What is Ask the Photographer?

Askthephotographer.com is a site authored by professional photographers. This is intended to be a forum where photographers can ask questions and get answers, as well as check out tutorials, photographer profiles, video podcasts, audio interviews and photo reviews. The site will also serve as a platform for some contests and giveaways.

The more questions asked, the more helpful it is for all, so please feel free to visit our ‘Ask a Question’ page.

Our Philosophy is that everyone these days is a photographer on some level, and that collaborative learning makes it more enjoyable for everyone.

In the past two centuries, cameras have undergone an impressive metamorphosis: Images that once required enormous, cumbersome collections of gear and hours of labor to capture can now be recorded instantly with a device the size of a pencil eraser.

Along the way, a few things have remained constant. Cameras have always been considered technological marvels, and people remain instantly captivated by meaningful still photos. Sometimes those photos are of places we’ve never been. Sometimes they’re of people who have shaped nations. Sometimes they’re of our loved ones.

While the motion picture has left an indelible mark on the way we all process information, there are some things we want to pause and look at for a while. Still pictures have now and will always have a definite value, both for their aesthetic spectacle and for the opportunity they give us to slowly soak in and process everything we’re seeing.

Perhaps recognizing the importance of cameras, manufacturers of cell phones—devices that even most science fiction literature never predicted would be spread as ubiquitously as they are now—chose to make the installation of tiny cameras a priority. As a result, almost everyone you see is carrying some form of camera. Most people don’t find that to be quite enough, and so they go out and buy a better camera. Still others decide to invest even more in high-end equipment, and still others decide to try to make a living at it.

This is a good thing. Photography is a healthy, wholesome pastime and a necessary profession. It is a joyous conduit for natural human curiosity. Hand a child a camera, and watch them remain captivated not only by the process of capturing images, but by their subjects—by the world around them. Pick up a camera, and watch the same thing happen to yourself.

Our goal is to make this site a place where photographers of all levels, from cell phone camera shooters to accomplished professionals, can learn, share, connect and engage in a dialogue that stimulates further participation and growth in photography. We hope you’ll join us.

Advertising

If you’re interested in advertising on our site, we’d love to talk with you about how we can work together. Please send all inquiries to advertising@askthephotographer.com.