This third installment of the four part series on Randy Craig examines Randy’s take on beauty and his approach to capturing it. To Randy, it is all quite simple really. Beauty is the reason why Randy is a photographer. To him, beauty is not just something, it is everything. What we notice about the beauty of interest to Randy is that it has three characteristics. These are:

Firstly, the beauty to which Randy is drawn is natural beauty. It is pristine and unadulterated. Randy seems quick to spot anything that is artificial or made up. Randy finds the beauty that he seeks in natural scenery, in nature’s wildlife and in people possessed of natural grace. Randy says, ‘Where do I find beauty? I find it in nature, mostly; through wildlife, landscapes, isolated details and patterns, and in graceful human form. I am an avid hiker and lover of the outdoors. Exploring new places and observing all aspects of the natural…

If you want to celebrate your great travel images, consider entry into Intrepid’s annual Travel Photography Competition.

Intrepid, Lonely Planet Images and Kathmandu have announced their annual competition yet again in 2010 with entries closing on 30 June. The competition is open to anyone, both pro and amateur, to submit photos that embody the travelling spirit. Categories include real life experiences, landscapes, icons and families. Winners receive prizes such as Kathmandu Travel Gear vouchers, Lonely Planet titles and Intrepid tours.

Previous winners include David Lazar’s prayer image in Egypt and Sudip Roychoudhury’s photograph of women washing in India.

Getting into photography can be quite intimidating, especially for those who’re just starting out. Sure, there are plenty of books that can help, but most of these books aren’t, well, newbie-friendly. Some are too technical to be understood easily, and the bigger problem is that most of these books deal with just that—the technical.

Thank goodness there’s Kevin Meredith.

Kevin is the author of a photography book called Hot Shots, a small, flick-through style photography book that tackled one thing that most photography books did not: making a photo stand out. No jargons. No complicated explanations. Kevin explained in a simple, easily-understood way how to take truly eye-catching shots.

The book discussed how simple techniques can be used to “make every photo your best,” like exposure, composition, and perspective. It also covered various photographic styles, including portraits, cityscapes, landscapes, black and white, and others. It shows the reader how to work around uncontrollable factors in a shoot, like…