Behind the Lens

Ever see a picture and wonder how the photographer made the image? Unfortunately, more often than not, mum’s the word. Some photographers don’t want to reveal their techniques (at least not for anything less than the full price of admission to a workshop), while others simply don’t bother ever describing how an image was made. While I often say the best thing one can do when learning photography is to study the work of others, the process is much more fruitful when something is revealed about the thought process behind the making of an image.

Although I am as guilty as most photographers on this score, I have recently made an effort to be somewhat less opaque. To that end, I launched a feature on my website called Behind the Lens which tells the story behind the making of some of my favorite images. I discuss both pre-capture technical and artistic choices—including use of light, composition selection, and camera settings—as well as “digital darkroom” techniques used to bring each image to life. My most recent Behind the Lens installment discusses the making of “Journey’s End,” a photograph from deep within the Patagonian wilderness of Argentina. You’ll also find links to several earlier Behind the Lens installments, as well as a few online tutorials. I hope you find them helpful!