Joel Sartore is a freelance photographer for National Geographic.  His most recent project is called the Biodiversity Project, and the idea behind it is to promote animal conservation.  Joel has has gathered nearly 1,800 photographs of animals species over the past five years, with many more planned in the coming months.

Joel’s quest for photos led him to the Fort Worth Zoo.  You can see video footage and photographs of the shoot here.  The photography features animals on a solid white or black background. The idea behind this is to give all animals equal weight…from the ladybug to the lion. The photography is beautiful, and the video is captivating and inspirational.

-Erin Naterman

That’s a wrap!

Schaefer Advertising spent the last two days around Fort Worth and on TCU’s campus shooting advertisements for CD Ski and Sports’ new Fall Apparel and Winter Gear.

A big thanks to our awesome team (photographer, make-up artist, models) - the pictures look awesome. We can’t reveal them yet, but we’ll tease you with a sneak peak. Stay tuned more behind the scenes info to come!

-Erin

Industry Profile: Photographer Geno Loro Jr.

How would a person go into photography? What steps are involved?
As with most professions, you need a solid understanding of what it is you are doing. With digital photography, it’s easy to shoot and look at your image immediately and see if you have captured an acceptable image. But not knowing why or how you did it will limit your creativity. The next step would be to work with a professional, as an assistant. School can only teach you so much. Experience in a working studio is very important if you want to do this for a living. Learning how to work with clients, budgets, deadlines, etc. is crucial.

Why did you personally enter into photography?
I was a journalism major when I had to take a photo journalism class. Once I developed my first roll of film and watched as that first print appeared on the paper in the developer, I was hooked!  I changed my major, and schools. Fortunately, my father is an artist, he understood completely. I went to school and got a Bachelor of Science degree in photography, where they teach you photography from the ground up. 

What do you enjoy most about the industry?
There are two things I enjoy the most about what I do. I have met some amazing people in my career; other photographers, clients that have become life long friends, celebrities and athletes that I have photographed. I also enjoy the fact that no two jobs are exactly the same. It’s always something different.

What was your first job as a photographer?
My first “professional” job was shooting a quilt for Quilting World Magazine. I was still in school at the time. My first real job was back in Chicago, at Kranzten Studios. We shot fashion, catalog, etc. A great learning experience.

What was your most interesting job?
I worked for a biomedical research facility in San Antonio. They studied the effects of HIV and other diseases on primates. They also did research for premature births. They had a breeding colony of baboons, and would perform a C-Section to take a baby baboon early for study. I photographed this procedure on one of my trips there. I’m a very squeamish person, but looking through a camera lens makes it seem a little less real.

Who is your favorite photographer of all time?
I don’t have one favorite photographer. My favorite images are from the 30s and 40s. 
Robert Capa captured amazing images during WWII. I also admire the work of Henri Catier-Bresson, Dorthea Lange and Edward Weston.

Be sure to check out Geno’s website and view his work.

—Corey Landers, Intern

Photographer Turns his 91-Year Old Grandma into a Superhero to Cheer Her Up

This is pretty amazing photo illustrations. Take a look at the full set. Nerdery and family love all rolled up into one big photoshoot:

A few years ago photographer Sacha Goldberger found his 91-year-old Hungarian grandmother Frederika feeling lonely and depressed.  So to cheer her up, and put a spark back into her life, he turned her into a superhero! He took a series of awesome photographs of her wearing costumes in unusual superhero type posses. “Grandma reluctantly agreed, but once they got rolling, she couldn’t stop smiling.”

-Alex

(source: GeekTyrant)