Zoner Magazine

Photo Studio Power User: Karen Orman

With a true passion for all things imaging, photographer Karen Orman realized years ago, while watching her father capture life’s precious moments, that she too would make the craft her career. Orman has been able to intertwine her two greatest passions, travel and photography, into a website Focus One Design Photography where she displays and sells her incredible collection of images from around the world – in the hope they will help inspire the photographer in all of us on our next travels.

We recently caught up with Orman, a devote user of Zoner Photo Studio, and chatted about the photography profession, where her inspiration comes from, and of course, the fun she has had diving into Zoner Photo Studio. 

Zonerama: What camera(s) do you shoot with regularly?

Orman: The Canon Rebel T2i Digital SLR and an everyday smartphone – Samsung Galaxy S5. Starting at a young age, watching my dad with his camera and projector, and with various friends on their travels, I found the love of photography on international and local travels. There is much debate to be had, which is a better camera – is it Nikon, or is it Canon? I have been very happy with the results from a previous Canon SLRs, various Canon PowerShots and Samsung smartphone cameras. And now, for a bit more control of the picture, my Canon DSLR T2i is my current favorite camera. Eventually, I’d love to upgrade and get the Canon 60D or the T5i. No matter what though, now everywhere I go, I always have a camera in hand ready to capture the moment.

Zonerama: What is your favorite lens?

Orman: Canon Zoom EF 75-300mm – takes exceptional quality/clear and crisp photos. I would love to hug this lens, the quality and close-up ability are truly amazing.

Zonerama: What are some of your favorite things to photograph?

Orman: Anything really, where I can capture the true moment – from landscapes, nature, gardens and flowers to city scapes, buildings, boats, scenery and animals, such as sheep in the field or dogs.

Zonerama: Talk to us about how the profession of photography has changed in the last decade.

Orman: It is exciting to watch the age of photography get better and better as time goes on. With film cameras and later on digital cameras and then Wi-Fi cameras, it has been impressive to watch this evolution during this very exciting time. On the photo level, though, the true moment in time can be captured, and in the end, the picture becomes a replica of time’s greatest moments. It really doesn’t matter if the photo was captured in film or digital, the end result is a photo which showcases the true moment; something to cherish long-term. With digital, however, it is exciting to see technology improving and how easy it is to share photos directly from the camera or smartphone itself, and also to be able to take HD videos on the go.

Zonerama: How are you educating yourself today to stay on top of this ever-changing profession?

Orman: Photography magazines, websites, blogs or news articles and anything and everything to do with photography. When you have a love for something, you can spend hours doing research, exploring things and learning, which never stops both on and off line.

Zonerama: What do you want people to take away they view your images?

Orman: For many people, the moment captured is special to the person who took the photo, or participated in the picture, or they have some sort of a connection with the place or scenery of where the photo was captured. If they don’t, I would hope they simply enjoy their visit, while truly enjoying the photo so they feel like they were actually there in that location and by what they see will inspire them on their own journeys. With a love for travel and photography, it is evident that the two go very well together and with a keen eye for detail, I love to capture the true moment in time.

Zonerama: Other than the camera itself, what’s your favorite photo gadget?

Orman: I’d have to say my filter – I have a UV filter, which is used in bright sunny conditions to fade out any blue or purple haze .

Zonerama: When you are out shooting, how much of what you capture is instinctual versus planned?

Orman: I’d say it is mostly always instinctual, but there are times when you see a landscape or a perfect shot, before you bring your camera out to capture that perfect moment.

Zonerama: How long have you been using Zoner Photo Studio

Orman: I’d say just under two years. Started with Zoner Photo Studio 16, and fell in love with it instantly. After researching and trying many online and off line photo programs, including ones such as Adobe Lightroom, Zoner is truly amazing. I’m now using Zoner Photo Studio 17, and the program only gets better and better with each new release or update.

Zonerama: What features in Zoner Photo Studio do you find most useful?

Orman: I love the import feature, batch editing, re-size, and of course sharing photos to social network sites or via email.

Like Orman, you too can take your images to new heights with Zoner Photo Studio.