February Featured Photographer: Roger Rosenbaum

Each month Dutchess Tourism features a local photographer to help showcase the beauty of Dutchess County. This month meet Roger Rosenbaum! See some of his work and learn more about why he loves photographing Dutchess County. 

What is your name and where can people find your work?

My name is Roger Rosenbaum. You can find more of my work here: brand-news-team.com

Describe your perfect staycation in Dutchess, or your idea of a fun weekend in the County. 

There is so much to see and do outdoors that Dutchess County never gets old. It feels like you can drive twenty miles in any direction and there is something new to see or do. That dynamic is beautifully multiplied based upon how each season impacts the trees, mountains, rivers and historic sites.

It often surprises me how much of the county remains rural and agricultural. As for a fun weekend, I like to either get in the car and just drive around the county to take photos or do something that I see in the news or on social media.

Rarely, if ever, do I travel around the area without a camera capable of stills, video or drone shots. I often plan or spontaneously go on photo explorations based on weather conditions. It has become a habit of mine to try to determine if it will be good conditions for a colorful sunrise or sunset.

What equipment do you use in your photography? 

Throughout my career in photojournalism, video production and content creation I have used a wide variety of equipment. This includes industry standard cameras from RED, SONY, CANON, PANASONIC, DJI, GoPro and BLACKMAGIC DESIGN. To maximize portability and quality, I currently shoot with the following for hobby and commercial purposes:

1.) Panasonic FZ-1000 . Shoots 4K-video and 20-megapixel stills with an integrated 18-400 zoom lens. Love this camera because I don’t have to lug around extra lenses. Plus RAW photo files can be edited to bring out the light and colors.

2.) iPhone 12 Pro Max .This smartphone allows me to shoot raw video and stills with image stabilization. This is an incredible camera with a whole host of new capabilities. New tools and settings to play with during my travels around Dutchess County!

3.) DJI Phantom 4 Pro. This drone or small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) is a flying high-quality camera and stabilization system that weighs about four pounds. The quality and versatility of the 4K video and 20 megapixel raw stills makes this drone an industry standard workhorse for content creation.

I am an FAA-Part 107 certified pilot (required for commercial flights) who has won awards for drone photography and cinematography. I fly this drone for both hobby and commercial flights and I am rarely disappointed with the quality of the images. I frame the shots to let the emotion of the subject come to life.

What is your favorite place to photograph in Dutchess and why? 

Photography is a creative outlet for me, which is especially necessary during COVID. It’s something that I can do to get outside and clear my head. The places often depend on the time of day and the weather in order to capture the best colors and cloud formations. It is also a lot of fun to photograph events like farmers’ markets, fairs, historic sites, farmland, open areas and FOOD. Probably my favorite place to shoot is near the Hudson River. That allows for shots across with the Catskill Mountains in the background. Sunrises and sunsets with interesting cloud formations are my favorite.

Do you have somewhere on your list that you want to photograph in Dutchess, but haven’t gotten there yet? 

Give us a few photography tips: