Category: personal

A Dose of Inspiration

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For those that are keeping up via feed reader, you may have noticed some Flickr additions over the weekend.  As the “What’s This?” arc came to completion, I thought it might be fun to compile all the images into their own dedicated set on Flickr for everyone to enjoy.  As it turned out, I had not been keeping up with cross-posting images there as much as I had thought, so it took several visits back and forth between the site files and Flickr to get everything together.  The Flickr images show up as their own feed posts, so there were a few extra feeds over the last few days.  It’s rather fun to see the collected images all in one place, and it also brings a project to completion.  See the complete 22 week collection here:  What’s This?  Flickr Gallery

Seeing projects come to completion can be a motivating force and can drive inspiration, so I’ve also brought myself current with the latest photography magazines.  Most especially relevant for today was the latest issue of Rangefinder magazine.  The web version can be found at www.rangefindermag.com and is enjoyable to be sure, but the print version really shows so much better.  Get your copy off newstands  – this issue is well worth it!  Artists such as Dixie Dixon and Jay Stock give a great dose of inspiration and demonstrate that anyone can be successful if you have the passion and inspiration, no matter if you are new to photography or have been around the block a few times.  Also in this issue is an excellent article on creating your own fine art photography books.  The price tag is high, but the end results seem pretty amazing!

From the blog front:

  • I also would like to take a moment to thank Crash Taylor again for his Thursday Thoughts interview last week.  Some great imagery in there also serve as excellent sources of inspiration, so be sure to stop over at his site and see the latest developments he has to offer.  Thanks Crash!
  • For those of you that have not downloaded the podcast yet, be sure to take some time to give it a listen – you can win the new Streetwalker backpack from Think Tank Photo!  I did my review on the show, and am giving the back to some lucky listener.  Find out how by listening to the show.  It’s a $140 value and you can have it for free!  How’s that for a dose of inspiration?

Feel free to share your images too – remember, at the end of the month, I will be doing a montage of all the images submitted to the “Flat” theme thread over at the Canon Blogger Flickr presence to feature here on the blog, so get in while you can to win fame and fortune!  (Well, maybe not, but it’s always fun to see your images online, right?)

The Boneyard and the Backstory

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I realize that photos should stand on their own merit without any back story, but in this case I am making an exception.

This island is called Bull Island, and is most well known for the dead tree trunks on the eastern shore that died from the assault of the Atlantic Ocean. Bleached white by the sun, salt, and sand, the beach area is called the boneyard because they look like bones.

I was organizing a trip to this island off the coast of SC which is only accessible by boat…so to the east of the island is the ocean and to the west is the mainland. We had gone once before during a regularly scheduled transport (10am), so knew the next time we would have to get them to make a special trip if we wanted any light.

Based on our estimated departure time and arrival on the west side of the island (you can’t dock at the ocean side), I suggested to all that they rent bikes in case we cut it close on sunrise…

So, we set off (already 20 minutes behind schedule due to one member tardy – total of 10 of us) in a skiff, because only one of us ended up bringing a bike. About halfway out to the island, the expert tour guide cuts the motor and stops in the murky light and stands up as if to get his bearings. We’re all cold, wrapped in jackets, with probably about $10 grand of gear (not to mention our lives) in this guys hands and he gets lost!

So, he finally gets his bearings, sits back down muttering something like “Sorry, never been out this early before – too dark.” So this has never been done before? Uh oh…
But, we arrive at the west side of the island without any major additional concerns…except light is rapidly gaining on us

As we dock, I realize I have a decision to make – do I stick with the group and probably lose any chance of catching sunrise on the east? Or do I mount my bike and take off like a bat outta hell? Given that this apparently had never been done before (and to my knowledge has not been done since) – this could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. So, I take the latter and bail on the group.

