Photography Clips

03/14/2026

"Photography Law Through the Lens of Media Law, Part 1"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/photography-copyright-law-photographers

When I was in college studying videography and photography, I expected most of my coursework to stay in the creative lane. Camera operation, lighting, editing, storytelling, and the technical side of building something visual that communicates. Then I took a class that was often called Media Law, sometimes labeled Mass Media Law or Communications Law, depending on the school. It pulled me into a different side of the same world.

What made it so interesting was how directly it connected to what I was doing with a camera. The law was not abstract. It was the framework that determined who owned an image, who could copy it, who could sell it, and what happened when someone took it without permission. Once you see that, you stop thinking of a photograph as only a creative output. You start seeing it as protected property.

This first article is the foundation of the whole three-part series. Before we talk about privacy, releases, public recording, or monetizing video, we need to answer the first question that drives nearly everything else.

Who owns the image?

Learn who owns a photo, what copyright protects, how licensing works, and where watermarks fit. Clear guidance from a media law perspective for working photographers.

02/20/2026

I just posted a free eBook on my site: The Joy of Photography, Volume 1. It’s a 145-page collection of notes, ideas, and lessons I’ve picked up along the way. It’s not a technical textbook; it’s practical stuff you can use right away. If you want a copy, you can grab it from my eBooks page...

Read my photography eBooks with real lessons, quick reminders, and practical ideas from years behind the camera. Most are free to download, with an option to donate.

02/18/2026

What is the Next Revolution?
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/what-is-the-next-revolution/

Last time, I talked about the idea that another revolution in photography is coming. This thought is based on my observations across the history of photography. Every few decades—sometimes sooner—some new thing comes out that completely revolutionizes the way we do things—everything from 35mm cameras to color film to the advent of digital photography. There’s no doubt we’ve seen a lot of these shakeups, and that’s why I think we’re due for another.

So what will it be?

02/11/2026

"When is the Next Revolution?"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/when-is-the-next-revolution/

Photography is due for another revolution—and most likely, sooner rather than later. In fact, it may already be underway, and we don’t quite see it yet. Why do I think that a revolution is coming? Well, the short answer is because history repeats itself.

You see, if you look back over history, photography has gone through several very definitive growth stages. The first camera obscuras were made millennia ago, with the earliest historical mention of them dating to China around 500 BC. Leonardo da Vinci improved on the technology with designs for lenses. Early film creation began in the 17th century, and it was again revolutionized when Niepce created the first photograph using sheet metal and photographic chemicals in 1827...

02/09/2026

"When Science Becomes Art: Three Historic Photographers that Show How Photography Evolved"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/science-becomes-art-three-historic-photographers-show-photography-evolved/

Initially, photography was highly scientific. Photographers and scientists came together, experimenting with light and chemistry in ways never before imagined. However, over time, creative thinkers adopted this new method of capturing light and transformed it into one of history’s greatest artistic media.

No single photographer is directly responsible for turning this science into an art form. There are, however, a few historical photographers whose work exemplifies how photography evolved from a science to an art...

02/06/2026

"The Beauty of Abstract Photography"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/beauty-abstract-photography/

How does one define the abstract? That’s a question that artists have struggled with for centuries. In its purest form, an abstract photograph's subject is often unrecognizable. The beauty derives not from the subject itself, but from its shapes, textures, or colors. The work of Henry Holmes Smith is a great example of this – many of his images are mysterious studies in light. Others – like this image on the right – focus purely on lines, shapes, and patterns rather than portraying a subject as a whole.

02/04/2026

"Portraying Raw Emotion in Photography: A Lesson from Helen Levitt"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/portraying-raw-emotion-photography-lesson-helen-levitt/

Helen Levitt is one of my favorite street photographers. As a pioneer in photography, she had a natural ability to capture the essence of her subjects. Wonder, grace, joy, anguish, hope, and love are inscribed on the faces of her subjects, as clearly as if penned on paper. This raw emotion is the inspiration that transforms a photograph from a mere snapshot to a work of art, and this is the lesson that every photographer should take from Levitt...

02/02/2026

"Differences in Photographic and Public Perception"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/differences-photographic-public-perception/

Why is it that we are driven to create art? Of course, there are hundreds, thousands, probably millions of reasons to create art – anything from personal motivations to causes that the artist supports or statements that need to be made. But there is one broad umbrella that most, if not all, art falls under, I think. At its heart, art is made so that it can be enjoyed by others.

Now, there is a problem with that: the enjoyment of others. And that problem is that we don’t always make that connection with our audience at large. We work, and we work until we have created things that we are personally proud of, but when we show them to the world, they fall flat. Not an uncommon experience among photographers or artists of any kind – we all face rejection!

01/29/2026

"Is Structure Necessary for Creativity?"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/is-structure-necessary-for-creativity/

When you think of creativity, it feels like it should be something random and spontaneous, something that is born out of a moment’s inspiration. And, there are times when random creativity leads to groundbreaking art. I would argue, however, that the majority of creativity comes not from spontaneity but from structure.

A lack of structure leads to uncertainty, wasted time, and other issues that undermine productivity. Here’s a brief list of the problems and questions that arise when you have not structured your art:

You don’t know how your final images will turn out, which leads to hesitation.

You’re uncertain how much time you’ll need to complete a project, which leads to never starting the project.

Is your subject material good material? Questioning your choices leads to inaction.

You don't have a plan for a photo shoot. Without organization and detailed planning, you may not capture the most important images of the day.

Now, perhaps, you are starting to see where a lack of structure leads to trouble. But just how much trouble? Let’s tackle a few of these issues to show you how structure leads to more creativity.

01/27/2026

"Gertrude Käsebier’s Tender Lens"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/gertrude-kasebiers-tender-lens

In the world of early American photography, few names carry the elegance and influence of Gertrude Käsebier (1852–1934). She is often hailed as one of the first American photographers to elevate portraiture to an art form. Her best-known works, particularly images of mothers and children, embody a tenderness and depth that was revolutionary for her time. Through her lens, she captured the emotional bond between her subjects with unique sensitivity, helping to pave the way for what would later be known as the pictorialist movement—a style focused on creating painterly, atmospheric photos. Her work is a reminder of the quiet power of the photograph to convey feelings that words might struggle to capture...

Explore Gertrude Käsebier’s portraits, her soft focus style, and her role in pictorialism and the Photo Secession in early American photography.

01/24/2026

"Lewis W. Hine: The Compassionate Lens Behind Change"
https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/lewis-w-hine-the-compassionate-lens-behind-change/

Photography has this rare ability to tell a story, to let us glimpse into worlds we might otherwise never see. And few photographers did that quite like Lewis W. Hine. For anyone who loves photography, Hine’s work is a testament to the power of an image. He wasn’t just taking pictures; he was documenting history, sparking reform, and, most importantly, giving a voice to people who were often invisible in society. His images of immigrants, child laborers, and industrial workers helped change laws and inspired generations of photographers to use their craft for something greater...

The Great Artists Lewis W. Hine: The Compassionate Lens Behind Change Photography has this rare ability to tell a story, to let us glimpse into worlds we might otherwise never see. And few photographers did that quite like Lewis W. Hine. For anyone who loves photography, Hine’s work is a testament...