The fourth annual Black Hills Photo Shootout is getting underway this weekend. The Shootout is a gathering at Black Hills State University in Spearfish of photographers and photography instructors from across the nation who get together for camaraderie, to share favorite techniques, and to capture and showcase the natural beauty of the Black Hills in their pictures.
Bill Fortney is a professional photographer and Black Hills Photo Shootout keynote speaker. Fortney has worked for Nikon and was once the official photographer for the Washington Redskins.
Fortney says photographers should get a good grasp on camera basics and then fine-tune their skills.
“I think just to go out and learn how to see, learn how to see good light, find good subjects to put in that light. It’s a lot like a lot of other things, the more you practice the better you get at it,” says Fortney.
Fortney is photographing the Badlands during his stay in South Dakota.
The Black Hills Photo Shootout also features workshops on subjects like photographing moving water and studio lighting for still-lifes. University officials say more than one-hundred-twenty photographers attended last year’s event.
You can view more of Bill Fortney's phots at billfortney.com