I make it to the edge of the wooded paths, and have to ditch the bike (no riding on the beach), and start jogging through the heavy sand to reach the shore. As I pull into view of the ocean, I see the sun is already crested. Then, I see where the sun is, and realize it will cross between two “bones” as it rises. So, I set up the tripod to frame that and snap off probably 5-10 different comps before the sun gets too high.

About twenty minutes later the rest of the group shows up and asks “Did you make it in time?” I smiled…

Boneyard Beach

So, does the story help the image?  What about others?  Anyone else have any compelling images they have some backstory for?  Share yours in the comments!  In the meantime, happy shooting, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow with a multimedia filled Wednesday!  Until then, I hope all your shots are good ones!

When it rains, it pours!

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After my post on Monday, with the Best 8 of 2008, CB saw quite a bit of activity, first from some very generous links back from none other than Scott Kelby and Jeff Revell of Photoshop Insider and Photowalk Pro fame. Then, when I did the piece on Tuesday titled “Is Film Making a Resurgence?” based on several discussions and news events, that also saw a fair number of comments. All this came on the heels of a career switch that has me transitioning from the private to the government sector which means condensing about 6 months of work projects down into two weeks.  This means I missed making a few noteworthy photo-related announcements that are both specific to CB and to the photography community at large.   From a blog visibility perspective, that was totally the worst time to not even make a post for teh day, but there was nothing to be done about it.   I guess the old saying is true:  When it rains, it pours! So, here’s a few announcements and belated photo-related news events to share for the remainder of this week.

From the Canon Blogger news front:

  • Canon Blogger has been picked up by Personal Life Media (the same folks that host Digital Photography Life and Camera Dojo).  This means future podcasts will be uploaded to their service, which will do a number of things for the podcast.  First and foremost, they will optimize the audio quality for the listening audience.  Second, they are also going to fix some podcast feed issues that I didn’t even know I had so that the show comes up better in your favorite feeds like iTunes and the like.  We’re also going to update the graphics to give the CB podcast a little bit of a sexier and professional look.  It’s quite exciting to see that there has been enough interest to warrant this kind of leap forward.  It does mean this week will be the second in succession with no show, but as we flesh out the details and get all the archived content uploaded, we can move forward with new shows!
  • Due in part to the holiday schedule, and to the subsequent flurry of personal and professional activity, the What’s This series and the Thursday Thoughts Series took a brief hiatus this week.  Yesterday was just insane at work, so I didn’t even get a chance to post to the blog saying I wouldn’t have time to post, so Wednesday was both figuratively and literally a No Blog Wednesday!  I should be back to a regular and more predictable schedule with those next week.
  • As you may recall from my last podcast of 2008, I announced that Think Tank had generously donated their new StreetWalker bag to CB for a review.  I have been putting it through its own paces over the last couple weeks and am now working on the finishing touches of my first official product review.  That should be coming out some time next week.

In the rest of the news:

  • Fellow blogger and photographer, Jason D. Moore made a bit of a splash the other day when he announced a new interview series he is doing that is leading off with an impressive list of folks including John Nack, (if you don’t know who John Nack is, welcome to the world photography and Photoshop – he’s the cheif  Product Manager for Adobe Photoshop !),  Larry Becker (of NAPP notariety), Jeff Revell, (Photowalk Pro) and several other notables.
  • Photo-restoration as a craft gets a jolt!  Fellow NAPP members Mitz and Janine both have some excellent posts on what it takes to be effective with photo restoration work.  While I knew from my own amateur efforts that it’s not easy (and definitely a craft that takes time to develop), these two bring awareness to the next level with the thoughts they share on their blogs.  Definitely worth reading when you have time.  Mitz can be found here, and Janine can be found here.

Well, is that enough content for one blog post?  I hope so…sorry if things went on for a while.  More tk!  So, until tomorrow, happy shooting – hope all your shots are good ones!

