As a professional photojournalist based in Pennsylvania, I’ve always been drawn to subjects and locations that make strong medical stock photography—images that are timeless and can be licensed repeatedly by designers and editors. At the peak of my career, I would then sell those photos by sending them to agencies, like Photo Researchers and Getty images. These days, photographers have to be their own scouts and salespeople, following trends and understanding what images sell on different online platforms. 

The following tips I learned from my peak years producing stock medical photography are evergreen:

1. Utilize assignments to understand what is in demand in the medical stock photo market. 

If you’re building a medical photography portfolio in Pennsylvania—whether in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, or smaller towns—local hospitals and clinics can be invaluable partners. When I returned from the Philippines to my hometown of Harrisburg, I learned there were two hospitals in the city where my sister was employed as a nurse. After consulting with Photo Researchers, I decided to take some photos of health and medicine subjects to build my medical stock collection, making sure I had photos on hand that could be sold while I was doing assignments. (These days, they call that “passive income.”)

I got a boost when I received an assignment to photograph a cardiac physician and his assistant observing a patient hooked up to monitors while walking on a treadmill. After that, another assignment I was given was to depict a classroom with an injured student in a wheelchair and another student wearing eyeglasses. This was a lesson in the need for diverse subjects: textbook editors needed photos of young people of diverse backgrounds and representing disability.

2. Stage medical photography scenes even without access to an actual hospital. 

At the same time, my photography assistant learned that a local manufacturer, Armstrong Flooring, had set up a model hospital nurse’s station, with actual hallways and rooms that could showcase their linoleum products. We called to see if we could use the space to bring in a model doctor, nurse, parents and a child for a photo shoot and they gave us permission. 

This made things much easier. I knew that I couldn’t take photos in an actual hospital without navigating miles of red tape to gain the hospital’s and physicians’ permission. In addition, good photos usually required extra lighting, and the Armstrong showroom could easily accommodate that gear. 

3. It’s important to follow rules protecting patient privacy, and also practice good etiquette: ask first before taking photos, and get signed model releases to ensure the photos can be used widely.

At the Armstrong model “hospital,” we asked the models to roleplay nurse and doctor interactions, depicting the husband in a wheelchair greeting his young sons and a mother with son getting a TB test and other scenes. We paid the models and asked them to sign model releases for the photos, which made them more valuable for different publications and purposes.

4. Use personal contacts to access Pennsylvania hospitals, labs, and patient rooms for medical photography.

Sometime later, I learned to know the operations manager at the hospital. He was very helpful in allowing us to photograph an unused ICU and patient’s rooms, and engaged members of the hospital staff to work with our paid “patient” models for a few minutes at a time. One of these photos, this one taken in the ICU, became my most leased medical photo. 

Recently, I had a personal appointment with a specialist doctor and nurse and noticed an opportunity to photograph the nurse using an iPad, which was a new phenomenon at the time. She consented to photos that could be used in a medical publication.  To maintain a strong portfolio, it is important to make sure the devices you are featuring don’t appear outdated (along with hairstyles, clothing, and scenery).

5. Take a lot of photos, from different angles. Try to think of all the possible uses of a certain scene before you stage it in order to get the most out of your planning. 

Medical brochures often rely on versatile stock photography of healthy youth and adults doing exercise and activities such as running, biking, or swimming. These were other model-released scenes I set out to photograph. They also use medical concepts, like photos of colorful pills. Slowly, my portfolio of medical photographs grew in size and variety—and some of them continue to sell, decades later. 

Whatever you photograph, have a user in mind. Make sure you leave space in the photo for text to appear in a brochure or magazine. And get started: it takes time to build a strong medical portfolio. At the same time, this type of work can be deeply rewarding. 

To see examples from my medical photography portfolio in Pennsylvania, visit my stock images gallery. If you see an image in our files that is not high-resolution, we can easily scan it and make it available to you.

The post Shoot Your Shot: How to Build a Strong Medical Stock Portfolio first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

That’s also why my companions have easily gotten impatient with me at times. My years of travel provide many examples.

When in Switzerland  with a buddy road tripping in a VW Beetle, before I knew I was a photographer, I walked up and down the road to get the right angle on the village far below. My friend became annoyed with me, “Just make the d**n picture,” he yelled. He was already back in the car. After I turned pro, I reminded him of that incident a couple of times.

