ShotMasters Swami Venkataramani

Marcin Zajac is a consecutive 4-time International Astro Photographer of the Year (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) awarded by Royal Museums Greenwich and 3-time International Landscape Photographer of the Year (Top 101) in the ILPOTY awards, the world’s most prestigious landscape photography contest.
That’s seven international photography awards, which is insane! International photography contests are highly competitive, and winning it seven times means there’s no one better in the world to learn from when it comes to creating award-winning images!
In this episode, we discuss how to win photography awards, how Marcin created his winning image of Tunnel View in Yosemite, and how you can increase your engagement on social media.
Here’s some of his work:
Timestamps:00:09 Why Marcin doesn't care about the latest gear03:06 How to win photography competitions05:11 Strategies for submitting images to competitions08:03 How he created his winning Yosemite image16:27 How to get more engagement on social media


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com

Hi friends,
When a product designer is also a photographer, what design principles is he applying to his photography? That was my question when I interviewed one of my favorite artists, Shashank Khanna, who was selected as one of the top 101 photographers in the prestigious International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.
Shashank’s images have a calm and soothing look. Going through his portfolio is a meditative experience. His images use a subtle color palette, many of them with a signature pink and blue.
He loves mud cracks. And apparently, he finds them near home.
And he has an eye for unique compositions of famous scenes that most photographers will miss.
Hope you enjoy this episode. I’m splitting up the interview into parts, so make sure you’re subscribed to get the updates. I’ll be sharing some video clips as well. Shashank does a live edit showing how he blends warm and cool tones.
In this episode, we talk about:
* Color grading and color palettes
* Design principles (he compares a photo with a webpage)
* Getting feedback (how to take critique without it interfering with your own vision)
Enjoy!
Swami


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com

Hi friends,
A couple of things before we get to today’s episode:
First, the podcast has a new name: ShotStories Photography Podcast.
And I’ve moved to Substack. Recording a podcast episode seems like a quick thing, but each interview is taking me 25-30 hours to plan, record, edit, and publish. Using Substack will save me some hours, and I hope that means I can share these interviews with you more frequently. Also, now it’s easier to browse older episodes. Just go to swamiphoto.substack.com.
One thing: I migrated my email list to Substack, and I realize not all of you were subscribed to me for photography. This newsletter will be photography focused, so if that’s not your thing, please let me know by replying to this email, and I’ll remove you from the list. No hard feelings at all.
Today’s episode is one of my favorites.
I’ve known Jeff for a while, and I’ve always been intrigued by his personality. The guy’s work is so good he could have a million followers. But he chooses not to be on social media.
Why? And how, then, do people discover his work? And does he not have FOMO? That’s what we talk about. It’s an enlightening conversation. See the timestamps for other topics we discuss.
Hope you enjoy it. Please share with other photo folks.
Timestamps 0:00 - Why are you not on social media? 4:13 - The 5 love languages 6:01 - Don't we need validation from others? 7:57 - Advice for those without an amazing portfolio yet 10:54 - Do you ever feel lonely or have FOMO? 11:33 - How do people discover your new work? 15:36 - How do you explore and choose scenes worthy of your portfolio? 22:03 - Planning vs being spontaneous 25:00 - How do you find nice places to shoot near home? 28:25 - How to narrow down spots at sunset when time is limited? 30:53 - For those not surrounded by beautiful landscapes, how to build a good portfolio? 36:30 - How do you discover new spots?
Until next time,
Swami


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com

Jeff Lewis is the founder of Escaype, the world’s first weather service for photographers.
He doesn't use fancy toolkits like luminosity masks. And in fact, he doesn't spend a whole lot of time editing. Instead, he “sells the light” to breathe life into his images.
This is an eye-opening interview where Jeff shows exactly how to sell the light in your landscape images. For your own sake, please don’t miss this episode.
Timestamps0:00 - Intro 2:52 - Why is it important to "sell the light?" 8:07 - A common mistake photographers make 9:39 - Is it ok to blow our areas of the photo? 11:15 - What to keep in mind when taking the photo to sell the light? 12:43 - Is it ever OK to not sell the light?   13:10 - Editing an abstract landscape in 30 seconds 17:05 - No luminosity masks, no fancy tools 15:50 - How we mess up our images with over-processing 19:15 -  One click fix for Sony files (Medium Rare profile) 23:52 - No global adjustments? 24:58 - Radial filters 26:05 - When Jeff uses Photoshop 27:59 - Taking breaks during editing 32:58 - How to have a beginner's mind when you're an expert?


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com

I love how Tanmay shoots flowers.
Exactly how did he shoot this scene? That's what we discuss in this episode…
How he found the location.
How he worked the scene.
How he envisioned the composition.
His gear.
His focus stacking method.
How he post-processed the image.
He shares a bunch of tactics in this episode–you’ll enjoy it.
Timestamps0:00 - Planning the flower shot 06:04 - Focus stacking process 10:36 - Multiple exposures in an age of good dynamic range 12:42 - Focus stacking + exposure bracketing 15:17 - Working the scene 23:30 - Color grading using nature 24:44 - Achieving a cohesive look in your portfolio 26:51 - How to convey a scene's depth 30:36 - Long breaks during an edit 32:16 - Wacom 33:07 - What's in your bag? 38:14 - 500mm for landscapes 41:30 - What gear do you travel with?


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com

There are so many landscape photographers today doing similar things. It's a crowded space. Where's this art form headed? And how do you balance what you want as an artist with what others expect from you? We discuss these in this episode and several other topics that would interest landscape photographers. 
Timestamps0:00 - Where is Landscape photography headed? 10:28 - Should you fly or worry about carbon footprint? 13:55 - What if you don't have natural beauty around you? 16:18 - Benefits of traveling 16:53 - How to balance what you want with what others want from you? 22:52 - What images do well on Instagram? 24:24 - Instant gratification vs something growing on you slowly 26:15 - How do you build the right audience on Instagram? 28:44 - How Tanmay makes Instagram reels


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com