B.D. Colen - SmugMug PJ Artist-in-Residence

[Andy]

We're thrilled to announce that accomplished and notable lecturer B. D. Colen has joined us as our Photojournalism Artist-in-Residence. An experienced teacher as well as having spent decades in the field, he's here to answer your questions, provide critiques, lead discussions, and much, much more.

Stay tuned and post any queries in this thread.

[schmoo]

Huzzah! A wonderful day for PJ photographers, indeed!

[Richard]

Welcome, BD. Great to have you on board.

[bdcolen]

Originally Posted by Richard

Welcome, BD. Great to have you on board.

Thanks, Richard, it's really great to be here! If there's one thing I've learned over the years it's that we are our own worst editors. The best way for any of us to improve our photography is to be part of a community of photographers.

And if I may, I'd like to add something here that I posted at the end of a fast disappearing thread. I think this may give people a bit better sense of where I'm "coming from" and what I'm about:

First, while I have done photojournalism, I do not think of myself as a photojournalist. In fact, early in my life, after several summer jobs as a newspaper shooter, I decided that I did not want to spend my life as a photojournalist, because at that time - mid-to-late-60s, photojournalism was quite limiting and I decided I would ultimately be bored. (I ended up as a writer and editor instead, and had much, much more latitude than I would have had doing traditional photojournalism.) Today, that might be different, as many newspapers and magazines are using the web to allow photographers to spread their wings and do really creative and important work.

I think of myself first of all as a photographer, and second of all as a photographer of "real life." I am very much steeped in the documentary tradition, and most of my photo heroes are either dead or will be sooner than I'd like to think. I include street photography, and a lot of portraiture in that genre, and believe that the basic principles and concepts of documentary photography can be applied to wide range of photographic genres, including family photography, wedding photography, and corporate and editorial photography.

I do in Photoshop what I would do in a film dark room; I burn, I dodge, I adjust contrast - as I would with paper grades and filters. I work very carefully to avoid creating an alternative reality. Yes, when I am shooting for a client, I will sometimes clone out an annoying intrusion into an image, but that's because it's what I'm being paid to do - and I do it rarely. Otherwise, the telephone wire stays where it was.

"People" quite neatly describes what I shoot. Obviously, there are many ways to shoot people, and I will refrain from commenting on examples of those ways that are obviously outside my range of expertise and interest. Meanwhile, I hope to learn from all of you, because everyone here has something to teach, and I have a great deal to learn.

B. D.

[rutt]

How great is this!

[rwells]

Really looking to learn from your years of knowledge.
Thanks for coming aboard!

[pathfinder]

Welcome aboard.

I look forward to your expertise, here on dgrin

[Nikolai]

Welcome!

[ziggy53]

B. D., wonderful to have you here.

[thoth]

Welcome B.D. It is an honor!