Light Painting

Light Painting

Author: Steve Brazill August 26, 2021 Duration: 47:03

Let’s start here… Cliff Mautner’s career in photography spans 38 years. Think about that for a minute… 38 years ago Nikon released the world’s first SLR with Matrix Metering, the Nikon FA, and the world’s first camera with a 1/250 sec. flash sync speed, the FE2. Man, we’ve come a long way, and Cliff has been there for all of it.

Cliff’s career has included multiple genres. After 15 years and 6000 assignments as a photojournalist with the Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as shooting for an eclectic array of commercial clients ranging from Comcast to Subaru, Cliff launched his wedding photography career. After about 1100 weddings or so, he still brings the same passion and intensity with him to each event with an emphasis on creating authentic moments in some of the most difficult light imaginable. His ability to blend his lifetime of experience in photojournalism and commercial photography with his wedding photography is amazing. Browsing through his portfolio quickly reveals a journalistic approach to capturing his client’s most important day.

Experience like Cliff’s, and more importantly talent like Cliff’s, comes with recognition. Cliff is a very proud Nikon Ambassador to the United States, and an Ambassador for Light & Motion. He was named one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world by American PHOTO magazine, and has received the Nikon WPPI Photographer of the Year award. He has also has been honored with the International Photographic Council Leadership medal at the United Nations, presented with the WPPI Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a two time WPPI Grand Award winner for photojournalism. Like I said…. talent like this gets recognized.

Join Nikon Ambassador, and Light & Motion Ambassador, Cliff Mautner and me as we explore the challenging world of wedding photography, and the art of light painting, on this Behind the Shot.

Connect with Cliff

Website: cmphotography.com
Instagram: @cliffmautner
Facebook: @CliffMautnerPhotography
Facebook Group: Cliff Mautner Education
Twitter: @cliffmautner

The Lighting and Skillset Bootcamp

Website: cmbootcamp.com

Nikon

Ambassadors: nikonusa.com

Light & Motion

Collections: lightandmotion.com/collections/camera
Ambassadors: lightandmotion.com/blogs/ambassadors

Cliff’s KelbyOne Classes

Website: kelbyone.com

Cliff’s Photographer Picks

Dave Black: daveblackphotography.com
Mark Edward Harris: markedwardharris.com
Larry Price: larrycprice.com
Elliott Erwitt: elliotterwitt.com
Diane Arbus: fraenkelgallery.com
Sebastião Salgado: icp.org
Sebastião Salgado Documentary: The Salt of the Earth


Steve Brazill hosts Behind the Shot-Video, a series that goes far beyond gear lists and camera settings. Each conversation is a deep exploration of the creative and technical journey behind compelling images. You’ll hear working photographers unpack the entire process-from the initial spark of an idea and the challenges of the location to the critical decisions made in post-production. This podcast sits at the unique intersection of art and practical technology, offering tangible lessons for anyone looking to improve their visual storytelling. Rather than abstract theory, these discussions provide a real-world look at problem-solving under pressure and the artistic choices that define a signature style. Tune in for honest, detailed breakdowns that reveal how memorable shots are truly built, layer by layer. It’s an essential resource for visual artists seeking both inspiration and actionable knowledge, all grounded in the lived experience of accomplished creators.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 200

Behind the Shot - Video
Podcast Episodes
Making Better Portraits by Having Fun [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:47
When it comes to photography podcasts, The Candid Frame is one of the best there is. It is constantly on a a list somewhere, like the new list from PHLEARN of “The Best Podcasts for Photographers“. The reason for that, o…
Creative Photoshop Composites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:54
Photoshop guru Aaron Nace was born on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, which in and of itself is a reason to get to know him. Kauai is one of my favorite places, and in fact I was there just about two months before writing…
Photoshop World Recap [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:19
Back in August the Photoshop World Conference hit Las Vegas again for a week of fun, games, workshops and classes. I am really glad I went this year. For the last few years Photoshop World had called Mandalay Bay home, a…
Wildlife Photography [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:27
My first introduction to Juan Pons was on The Digital Photo Experience podcast, with Rick Sammon. I listened to that show regularly, partly because I could hear the passion for the craft that both hosts had. Fast forward…
The Power of Personal Photo Projects [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:14
I first heard about Andy Day back in April of 2019. Periodically I am a guest on my friend Don Komarechka’s Photo Geek Weekly podcast, and we covered a story Andy had written for Fstoppers – and let me say, please check…
Printers, Paper & the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Let me warn you, this is a printer review, but a lot more than that. I intended this show to be about 30-45 minutes, but yeah, didn’t work out that way. Even after finishing the sessions I did, I tried to edit it down, b…
Getting Your Photos Up To Speed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:29
Saying that David Dewhurst has been at photography for most of his life is an understatement. By the age of 15 he was he was already a working pro, getting to paid by national magazines to shoot what he loved – motorcycl…
Telling a Visual Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:04
This is our third of a continuing series in conjunction with Red River Paper. Red River Paper’s Education program helps photography students by providing high quality photo papers to photography education programs around…
Documenting Burning Man [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:47
This show is the start of a contest to win a 6 week online course, from Trey Ratcliff and Lauren Bath, on “How to Build Influence”, the ultimate e-course for future influencers. See the rules here or in the links below.…
Help Your Photos Take Flight [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:05
I have to admit, I am at a loss for words – something my family would be happy about, but something that’s not great in this situation. This is a “pinch me” situation for me. I first heard of Scott Bourne on Leo Laporte’…