Photographer Andy Batt, of Portland, Ore., has been awarded an Adidas photography contract for the second year in a row. Batt and his crew traveled to Rio de Janeiro, where their task was to create 40 images of runners and trainers.

Batt is the principal photographer for Andy Batt Studio, which he co-owns with his wife, Therese Gietler, and is the co-president of the Oregon chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers. His work can be seen at andybatt.com.

Three harrowing tales of shoots that were saved by ingenuity, quick thinking and a little luck.

Few cauldrons burn as fiercely as a studio shoot, fueled by sky-high client expectations, impatient art directors and intense deadlines. From within this crucible, some of the world’s most extraordinary photography has been created.

Yet even the finest of plans can shift subtly and go awry in an instant. How does one overcome adversity within the studio? Moreover, how does one transform an unraveling shoot into a great success?

Perhaps the key is to think of the studio as a laboratory. Photography could be called the greatest amalgam of pure science...

Seattle's Gary Benson recently traveled to Glacier National Park in Montana to photograph Tom Brokaw for a Discovery Channel/NBC Universal documentary on global warming. Other recent work includes environmental portraits for T-Mobile and Cascade Designs. His images can be seen at garybensonphoto.com.

Joe Rosenthal, made famous by his World War II photograph of soldiers raising an American flag over Iwo Jima, died Aug. 20 at age 94 in Novato, Calif.

His iconic Iwo Jima image, taken with a Speed Graphic camera set at 1/400th of a second on Feb. 23, 1945, is considered one of the most famous and reproduced photographs of all time, earning Rosenthal a Pulitzer Prize.

Rosenthal, who was born in Washington, D.C., moved to San Francisco in 1930 and found work as a photographer...

On July 1, the Copyright Office increased the fee for basic copyright registration from $30 to $45.

According to the American Society of Media Photographers, registering is the cheapest and most effective action that photographers can take to protect their businesses, and hundreds of images can be registered...

Larry McNeil's project, "Keet Hit," has received an international award from the All Roads Film Project, sponsored by National Geographic, with the goal of promoting the work of indigenous and under-represented minority-culture filmmakers, photographers and artists. "Keet Hit" was named a Photographic Essay of Distinction.

McNeil, who was raised in Alaska, is a member of the Northern Tlingit tribe and considers himself a product of both traditional Tlingit culture and...

Photographer Mona Brooks' work recently was featured in "Project Runway," Le Monde and Europa. Brooks is in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She also is putting together a book, "unConventional, YearlyKos: Citizens, Focus and Action." More information is available at monabrooks.com.

Certain events in one’s life can be pivotal to what lies ahead. In my case, it was the loss of my father in a heartbeat (or lack of one) when I was 16 years old that would prompt me to reevaluate my destiny. His passion for photography as a hobby would, along with other influences, inspire me to later make photography my career. After his passing, my mother and two older sisters provided their continued guidance to keep me on a positive track, while also instilling within me an appreciation for women’s issues and their struggle for gender equality in our society. I shall be forever grateful for their insight and wisdom.

With that in mind, it always gives me great pleasure to present the work of deserving women who have excelled in a heavily male-dominated industry. In this issue of PhotoMedia...

After several articles about the overheated antics and egos of studio shoots, we thought we'd end this issue with an idyllic scene of natural splendor: Claire Curran's "Maple Leaves in Workman Creek," shot in Arizona's rugged Sierra Ancha Mountains.
"Actually, it's one of the filthiest creeks I've ever seen," Curran says. "Each time I go there, I have to do a major sweep of all the beer cans and plastic bags lying around."
So much for idyll...

Today’s web-based photo services can market your images while they store them.

Greetings from Cambodia! I’m in Phnom Penh working on a project, and my situation here highlights the premise of this article. I have multiple backup facilities and procedures here in the field, yet if something happened to my luggage or equipment, some or all of my images could be lost.

This also could happen to all of us at home, if we experience a fire, flood, burglary, computer virus, earthquake or other disaster, natural or otherwise. No matter how good your backup and archiving plan is, if everything is in one location, you still have all your eggs in one basket...