D. Scott Carruthers Photography

Ian Leaf Biography And Interview

Ian Leaf is a globetrotting photographer and travel expert who has been around the world. He loves to travel, and he collects tips about travel every chance he gets. This is a biography and interview with Ian that helps the traveler find new ways to travel that are exciting and fun.

Ian begins all his trips with a plan, and he wants to see as much of the world as possible when he takes off. He knows it is possible to see the world in a new way, and he has visited places such as Switzerland and New Zealand to see the beauty in everything. He knows it is possible to have a new experience in every country, and he understands how easy it is to have a lovely trip when planning properly. His interview offers insight into his methods, and he shares his expertise in travel.

#1: Where Do You Make Your Travel Decisions?

I have chosen to travel to all points around the globe based on information I read online or study. I have found new places to visit in online articles, and I have looked over maps for places that seemed like quite a lot of fun. I chose locations that I knew I would like, and I often choose locations that will be completely unknown to me. I would encourage anyone to have an adventure when the travel, and I believe they must travel as often as possible simply to see the world.

#2: Do You Prefer Trains, Planes Or Boats?

I prefer trains, planes and boats. I have taken lovely train trips in my life, and I have flown to destinations in a few hours. I enjoy a boat ride when it is across placid waters, and I would tell anyone to have a go at all forms of transportation. You will feel as though you are in a detective novel when you are on a train, and you will relax when you are on a boat. I have found each of them to be rewarding, and I hope all my readers will try each at least once.

#3: Where Do You Stay?

I stay in places where the locals are plentiful and friendly. I know quite a lot of people who are staying with families in the areas they visit, and you will meet amazing people if you are willing to get to know the locals. You will meet locals who work in your hotel, and you may make friends for life when you are traveling in this manner. You are free to stay where you like, and I believe there is value in staying with someone local who will host you in a kind and hospitable fashion.

#4: How Do You Manage Money?

The money you are using for your trips must be kept in a form you may replace easily. I check exchange rates, and I take out a tiny bit of cash when I am in the country. I do everything else with a credit card or with traveler’s checks. You will find both forms of payments quite simple to use, and you will enjoy using them while traveling as they are simple and accepted everywhere.

#5: How Do You Manage The Language?

I learn phrases from the local language, and I get a guide book that helps me with signs and maps. I am not in the habit of expecting any speaks English, and I believe I am lucky to meet someone who speaks my language. Ensure you have planned to handle the language when you land, and have a few phrases memorized that you may use to hail a taxi, order food or simply get on the bus.

#6: Any Final Thoughts?

There are quite a few things I enjoy doing on my trips, and I wish everyone will try them. I take as many pictures as I may while on my trips, and I visit the places the locals tell me about. They want me to see a new part of the country, and I will see a place that most tourists will never find. all my travels are adventures, and I set out to have a proper adventure when leaving the house.

Dennis Scott Carruthers Shares His Bucket List of Places to Photograph

Photographers are highly creative people. They have a keen eye for detail. They are naturally attracted to iconic and scenic places. Photography is an excellent strategy to immortalize the joys and struggles of the loved ones in your life. It captures memories and freezes the time in a moment. It is also a perfect option for documenting your travels and adventures.

Photographers keep a list of places they would like to visit and snap away. It enables them to lead a life full of adventure. Dennis Scott Carruthers, an experienced photographer, and lawyer shares his bucket list of places to photograph with a brief commentary.

List of Places to Photograph

Cinque Terre in Italy consists of ancient seaside villages sitting on a rugged coastline. Discover romantic fishing communities living in colorful houses. Catch breathtaking views of the rugged villages. Capture the sunset from the Riviera or enjoy the humbling experience of being at the bottom of high cliffs. You can also enjoy a sweeping panoramic view of the sea.
Machu Picchu, Peru: This is home to an ancient lost city. The city is an archeological gem and a photographer’s haven. It is believed to have been used as a key ceremonial center. The Inca trail offers a stunning view of the ruins on the valley down below and rugged mountainsides.
Taj Mahal, India: The iconic architectural marvel is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The mausoleum is a sprawling forty-two-acre complex built in ivory-white marble. The Taj Mahal rises 240 feet into the air. Get inside for riveting views of the vaulted tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz as well as ancient calligraphy in Persian.
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy: This primeval amphitheater used to be a sports center. Tour the underground passageways and capture the glory of the gladiator era and the persecution of Christians.
Stonehenge, UK hosts gigantic free-standing stones arranged in a ring formation. The monument dates back to 2000 BC and is a cultural icon in the UK.
Galapagos Islands in Ecuador: Snap the blue-footed booby right in its natural habitat. The archipelago experiences frequent volcanic activity. This contributes to the great diversity of the vibrant ecosystem in the area.
Burning Man Festival, Nevada: This is an annual art show held for a week in Black Rock Desert. There is a leave no trace rule and everything is taken down after the event, leaving no evidence that the event happened. This presents a compelling reason to document the activities.
Ta Prohm Temple, Cambodia: Explore 12th-century architecture. There are numerous silk-cotton trees, which have grown in the ruins creating a hair-raising feeling. Can you capture the eerie aura on a photo?
Cappadocia, Turkey: Go back in time to the era of Alexander the Great. Photograph the traditional cave hotels, rock-cut temples and an underground city as you listen to historical Christian myth and folklore.
Santorini, Greece: View the effects of volcanic activity on ancient settlements. Capture mythical Greece including vertical hanging cliffs and unparalleled views of the sea.