Or when in Jerusalem visiting the Dome of the Rock with my family, I cut loose from them to photograph the beautiful building and intricate designs from different places. The first shot I make is rarely the best. I get down low and look up. Walk around and make the photo from an angle instead of straight on. Take close ups and also wide-angle shots. 

Sometimes “walking around” a subject means going back to the same scene in different seasons like I did at Rickett’s Glen State Park and the Poconos in Pennsylvania. To photograph the waterfalls, I returned in the autumn and winter to catch the cascading water surrounded by colored leaves, and in snow and ice. With my tripod and Sony zoom lens camera, I took one careful step at a time down the snow-covered rocks—knowing full well that I would have to climb back up. 

If you are making pictures for an editor, they will like the variety in angles to choose from, and you will be more satisfied. A National Geographic editor once told me, “As you look through a photographers’ photos, the subject should get better until “bingo,” one of the pictures just stands out.”

For more photos like these, visit our Pennsylvania and Middle East albums.

The post Photography 101: Finding New Angles of Iconic Scenes first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

Choose Art That Feels Familiar and Comforting

People naturally feel more positive toward images that feel familiar or personally meaningful. This psychological concept — that we feel more at ease around things we recognize — explains why artwork featuring places you love, natural scenes, or calming environments can immediately make a workspace feel more comfortable and grounding.

Consider choosing images of landscapes you’ve visited, scenes that remind you of your home region, or subjects that align with your personal style. Familiar imagery helps create a sense of belonging the moment you walk into your office.

Art Can Improve Mood, Stress Levels, and Productivity

Artwork doesn’t just make a space pretty. Research shows it can meaningfully influence well-being:

• Offices with artwork help reduce stress and anxiety and create restorative moments throughout the day.
• Employees report that art improves the work environment, creativity, and productivity — especially when imagery reflects nature or calming themes.

If you spend long hours at your desk, thoughtfully chosen art becomes a small but powerful support for your mental energy.

Let Color Guide How You Want the Space to Feel

Color dramatically shapes emotion:

• Blues and greens promote calm and focus
• Warm yellows and soft reds encourage creativity
• Earth tones add stability and warmth

When selecting photography for your workspace, look at the dominant colors in each image. Choose tones that support the type of work you’re doing and the atmosphere you want to create.

Consider Feng Shui Principles for Balance and Flow

Feng Shui offers helpful guidance for using art to create harmony:

• Nature imagery, especially landscapes or water scenes, brings a sense of calm that supports focus.
• Place artwork where it feels balanced in the room — not overwhelming, but anchoring.
• Avoid chaotic or very dark imagery in areas meant for concentration.

These ideas can help you think about the feel of a room, not just the look.

Choose Art That Reflects Your Personality and Story

The best office art isn’t generic. It’s personal.

Photos of trails you’d love to hike, forests that make you feel grounded, or cityscapes that energize you add meaning and character to your workspace. When your art reflects who you are, the room becomes a space where you feel more at ease and more inspired — and it creates a warm, authentic atmosphere for visitors.

Final Thoughts

Art has a bigger impact than most people realize. Choose images that feel familiar, calming, or inspiring, pay attention to color and placement, and let your walls support the kind of energy you want in your workspace.

The post How to Choose Art for Your Office or Workspace first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

I carefully placed my foot on the next ledge at the summit of Poles Steeple in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, positioning my camera-mounted tripod alongside me. Always mindful of the importance of capturing the best possible photograph with each outing, I stretched down to the next ledge and, on hands and knees, crawled onto it to set up my tripod. The rock climber I had hired as a model was now more secure with his supporting ropes than I was, as I relied solely on the stability of the rocks and my own footing. Once in place, I took numerous photographs—switching between horizontal and vertical compositions and searching for sunbursts behind the climber.

