Professional Photographer used our Facebook page to ask photographers to share a favorite restaurant and tell us what city it's in. We collected all the San Antonio restaurant recommendations for our Imaging USA attendees, and here are the results!

Erik Almquist: I love the Brazillian steakhouses, so I recommend Chama Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse.

Teri Quance: Rosario's

Michael Kent: When in San Antonio check out the Fig Tree Restaurant. It’s on the Riverwalk everything is wonderful!

Mike Rom: Tower of the Americas, Chart House

Crystal Maldonado: Well I'm not from San Antonio, however I go every year. My parents used to take us as kids to Casa Rio. It was just beautiful and delicious. Eating Mexican Food is a must when we go to San Antonio. You can find great authentic Mexican Cuisine at the smaller places as well.

Evangeline Dean: Godai Sushi ;)

Christy Martin Tsiantos: Boudro’s -- Great restaurant in San Antonio!!!! Yum and great location!

Gina Acord Davison: I live in San Antonio. We are blessed with a bounty of yummy restaurants, not just along the riverwalk, LOL! There is Rosario's and Mad Hatter's in Southtown, several new restaurants in the Pearl Brewery complex, Coco's, Wildfish, Big'z Burger Joint in the Stone Oak area. Just the tip of the iceberg!

Jenny and Tony Blair: Boudro's on the Riverwalk!

Dave Wilkinson: Mi Tierra

Cheryl Williams: The County Line (on the Riverwalk)

Karl D. Schubert: Rita’s on the River is a favorite of mine there.

Marianne Sedacki-Drenthe: My San Antonio favorite, which we discovered a few years back while at Imaging is Rio Rio Cantina.

Kristy Isaacson: My husband and I call San Antonio our second home, we love to eat at Landry’s Seafood on the canal. Such great food and a great atmosphere.

Jan Dickson: Casa Rio Restaurant — The best view on the Riverwalk

Jodie Cowan: Alamo Cafe is our all time favorite! They are known for their chicken fried steak, but we usually go for shrimp fajitas. Ooh and the best tortillas!  

Randy Barker: When I get to San Antonio, I never miss going to Mi Tierra Cafe.  

Daniel White: Rocky's Taco House, just off Lackland AFB in San Antonio. The food is really good. They really know how to take care of EMS disaster response teams who are part of a Hurricane response.

Dan Smith: Taco Cabana for cheap, fast breakfast tacos. Also Bill Miller BBQ in for fast, cheap but good bbq brisket. Both are a must if you’re visiting SA and just want an inexpensive, fast meal. (Neither is culinary excellence, but a good Texas-only fast food experience.)

Jake Jaggears: Have to suggest Bill Miller BBQ!

Deanna Ridgway: Dick’s Last Resort on the Riverwalk! I even have pictures having the napkin tied around my neck and a glass from there. :)

Virginia Parker: Koreana Restaurant

Thank you to all the photographers who shared their favorite spots! To brows the rest of the more than 500 recommendations, look through the comments on this post.

By Bob Zimmerlich, CPP

A few days after picking up the new iPad with 3G service at a local Apple store here in Phoenix, I was on my way to New York unexpectedly for a funeral of a close family friend. Since I was packing light, I thought this would be a good test to see if the iPad could replace my heavier MacBook Pro on a short trip since I wasn't planning on any photography related work.

Just after I arrived at JFK my sister asked if I could do a headshot of her for her new startup business. My judgment must have been thrown off by the red-eye flight, because I said, “Sure, absolutely,” without a second thought. Problem was, I didn't have any of my gear, not even a camera. That's OK she said, she had a Canon Elph point-and-shoot. Now I'm thinking, oh, golly, gee whiz, sis—that will be swell (thinking in 1950s terms being the more civil alternative to cussing).

