This week's podcast interviews photographers Stephen Eastwood and Mike Kubeisy.  Plus we'll offer some quick resources for touching up holiday photos as well as news about our next camera contest.

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Stephen Eastwood

Stephen Eastwood is a New York based Fashion and Beauty Photographer.  He also is a digital retoucher.  His expertise in both shooting and retouching have led him to be named a Canon Explorer of Light and PrintMaster.

Levi Sim and Stephen Eastwood discuss:

• Who is Stephen Eastwood?
• Why having hands-on learning lights is important.
• A speedlight tip
• Using gels and white balance to create drama and color
• Old school tricks on gelling and creating white balance.
• If Stephen were to shoot one thing for the rest of his life, what would it be and why?
• Why you need to start focussing on shooting what you want to be hired for
• Learning to be consistent 
• Where can you find Stephen online?

Mike Kubeisy

Mike Kubeisy covers everything from crime scenes to crime scenes to Hollywood celebrities. Since 1984, as a Motion Picture and Television Stills Photographer. He is currently shooting on shows being televised worldwide. He's taught everywhere from Photoshop World to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Photo Operations Unit. He is an active member of the Cinematographers Guild Local 600 and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. You can view his work at www.4stills.com.

Vanelli and Mike discuss:

• What is Mike well known for?
• What happens when you use hard lights?
• How stylizing the set helps with dramatic lighting.
• Learning to enhance the look of the talent.
• What does it mean to apply texture to the scene.

After a hiatus, we've brought back the Question and Answer format to the Photofocus podcast. We got a lot of feedback at our reader's breakfast and decided to pull the format back out. Our goal is to once a month get answers to questions you have.  You can post those questions via Twitter with the #pfqa or send us a note here at Photofocus.

 Rich Harrington & Vanelli

• Why we are bringing back the Question and Answer Podcast?
• How can you submit questions?
• Get to know this week's guest – Vanelli
• Why should you use a reflector?
• How many lights or strobes do you need?
• Learning to start basic and why
• Thoughts on doing photography education
• How do you set up for a sunrise or sunset shot (and bonus tips)
• Secret Lightroom and camera preferences you must change
• Using bracketing in your camera and how to utilize it.
• Creating the best Black and White photos.
• Why is the Adobe photography plan a subscription?
• Options if you want "boxed" software from Adobe
• Where are your files? Did you lose them?
• Where to find Vanelli?

This week's podcast interviews photographers Roberto Valenzuela and Peter Hurley.  Beauty and wedding photographer Roberto Valenzuela talks about working with medium formats.  Then we join Peter Hurley for some practical advice on working with and directing your subject.

Roberto Valenzuela

Roberto Valenzuela is a photographer based in Beverly Hills, CA. He developed his unique teaching style by following the same practice regimen he developed as a professional concert classical guitarist and educator.

Roberto believes that it is not talent but deliberate practice that is at the core of skill and achievement. He has traveled to every corner of the world motivating photographers to practice and break down the various elements of photography in order to master them through goal setting, self-training, and constant dedication.

Roberto serves as a judge for photographic print competitions in Europe, Mexico, South America, and the most prestigious International photography competitions held in the United States through the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) in Las Vegas, NV.

• Shooting with the Phase One Medium Format camera
• What’s different about medium format?
• Why shoot with medium format?
• The look you get
• How are medium format files different?
• Why does Roberto underexpose every image?
• The power of using shadows
• His experience shooting weddings

Peter Hurley

Peter Hurley is a New York photographer who found his way behind a camera after starting his career in front of one as a model and actor. He first picked up a camera to photograph his work making the US Sailing Team for the Olympics. This lead to a mentorship with photographer Bruce Weber who encouraged him. He's since gone on to shoot advertisements for Levi's, Reebok, DKNY, Johnnie Walker and Axe Deodorant to name a few.

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