Conclusion

Photography enables us to relive the extraordinary moments and experiences in our lives. It is almost impossible to commit to memory all the details along life’s journey. Make a bucket list to inspire you as you start checking off on the memorable experiences you document.

3 Steps For Capturing Emotional Depth In A Photograph

In today’s world, we see so many pictures of happy people. From social media to billboards, we are bombarded daily with images of smiling people. However, we all know that so much more is going on within each and every smiling person. An image of that person smiling is capturing just one moment in a very complex life. True photographers want to capture what is real. They want to tell a story with an image, and they want to convey emotion. How do great photographers capture and convey emotional depth? How is it that by looking at one portrait, we can seem to see the struggle in someone’s face, or feel that we understand the losses that they have overcome? How do images convey a mother’s nurturing love for her child, or a refugee’s ache for survival?

Emotional depth is captured by a photographer who takes these three necessary steps: Observe, Feel, and Connect.

Step 1: Observe

In order to capture a moment in which true emotion is displayed, the first step is to be in your location purely as an observer. This does not mean that you have to take candid photos only, although they will be a great source for emotionally raw photographs. Instead, it only means that you can not impress your personal energy and state of being on other people. Instead, you have to imagine that you are invisible and neutral. You have to watch them experiencing an emotion that is not controlled or directed by you, the photographer. Look through Richard Avedon’s portfolio in order to get an idea of how even a portrait photographer can capture raw vulnerability.

Step 2: Feel

Famous Photographer Don McCullin is famous for saying, “Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.” This means that you must dive into your own emotions in order to get deep images. An image that conveys emotion can be a shot of a person experiencing the emotion that you want to trigger in the viewer. Or, on the other hand, your image could be of an object that you find emotional. When you are in touch with your own emotions, you can see them reflected back to you in the outer world. A drifting sail boat, wilting flower, or grass poking up through concrete could convey to your viewer a specific feeling. If you can not go into the depths of your soul and find those feelings, you will not recognize when the world is reflecting them back to you.

Step 3: Connect

The last step is to connect. Once you know how to be a pure observer, and can access your own feelings so that you can recognize them in the outer world, next you must connect to your subject. There is magic that happens in the moment of connection. The famous photograph “Afghan Girl” taken in 1984 by Steve McCurry displays a moment of connection. The wide, frightened blue eyes of the girl have almost palpable energy in them, as if lasers are coming out of them. McCurry clearly connected with his subject, and so viewers can connect with the photograph.

With these three steps, you will notice that your photographs start to have much more emotional depth. The world doesn’t need more pictures of smiling people. Instead, we need help understanding the raw and vulnerable sides of human nature.

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7 Easy and Cheap DIY Lighting Setups

Photography is interesting if you have all the tools you need and some skills. But most beginners have the skills but lack tools to execute different processes, which makes it necessary to pursue alternatives that can help them produce good photos. One of the ways you could do with cheap tools and items around you is understanding some DIY processes you could embrace. Here are several that you should consider as issued by experts.

Multi-Super-SB-Ring Light

This is a simple idea as you only need 6 Nikon SBs which you will mount on a coffee can using duct tape. The target is to produce fire power that will help to address the ringing problem you will encounter most of the time.

DIY Ring flash

For this you need a used milk jug/bottle and scissors. Cut the bottle well so it fits around the lens of the camera and this will help to create a ring flash that will work closely as well as the one you would have bought at the stores.

Inexpensive light tent

Another problem you want to solve is the use of a light tent, which is meant to help to replicate product images used in catalogs. The products appear as if they are floating on a white background, and this is the effect created by a light tent. What you need in your case is fabric, glue board, tape and light source. With the items, you need to arrange the setup such that the light focuses on the subject to be placed at the center of the setup and ensure the fabric used is not too light or heavy.

Party bouncer card

You could also make a party bouncer card if your camera does not allow off flash. For this setup you need a white business card and scissors. You will make two cuts on one end of the card then install it onto the hinges of the flash at an angle of 45 degrees and you are done. It will help by diffusing light and reflecting most of it to the roof to give you a clear photo.

Turkey pan beauty dish

If you don’t have a beauty dish, you can utilize a turkey pan for this purpose. You need to position it at the middle of the flash so it reflects light across a circular area, allowing you to easily achieve soft focus.

Homemade Softbox

Hot flash could be a spoiler that you want to avoid, and one of the ways to do so is having a softbox, which could be expensive hence the need for a DIY solution. There are many softbox schemes you can download to use. You will need sheets of paper to use while preparing the box as per instructions issued, and once done attach the setup to your camera.

DIY Flash Bouncer

You will need a pair of scissors, one sheet craft foam, and a wide rubber band. Cut the bouncer shape and sew the attachment band and wrap the band around your light source. This should take just five minutes and you are ready.