Flat…

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To kick start the NYR for 2009, here’s my first idea for the theme “Flat”.  I’ve also posted it to the CB Flickr group, and more shots are likely coming, but I probably won’t post all of them here, so be sure to visit there and see not only the theme, but what shots are being tagged in there (anyone is welcome to add their themed pics to the thread or group pool).  As mentioned down one post, I’ll be taking an assorted set of the pics at the end of the month and posting a collage here at CB.

Flathead Screwdrivers

Best 8 of 2008

Jason3 Comments

A new year has begun!  Happy New Year to my online friends and family!  Last year was a great year – it marked the first full year of blogging for me.  It showed me how challenging it is to generate new, useful, and meaningful content for readers on a regular basis.  Format changes, layout changes, content delivery changes, and a host of other things have kept the blog active for going on almost 18 months now.  So, what has kept things going?  A great deal of fellowship and other bloggers have shared their wisdom and experiences with me, both personally, professionally, and through their own regular posts.  To all of them, I would like to issue a collective “thank you.”  However, just as in anything, some are more instrumental in their value, and I would like to deliver special thanks to a few of them.  So, without further ado, here are the “Top 8 of 2008“!!!

  1. The Online Photographer – Michael Johnston delivers a steady stream of photography-related content, including articles, news, reviews, and insights into such a wide and diverse range of subjects, it astounds me.  Thanks Michael for your regular pearls of wisdom!
  2. Photoshop Insider – Scott Kelby is perhaps one of the most prolific writers of our time on photography and Photoshop.  Suffice to say, he definitely has his finger on the pulse of the photography community.  If you want to know what’s going on, and what’s coming up soon – stop by Scott’s blog.
  3. Strobist – David Hobby’s blog/site has become the de facto resource for anything and everything relating to lighting for photography.  If you want to get schooled on lighting, Strobist is the place to go.  He has several resources including the Lighting 101, Lighting 102, and regular content that is both educational and inspirational.  If not in your bookmarks, add it today!
  4. This Week in Photography (a.k.a. TWIP) – Led by Scott Bourne, and contributing photographers Alex Lindsay, Steve Simon, Ron Brinkmann, and Fred Johnson, these professionals get together once a week in a podcast to deliver some of the best audio content on the web.  A little more than a year old, they’ve risen quickly to become the creme de la creme of audio podcasts.  The blog also has great tips and content delivered regularly by Scott.  Thanks to this entire crowd for raising the bar on audio podcasting!
  5. Digital Photography Life – Led by Scott Sherman and Michael Stein, this podcast started under another name by another sponsor, and their departure from the airwaves shortly was a source of great concern for me.  These guys are the normal guys, the enthusiasts of photography – just like me (only probably more knowledgable, insightful, and entertaining).  Their weekly podcasts are always a kick to listen to and make for perfect commute killers!  Thanks to Scott and Michael!
  6. Jason D. Moore – I would be remiss in not mentioning Jason’s influence not only on my blogging, but also on my photography.  Jason was generous enough not only to include me in his now famous “Weekly P&P” listings, but also  as a contributing member to the now well-known and respected Geographic Composition series.  Without his generosity and kind words of support I would not be where I am today either as a blogger or a photographer.  Thanks Jason!
  7. Photowalking Pro – Jeff Revell has become a household name for introducing the idea of photowalking to the masses.  From there he has springboarded to become a well-respected member of the photography community.  He has tutorials, reviews, and just tons of great content that are inspirational and meaningful for anyone of any background and ability.  He was generous enough to also donate time to being on the CB Interview series.  Thanks to Jeff for taking the time to participate, and to also serve as a source of inspiration!
  8. Michael Palmer Photography – Michael has shown me, both through his comments here, as well as through his contributions to the Geographic Composition Series and on his own blog, that when push comes to shove, in the end, it’s always about the photograph.  He has produced some amazing images that he has willingly shared in a variety of outlets including those mentioned, as well as on his won website.  Whenever I need a dose of pure inspiration, I look through his photography, as well as his comments here.  So, thanks to Mike for all your support and motivation through the past year!

