Sycamore Steam Fest, 2008 and Spring Grapevine, Tuscany, 2008 Photographs by Jeff Curto (click for a larger view) Books mentioned in the podcast: Photography in … Continue reading Camera Position 71 : How To Get Really Good at Photography →

Part two of our examination of the concepts of Gestalt in composition. Gestalt is a psychology of visual communication that helps explain how the mind works to make sense of the visual world. This episode talks about “similarity” and “proximity.” Photographs by Jeff Curto (click for a larger view)

We examine the concepts of Gestalt as they relates to composition. Gestalt is a psychology of visual communication that helps explain how the mind works to make sense of the visual world. This episode talks about “Closure” and “Continuance.” Photographs by Jeff Curto

Zoom with your feet! Zoom lenses can interfere with the creative process by letting you get lazy with where you’re positioning your camera. Switching to a “prime” lens of a single focal length can help your composition and your thought process. We also look at “The Poor Man’s Tripod” – a simple device for helping … Continue reading Camera Position 68 : Zoom With Your Feet! →

Photographers must love the act of photographing; the mechanics of making a picture. But, before that, they have to love the simple act of seeing the world around them. Some pictures are best made without a camera. Lunch – Still Life with Tomato & Basil Salad – Photograph by Jeff Curto “The camera is an … Continue reading Camera Position 67 : The Mind as Camera →

Human memory is a curious thing; sometimes it’s spot-on perfect, other times it’s altered by the passage of time. Photographs are a way that we can extend or enhance our memories and this episode is about a way that my memory was both rewarded and tested in the Italian mountain village of Scanno.

Photography is about doing, but it’s also about thinking… looking, seeing, appreciating. It’s possible to learn more about photography just by doing it, but it’s a lot easier when you pay attention to how others do it. This episode of Camera Position discusses the ideas of connoisseurship; the art of how we come to know … Continue reading Camera Position 65 : What Are You Lookin’ At? How do you Know? →