An Abundance of Parks to Explore

Pennsylvania is home to 124 state parks, with a 125th in development. Together, these parks encompass 300,000 acres and feature 1,600 miles of state park trails. I have personally explored 80 of these parks, either by camping overnight or making day visits. Some, like Pine Creek Gorge, have drawn me back repeatedly for camping and aerial photography from Cessna airplanes. Others, including World’s End, Ricketts Glen, Promised Land, and Cowans Gap, have provided memorable experiences—like climbing down waterfalls in Ricketts Glen after a heavy winter snowfall. When I had no photographic assignments at my Harrisburg studio, I would often announce to my staff, “I’m heading out to the green,” referring to the parks and state forests marked in green on the Pennsylvania recreational map.

The History and Accessibility of Pennsylvania State Parks

Rothrock, near State College, was one of the first Pennsylvania state parks, established in the early 1900s. By 1955, when Dr. Maurice K. Goddard became director of the Department of Parks and Forests, there were 44 state parks. Dr. Goddard set out to create a state park within 25 miles of every Pennsylvania resident—a goal that, while not fully realized, has resulted in parks in 62 out of 67 counties. During my years in Harrisburg, I frequently visited nearby Gifford Pinchot and Pine Grove Furnace State Parks and enjoyed annual arts festivals with my family at Little Buffalo. After relocating to Philadelphia, I found that Neshaminy State Park and Ridley Creek were within a convenient 25-mile radius.

Memorable Adventures in the Parks

Driven to photograph Trillium flowers in Raccoon Creek State Park west of Pittsburgh, I wandered through the park in a light rain until I found the blooms, then fashioned a tent from plastic to protect both my camera and the flowers. Satisfied with the images, I left the park, the leaves beneath my feet making a gentle splashing sound. My determination to visit remote parks also led me across snow and ice to Salt Creek State Park in Susquehanna County, where I discovered several waterfalls.

Many parks, such as Shawnee and Pymatuning, rewarded me with stunning sunsets. At Ohiopyle, I watched kayakers and tubers navigating the rapids of the Youghiogheny River. My favorite campsites were always nestled beside forest streams, where I could fall asleep to the soothing sound of water flowing over rocks.

Camping and Lodging Experiences

My spouse and I last camped together at Hickory Run and Promised Land State Parks. More recently, we have opted for cabin stays, our latest being at Nockamixon State Park near Quakertown. For those who prefer cabins or the luxury tents now available in some parks, it’s best to make reservations in January as soon as they become available.

The post Exploring Pennsylvania’s 120+ Scenic State Parks and Forests first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

As the leaves turn and the air grows crisp, it’s the perfect time to bring the colors of fall into your home. I really enjoy capturing the beauty of changing seasons—golden trees, quiet lakes, and cozy landscapes—and I’m excited to share that many of these photos are available for purchase through Fine Art America. They make the best gifts—especially for lovers of Pennsylvania.

Why Fine Art America?

Fine Art America makes it easy to own and enjoy artwork in whatever form suits your space or lifestyle. When you order from my gallery there, you can choose from a wide variety of products and finishes:

• Wall art: framed prints, metal , canvas, acrylic, or whatever suits your space, all professionally printed and ready to hang.
  
• Home décor: coffee mugs, ornaments, even shower curtains, featuring your favorite images.
  
• Everyday items: tote bags, phone cases, notebooks, and greeting cards make wonderful gifts or personal touches.
  
• Custom options: select your preferred size, frame, and matting to perfectly complement your style.
  

Each piece is printed using high-quality materials, and orders are fulfilled by a global network of professional printers to ensure fast, reliable delivery—no matter where you are.

Featured: Fall Favorites

This season, I’m especially drawn to the textures and tones of autumn—burnt orange leaves, misty mornings, and soft light filtering through branches. You can browse the full fall collection, featuring stunning Pennsylvania, here.

Whether you’re refreshing your home décor for the season, looking for a unique gift, or simply want a piece that brings nature’s beauty indoors, Blair Seitz Photography and Fine Art America make it simple and enjoyable to find exactly what you love.

(Cover photo of an autumn stream near the Susquehanna River, in York County, PA is available on our website or from Fine Art America.)

The post The Best Gifts: Blair Seitz Photography at Fine Art America first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

But I find that in practice, there are nuances that prioritize respect and understanding. And, they still achieve my goal of informing others about the world we live in—which includes photographing the Amish, as you will see. Here are a few examples of how I make these judgements.

