I Scored The Chevrolet Camaro Facebook Cover!

Post by Aaron Fuhrman Photography.

Photo Spotlight ~ Skyview Panoramic

I'm not the first to photograph the very popular Antelope Canyon near Page, AZ. Still, as a photographer there are certain places you want in your portfolio. Antelope Canyon is one of those places!

There is Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. I've yet to visit Upper Antelope Canyon. The spotlight today is on a photograph I captured at the Lower Canyon almost two years ago!

As you enter this subterranean world carved by water you first notice the flow of sandstone. As you move deeper into the slot canyon you are presented with an astounding light show. At times it is a soft glow of red, or a spot of bright sunlight finding it's way below. Other times it is so filtered from above that the sandstone is peach or purple.

For me it was when I looked up that I saw the real beauty of this special place. I saw both how far I had ventured below the surface and just how much the flow of rock above me glowed in orange, red, purple and the bright blue sky beyond. I had to capture this!

I set my tripod up so that my camera was looking straight up. I also made sure it was as close to the dirt floor of the canyon as possible. Then I laid on the ground and peered through my camera. I knew right away this was the shot I wanted to capture! This is the view above as you meander through this wonderland of carved rock.

'Skyview Panormaic' ~ Lower Antelope Canyon, AZ

So, you might be wondering why I would wait nearly two years to share the full photograph. As an artist I am constantly growing and learning. I knew then I wanted to capture all of the light and contrast looking up out of the canyon. I also knew I wanted two frames and that I would combine them into one finished image to create a panoramic view. It wasn't until recently, just the other day in fact, that I finally felt I had developed the captured light correctly and done this view justice.

Go see this in person! Experience the flow of rock and color as the light bounces down from above. Below I've mapped directions from nearby Page, AZ. While there I would also encourage you to see Horseshoe Bend.

Those of you who would like this photograph as artwork in your home will have to wait. I have something special in mind. More on that later. . . ;-)

Sharing #TrulyRich Moments

Chevrolet Strikes A Chord

This week +Chevrolet launched a campaign that hits home for me. As a photographer I crop, edit and perfect a vision. This is the life of a modern day photographer. However, the campaign is not aimed at the full time photographer who's job is to present polished work. No, it is aimed at you. The Mom and/or Dad who snaps a photo of a moment and gets a little too obsessed over making that moment perfect for the world to see. I'm a Dad and I'm guilty of this. Even further it showcases how we might miss the real moments entirely as we perfect what we want the world to see.



Photography is more popular than ever! Everyone carries a camera in their pocket. You have the ability to capture the moments that make your life #TrulyRich. Do you take advantage of this opportunity?

I've given this a lot of thought lately. The Dad capturing the view from the hotel room while his kiddos play around him could easily be me. It begs the question: Do we even see the real moments anymore?

I have four wonderful crazy kiddos who make our life interesting, to say the least. You might say that I'm not only #TrulyRich, I'm #FilthyRich. Recently one of those kiddos has shown a real interest in photography. Her interest revolves around selfies, her cat and documenting the fun times with her friends. At twelve years old, Kaitlyn has developed a real eye for capturing great moments in her young life. Sure, her selfies are good and her cat is pretty, but it is the moments she captures that really stand out. She is in tune with the moment. Photography, for her, has weaved it's way into her life without removing her from it. She shares those moments on her Instagram account, which I insist remains private.

A New Direction

One of my goals is to capture beautiful landscapes and sell artwork. Meeting this goal means there is a lot that goes into my work, a lot of #TrulyRich moments lay behind the scenes. Especially when my Family is involved, as they should be.

A long time goal of Amy and I is to explore as a Family. To include the kiddos in a big way! We are now actively working on a plan to do just that. Can you guess what Kaitlyn's role will be? That's right, she will capture the moments. Those moments when my crazy Family is singing in the car, we do that a lot, or the moment when we discover a new amazing location!

Kaitlyn is not the key player here, although she would like to think so. No, I am surrounded by talent. Emily, at ten, will become a big part of my blog. She has already begun an in depth journal of the places we will visit. She is our resident writer, junior editor and organizer. Her contributions will help tell the stories of the moments, share history of the places we visit and help discover new places to see. Each member of the Family will be an active part of the journey in photography. A journey that not only inspires you to travel, but shares our #TrulyRich moments as we travel and explore together as a Family.