Since I wanted to use natural light, I downloaded an app called PhotoCalc onto the iPad to see when sunset on Long Island would be, then checked the local radar with the WeatherBug app's visible satellite radar loop. Seeing that clouds would be rolling in from the west by 5 p.m., and knowing the limitations of her camera, I knew we would want to finish the shoot inside with window light before then. With some proper positioning, a sheet of white foam board as a reflector and a rigged tripod, the shoot went well considering the situation.

Now for a little post processing, but without my trusty MacBook Pro what could I do? I thought, let's put this iPad to a real test.

By Thea Dodds of GreenerPhotography.org

This is the first in a series of tips on how to make your photography business greener. We'll start with taking a look at your physical space—office, studio and client meeting space. What does a greener photography studio or meeting space look like? Here are a few ways that you can make your space greener … and save money, too. Look for more Tips for Greener Photography each month!

Location, Location, Location
   • Be convenient. Have your space easily accessible by public transportation, close to other convenient locations.
   • Look for a studio with good natural light to minimize use of electric lighting.
   • Consider the sun exposure of your space and the needs of your climate.
   • Make it multi-functional! Coffee shops, cooperative artist spaces, and home offices are an easy way to share the impact of your studio/meeting space.

What's on the Inside? Paint, Stain, Flooring, Plastering.
   • Use milk- or clay-based paints for walls and ceilings.
   • Look for zero- or low-VOC paint and other materials.
   • Use natural flooring made from local materials and/or reclaimed materials
   • Avoid synthetic carpet.

Furnish It Green
   • Buy used furniture.
   • Buy furnishings locally.
   • Look for certifications, such as Forest Steward Certification (FSC) and organic furniture/components.
   • Look for uncertified, but still important claims, such as Made in the USA, Non-toxic, Sustainable.

By JR Geoffrion

Are you sometimes uninspired and wanting to get your groove back? Are you trying to develop your very own photographic style? Or are you simply looking for a fresh and new approach to creativity?

Whether you are an amateur or seasoned professional, all can benefit from using a conceptual framework to improve your photography.

Unlike a signature style, a conceptual framework has no rigid rules or recipes. Instead, it is a set of broad and free-flowing concepts open to your own interpretation, based on your unique experiences and journey through life. As such, a conceptual framework allows you to leave your mark on the images without having to fall into a mold that would inhibit creativity. The framework is ever evolving and changing, ensuring endless possibilities.

Defining your conceptual framework

As a wedding photographer, clients often ask me about my approach to photography. Rather than having a checklist of images I must capture, I shoot each wedding very differently by drawing inspiration from its unique elements, details, and from the personality of the couple. In other words, I react to my environment. Though the images I capture look very different from wedding to wedding, something below the surface ties them together. What is this invisible theme linking my images?

To identify what it was that linked my images, I selected more than 100 of my favorite photographs and looked for common recurring themes. How could these images be related to one another? What are the common threads? Why did I capture them the way I did and not another way? Why do I find these images appealing?

What emerged from this study were six distinct elements that are at the foundation of photogaphic style and vision. They are always at the basis of my images but in different proportion. Drawing a parallel to cooking, I didn’t have a recipe but rather signature ingredients on which I based my dishes.

These elements are shapes, colors, lighting, textures and patterns, movement, and point of view.

By Gary Lott

Since switching over to digital several years ago, I’ve considered the retouching that I do for clients to be an idealized representation of them.

Recently, however, my philosophy came into question when a woman I know jokingly accused me of being dishonest. She wondered why I didn’t see making people look better than they really do as less than truthful.

In response, I spoke about the joy I see in people’s eyes when they see a retouched image of themselves. I spoke about the satisfaction I get when going into the home of someone who has hung a 20 x 24 fine art portrait that I produced. Yes, I even mentioned that the frequency of which I sell wall art is a testament to my clients’ satisfaction. That was enough to convince my friend what I was doing was okay. After all, I’m not robbing banks.

The truth is, it wasn’t enough to convince me. The next morning, I sat and contemplated the conversation. I began to question what I was doing. Was it right? Searching for answers, I went back to the beginning. I asked myself, “What is photography about.” The answer that came to mind was light and shadow.