Photography Clips

I have always loved old photographs.

They can pull us back to people, places, and moments we do not want to forget. A faded print can make the past feel close again.

But nostalgia can also fool us.

Sometimes we look at an old photograph and think those were better days. Maybe they were. But maybe they were just different days. The photo is real, but it does not always tell the whole story.

That is what I wrote about in this new article: how photography can help us remember without making us blind to the life God has placed in front of us today.

Read the full article here:
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/the-danger-of-nostalgia-in-photography/

I’ve always found wedding photography pricing interesting.

From the outside, I understand why people think it costs too much. A photographer shows up with a camera, takes pictures for a few hours, and then people wonder why the price is so high.

But once you have actually done it, you realize there is a lot more going on than most people ever see.

Even when I photograph weddings or events for friends, I usually do not charge a fixed price. I just tell them they can give a donation or gift afterward if they want to.

But that does not mean the work is small.

There is still preparation, pressure, editing, responsibility, and the weight of knowing these are moments people may never get back.

That has made me look at wedding photography a little differently.

I do not think every couple needs the most expensive photographer.

I also do not think people should judge photography only by price.

There is more to it than that.

I wrote more about this from my own perspective here: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/why-wedding-photography-costs-so-much/

Must Photos Always Be Rectangular?

I was thinking about this the other day.

Nearly every photograph we see is rectangular.

The photos on our walls.
The photos on our phones.
The photos on our computers.

But why?

Part of the reason goes back to the early days of photography. Many of the print sizes we still use today originated in camera formats dating back over 100 years.

Over time, those proportions became the standard.

Of course, rectangles are also easy to print, frame, and display. Even most of our screens are rectangular.

But there really isn’t any rule that says a photograph has to be.

We’ve all seen panoramas. Square photos have become popular again. Some photographers have even experimented with circles and ovals.

That got me wondering…

If photography were invented today, would photographs still be rectangular?

Or have we simply become accustomed to seeing them that way?

What do you think?

For those who would like to read more, the full article is here:
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/must-photos-always-rectangular/

With all the technology available today, it may seem strange that some photographers are still shooting film.

But film photography can teach patience, improve your eye for composition, and make you think more carefully about every shot.

There are still some good reasons to load a roll of film and give it a try.

I share seven of them in this article: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/7-reasons-experiment-film-photography/

"Photography Law Through the Lens of Media Law, Part 1"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/photography-copyright-law-photographers

When I was in college studying videography and photography, I expected most of my coursework to stay in the creative lane. Camera operation, lighting, editing, storytelling, and the technical side of building something visual that communicates. Then I took a class that was often called Media Law, sometimes labeled Mass Media Law or Communications Law, depending on the school. It pulled me into a different side of the same world.

What made it so interesting was how directly it connected to what I was doing with a camera. The law was not abstract. It was the framework that determined who owned an image, who could copy it, who could sell it, and what happened when someone took it without permission. Once you see that, you stop thinking of a photograph as only a creative output. You start seeing it as protected property.

This first article is the foundation of the whole three-part series. Before we talk about privacy, releases, public recording, or monetizing video, we need to answer the first question that drives nearly everything else.

Who owns the image?

Photography Copyright Law for Photographers Learn who owns a photo, what copyright protects, how licensing works, and where watermarks fit. Clear guidance from a media law perspective for working photographers.

I just posted a free eBook on my site: The Joy of Photography, Volume 1. It’s a 145-page collection of notes, ideas, and lessons I’ve picked up along the way. It’s not a technical textbook; it’s practical stuff you can use right away. If you want a copy, you can grab it from my eBooks page...

Notes From Behind the Camera eBooks Read my photography eBooks with real lessons, quick reminders, and practical ideas from years behind the camera. Most are free to download, with an option to donate.

What is the Next Revolution?
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/what-is-the-next-revolution/

Last time, I talked about the idea that another revolution in photography is coming. This thought is based on my observations across the history of photography. Every few decades—sometimes sooner—some new thing comes out that completely revolutionizes the way we do things—everything from 35mm cameras to color film to the advent of digital photography. There’s no doubt we’ve seen a lot of these shakeups, and that’s why I think we’re due for another.

So what will it be?

"When is the Next Revolution?"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/when-is-the-next-revolution/

Photography is due for another revolution—and most likely, sooner rather than later. In fact, it may already be underway, and we don’t quite see it yet. Why do I think that a revolution is coming? Well, the short answer is because history repeats itself.

You see, if you look back over history, photography has gone through several very definitive growth stages. The first camera obscuras were made millennia ago, with the earliest historical mention of them dating to China around 500 BC. Leonardo da Vinci improved on the technology with designs for lenses. Early film creation began in the 17th century, and it was again revolutionized when Niepce created the first photograph using sheet metal and photographic chemicals in 1827...

"When Science Becomes Art: Three Historic Photographers that Show How Photography Evolved"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/science-becomes-art-three-historic-photographers-show-photography-evolved/

Initially, photography was highly scientific. Photographers and scientists came together, experimenting with light and chemistry in ways never before imagined. However, over time, creative thinkers adopted this new method of capturing light and transformed it into one of history’s greatest artistic media.

No single photographer is directly responsible for turning this science into an art form. There are, however, a few historical photographers whose work exemplifies how photography evolved from a science to an art...

"The Beauty of Abstract Photography"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/beauty-abstract-photography/

How does one define the abstract? That’s a question that artists have struggled with for centuries. In its purest form, an abstract photograph's subject is often unrecognizable. The beauty derives not from the subject itself, but from its shapes, textures, or colors. The work of Henry Holmes Smith is a great example of this – many of his images are mysterious studies in light. Others – like this image on the right – focus purely on lines, shapes, and patterns rather than portraying a subject as a whole.