A Few Fuhrman Family #TrulyRich Moments

Photo Spotlight ~ Girl With A View

One of the places I was looking forward to seeing again while on the #GlassCamaro Adventure was Horseshoe Bend. The Colorado River flows towards you, past you and away from you in this very cool location!

Your vantage point is about 1000' above the river. It is difficult to convey the enormity of the view in front of you in a photograph. The photo I captured there is a composite of four separate images, to give you some idea of just how large it is. Merely by accident I captured Sarah sitting along the edge taking in the view. At first I thought "dang, someone is in my shot". That was the wrong response.

Sarah perched along the edge some one thousand feet above the river helps, to some degree, show the scale. However, it only helps. As always I encourage you to visit the locations I photograph. Only then can you truly see how awesome it is!

'Girl With A View' ~ Order A Print

To give you some idea of just where you need to stand to capture all of the view in front of you see the post below from my Instagram. I captured this photograph with +Google Glass while standing on the edge.

I also shot a quick video with +Google Glass. I enjoy having Glass along while I explore and photograph cool places like this! It provides me the opportunity to easily share #ThroughGlass behind the scenes.

So, how do you get there? I've mapped it for you from Page, AZ. It is very easy!

Cash or Credit: The Value of a Photograph

We'll Give You Credit

More and more I receive request to use my photographs for free. "Unfortunately we don't have a budget for photography".

That is unfortunate, for you.

The thing is I have poured my heart and soul into my work. I've dedicated countless hours and quite a bit of money in my work. Yes, it is work.

In lieu of money I'm often offered photo credit.

What Is Photo Credit and Does It Have Value?

Photo credit is when the name of the photographer appears next to the photograph wherever the photograph might be published. That sounds like a reasonable offer. The project will get a lot of views and people will see the photograph and that will drive traffic back to the photographer.

Does it work out like that? No!

What it does is make the website, ad, graphic, article and so on look great. That's it. The photographer is left holding his out of date camera wishing he could upgrade his equipment or go out and get more beautiful photographs. Better yet, take his kids to a movie or on one of his adventures.

How do I know this for sure? I've been there. I've had my work shared nationally, actually internationally. My photography has appeared on major news networks and been shared over and over again by millions, maybe even more. My Flickr account has tipped past 1.5M views!

That is a lot of attention. I must be up to my neck in photo credit, right? Yep. I have so much photo credit it is ridiculous!

Photo credit is a given. It has no value other than to let the reader know who captured the image they are looking at.

How Do You Spend Photo Credit?

You don't. Once again, it has no value! It does not make money in any way and cannot be spent anywhere.

I cannot use photo credit to put fuel in my car to go get more photographs. I cannot replace an aging camera with photo credit. Worst of all I cannot support my family with photo credit.

Does A Photograph Have Value Then?

YES! In fact the request I receive tell me that photography has value. Why else would I be showered with compliments? Why else would the request be made?

Photography can, and does, bring businesses profit. Profit, as it turns out, is where the budget comes from. Funny how that works.

Don't Be That Person

Would you ask a contractor to build your house for free? Probably not. But you could tell everyone you know just how great his work is. Heck, you could even put a sign in the yard that lets everyone know who built your house. You'd do that for a free house, right?

Don't be that person. Seriously, you get a paycheck, the web designer gets a paycheck and the janitor gets a paycheck. Don't ask the photographer to work for free. Especially the photographer who has four beautiful children and a wife that has supported him so faithfully.

Why Write This Post?

In a way I'm getting it out of my system. It's frustrating! Also, the future request will be sent here. Because I know there will be more request. *Sigh*

How Much To License An Image?

Not much. I like to work with people and see my photography help their project look its best! I'll work within an honest budget so we are both happy. Heck, you can even throw a number at me to get the ball rolling. If you really have a budget it's going to be less than I'm hoping for anyway. So there is no fear of giving me, or any photographer, too much for their hard work.