Understand Their Communities

First, many of my Amish photos, for example, this girl feeding a calf and picking flowers, portray Church Amish. Church Amish are a branch of the Amish that do not object to being photographed. (They also worship together in meetinghouses, rather than homes, hence their name. You can learn more about the Amish here). My collection of photos also includes Old Order Mennonites, who are sometimes mistaken for Amish. They have their own distinct practices and dress and do not object to being photographed.

Some of my photos portray Amish without showing their faces. But when I take a bit more license in service of my journalistic impulses, I take pictures from my car window parked along a road, or using my tripod alongside a field. In this case, I am photographing Amish people engaged in an activity, like farm work, and not posing. When they come to my side of the field, I greet them by waving and often receive a return greeting.

Once, however, in southern Lancaster County, a police officer harassed me for taking pictures of an Amish man working his field several hundred yards away. He was very protective of the farmer, and I didn’t try to assert my right to take photos from public property. Just remember to always follow the ethical guidelines of photojournalism, presented here by the National Press Photographers Association.

In my experience, youth who are not yet members of the church do not object to having their photos taken. On one occasion a buggy full of teens stopped on a country road and posed for me. On another, I was photographing a long road next to a Dawdy Haus (an add-on house for a son or grandparents) from atop my van. I waited for a buggy to come down the road. It happened to be full of young people who brought their horse nuzzling right up against my van. They asked jovially if that was close enough. No, I did not want them that close.

Take Opportunities Discreetly

Once I was at the edge of a schoolyard photographing children playing jump rope when the teacher, also a member of the Church Amish and an acquaintance of my father-in-law, asked if I would like to come into the classroom. I hid my glee and accepted.

Inside the classroom, she asked if I would tell the students what I do. A little startled, I said that I take pictures so that others can see how beautiful the world is, and that the photos I take often get printed in books for schools. The Amish students seemed satisfied. Before leaving, I stood at the back of the classroom, leaning against the doorframe to steady myself in the dimly-lighted room, and exposed a couple of frames that have been published many times in the U.S. and abroad.

One last incident is telling about individual Amish attitudes. My mother once sat beside an Amish woman at the annual quilt auction held in Harrisburg, PA, at the Farm Show building. She was holding and looking through my newly-published book, Amish Ways. The Amish woman, my mother told me, leaned over. She wanted to show my mother the photograph of one of her cousins in the book, not at all appearing upset by the photographs of her Amish kin. My aim is to inform others about the Amish lifestyle while being respectful of their wishes.

My books photographing the Amish can still be purchased online: Amish Ways (1991), Amish Country (1995), and Amish Values: Wisdom that Works (2001). Or you can choose from our gallery of Amish photos to feature in your home or business.

The post Photographing the Amish with Respect: Genuine Snapshots, Honoring Tradition first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

Digital photography, particularly the smartphone’s capabilities, have made nearly everyone a photographer, taking pictures and sharing them immediately. Phones in the hands of amateurs have dramatically reduced the value of photographs made by professionals. 

Despite my initial reluctance to switch over to digital photography, the silver lining of the new paradigm for photographers and corporations is that digital printing has made art décor photographs long-lasting. They are used frequently by architects and interior designers as art décor, with fine art photography covering entire walls. Now, hospitals, banks, and other corporate buildings are frequently turning to the intimate impact of historic places and scenic views of their area. Patients or clients enjoy viewing the art of sites they recognize, giving visitors the feel of being at home.
 
This feeling is what continues to fuel my photography, and I continuously strive to produce quality photographs capturing patients’ and clients’ interests. The illustration above shows how Geisinger Hospital in Danville, PA used my aerial photographs of the area as interior decor for the entrance corridor (eight twelve-foot-long murals) in their Advanced Medicine building.

To view Blair Seitz images taken in your Pennsylvania community, use our easily accessed regional galleries.

The post Fine Art Photography Makes Great Décor first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

Since then I’ve enjoyed birds, but, alas, have not felt that I’ve had time to wait to photograph them.

