Some of the photos in this book were taken by Tom, and he also provided
input to help me pull this fourth book off.
Tom is a photographer with a filmmaking background from Austin, Texas.
His images have appeared in several short films. Stills from a Ku Klux Klan rally
were featured in Conflict in the Hood,a winning entry in a 2006 contest spon-
sored by the University of Texas Humanities Institute. His stills and on-site
video footage appeared in his short documentary, At What Cost?, an official
selection at the Sedona International Film Festival and the Blue Planet Film
Fest in Los Angeles.
In 2007, Tom’s growing interest in lighting techniques led him to glamour
photography. His work on several workshop shoots with me provided a con-
ducive environment for collaboration. Tom is currently in the production
stages of his first solo photography book, tentatively titled Emerging from the
Shadows.For more information on Tom Suhler, visit him online at http://www.tom
suhlerfineart.com.
I’d also like to remind everyone to remember the men and women in uni-
form who defend our country and our right just to own a camera to record
our lives. Please thank a veteran when you see them and say prayers for their
families and friends. They need that support, just as we all do. Unless you’ve
served in the military, no matter how I write or say it, it’s hard to understand
the challenges and sacrifices they all endure. So to all veterans, thanks from the
bottom of my heart and a special thanks for your sacrifices and service.
Every photographer should have sev-
eral “working themes.” These are
helpful in situations where you run
out of ideas. One of mine is “Wide
Aperture,” which challenges me to
do photography with the lens set at
its widest aperture—as in this image
of Elite Agency model Jenni. Here I
simply removed the lamp shade in
the bedroom and only used the 100-
watt household bulb. I’m able to do
this type of low-light photography
because I’m using the Canon 85mm
f/1.2L USM lens. While many photog-
raphers fret about purchasing faster
lenses, I prefer them for two specific
reasons. One, they allow my
viewfinder to be much brighter than
slower lenses and two, they make it
much easier for my camera to focus.
(CAMERA:Canon EOS 5D fitted with a
Canon 85mm f/1.2L USM lens. SET-
TINGS:85mm effective focal length,(^1) / 160 second shutter speed, f/1.2,
white balance at 3700K, ISO 800)