Until, that was, I had shoulder surgery. This required weeks of rehab and sitting at Camp May Point, NJ, where our house was next to Lilly Lake. I bought a 500mm Tameron lens with a 2X extender to fit my 24mp Sony a65. This was a relatively inexpensive combo. With a tripod, I took up a post under a tree on the edge of the lake, awaiting egrets, swans and herons to come into the area of about 30 feet from shore. The sharpness and art quality of the photos I made encouraged me so much that I decided to take the long lens with me to Costa Rica.

During a month visiting my daughter’s family in Monteverde, Costa Rica, I walked in Cloud Forest reserves and ventured to the Pacific coast town of Samara and to the edge of Arenal Volcano. In these varied habitats, I captured 25 different bird photos, which displayed incredible color and design.

However, the beautiful Blue-crowned Motmot was illusive. Only on the last day of my venture did my wife, Judy, spy a Motmot for me at the forest edge where I joined her on a seat. The Motmot landed on a branch within view of my 500mm lens.

However, carrying a long lens and swinging it skyward to search for forest birds you see plainly with your naked eye is taxing. Often you can’t locate the bird with the narrow lens. I learned to identify a particular limb shape, find it in the lens and follow it to the bird.

In addition, I used a monopod for these bird photos. I did not plot the end on the ground and attempt to move the camera and lens. Instead, I held the mono with its leg collapsed in my left hand for stability.

I set the shutter speed at 1/500 sec and allowed the aperture and ISO to set on auto. My most frequent photos were made at f5.6, ISO 1000 and 1/500 sec. The 24 mega pixel (mp) sharpness as well as shake control of the digital camera are huge assets over my days of using film cameras. The photographs, even when cropped to enlarge the bird image more, were sharp.

To view more of my wildlife and bird photos taken in Costa Rica, go to my Gallery “Costa Rica Flora, Birds and Butterflies.”

The post Capturing Brilliant Bird Photos in Costa Rica first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

The way to go is to scrap the conventional “from over the shoulder” lighting and find landscapes which have the sunlight coming from behind the vista.

As I look over my landscape photos (including aerial scenes), I find that most of them are backlit. That backlighting caught my attention, and is why I thought the vista would make a gallery photograph.

When an outdoor photograph’s main lighting comes from the sun which is behind rather than in front of the photograph two advantages occur:

1. the colors are usually deeper on the areas where the sun is shining from behind and
2. it gives the subjects a 3D appearance because the sun casts shadows on the front of any objects in the photograph. A 3D look on a flat 1-dimensional print is a great asset.

When you look at my sample photo selection to illustrate this concept, take notice of the rocks in the stream of the Hickory Run State Park photo. See the darkness on the front of the rocks and how it makes them look 3D. Or pick out the two aerial photos and notice how rich the greens are in the fields. I achieved this because the sun is coming from behind the scenes. Notice the shadows in the photos, which confirm that the sunlight is coming toward the horizon of the scene. The farm landscape from Berks County, PA is another great example.

Also notice that the ridges of the vistas are set off by light coming from behind them in the mountain pictures. If the light were coming from the front they would appear much more flat.

Backlist scenes attract my attention most when I’m searching for outstanding landscapes. To have more outstanding landscape photographs, ignore the conventional and go for backlighting landscape photography.

For more Blair Seitz images:

The post Get Unforgettable Results by Backlighting Landscape Photography first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.

My method of achieving the artistic result with far more ease than crawling on my knees with a 35- mm macro lens is to use my 180-300 mm lens on macro setting. Using the longer lens achieves two objectives:

1. It renders the background of the photo in soft, continuous tones that do not distract from the subject. The depth of field is very short with the focus only on the subject.
2. It is much easier because I can be a few feet from the flower or other subject. This makes maneuvering to find the right angle much less taxing on your body.

Still I must find the angle where the background is darker than the subject and evenly lighted. To achieve a pleasing soft tonal range I need to avoid a background of sharp light and dark contrast.

To maximize sharpness and minimize grain or “noise” in the photo, it is essential to use a tripod or monopod when making close-ups using the longer lens. Having the camera stable will enable making the photos at a lower ISO i.e. 200 or maximum 400 as compared to a higher ISO which will render more “noise.”

Approaching close-up photography with this technique will maximize their artistic effect and add to your enjoyment.

View more Blair Seitz images:

The post Techniques for Outstanding Close-up Photography first appeared on Blair Seitz Photography.