These are just some of the resources and friendships I have developed that have had a meaningful impact on the quality of both my photography and blogging in 2008.    Thanks again to the whole gang!  It’s been a great ’08 – let’s make it a fine ’09!  (Yeah, that was cheesy, but it rhyhmed!)

In the meantime, keep on shooting and best regards to the entire community for a prosperous and bountiful new year!  Happy Shooting!

Top 100 of 2008 Honors!

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For the interim posts between Christmas and New Year, I am not going to be introducing much in the way of new content, but while traveling recently, I got word that CanonBlogger receieved accolades as one of the top 100 blogs for 2008.  Thanks so much for the recognition!  In looking at the other sites mentioned, I would also highly recommend the entire list of other blogs as many are in my daily read list.  Be sure to stop over and see the others honored this year:

Top 100 Blogs of 2008

The Final Broadcast… of 2008!

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That’s right, this week is the final podcast broadcast for CB this year!  It’s a good one though with an announcement of the new product line I’ll be reviewing.  For those of you getting this in feed readers, here’s the short version:

  1. Christmas Wrap-up:  A few last minute gift ideas for the photog-type in your circle
  2. The New Product Line Review Announcement (you gotta listen to find out! 😉 )
  3. The Value of Starting Over
  4. Listener Questions and Answers
  • Dave from PA – Hot shoe flashes:  tungsten or flourescent?
  • Lynn from WI – Are 3rd party batteries safe?
  • Kevin from CO – Best way to learn photography

Tomorrow, the last What’s This of the Year, and then lights out…nothing again until next week. The next edition of Thursday Thoughts will come back the second week of January (I couldn’t find it in myself to ask someone to put something together for New Years Day any more than Christmas Day!) That means you’re actually gonna have to spend time with family, friends, and loved ones for a few days. Oh darn!  Hope that shopping is almost done!  If not, be sure you tune in for those last minute gift ideas!  Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

[display_podcast]

P.S.  What made this week’s podcast different from any other podcast I’ve done this year?  (Other than the fact that it’s the last one of the year…)

Year in review

Jason3 Comments

As photographers, we are always anxious to get out and capture more images of the beauty that surrounds us.  Whether that beauty come in the form of architecture, portraiture, landscapes, wildlife, or any other genre, each has a commonality in that it lures us to keep capturing, and eventually sharing our images with others, whether they be clients, family and friends, or whomever we choose to share our vision with, in whatever form we choose.

One thing that can often elude us though, is the review of our own work.  It is this review that kept me from posting on Friday.  I was trying to find a few choice images to print out for some photo frames as gifts when I realized I had gone almost two years without a serious evaluation of my work.  This means a serious quantity of images had built up that was in need of review.  While I have winnowed things down significantly, (and thus freed up a fair amount of hard drive space), a few stand out head and shoulders above the rest.  So, for this last full week of 2008, I thought I’d share some of what I feel are the best shots I took of the year.  I would encourage others to perform the same ritual.  Not only will it help winnow your hard drive space, but it can also give you an honest assessment at how your skills have developed, and help define where you want to go from here.  I will give fair warning in that you may have seen some of these before, and that the slideshow does have a music score.  I went for something subtle, but many do not like music forcibly pushed on them, so if that’s the case, please mute your headphones or speakers now.  So, without further ado, here’s some of my best from 2008:

Jason’s Photography – Best of 2008

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: fine wildlife)

In closing, a few things to consider:

  1. What do you think?
  2. Should I be happy with this?
  3. Could I be doing better?
  4. What about the reviewing?  Good idea/bad idea?
  5. Have you seen other photos I’ve shared that should be included?
  6. What about your own reviews?  Anyone have any photo reviews to share?

Feel free to share your thoughts/comments/feedback here.  As always, happy shooting and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

Holiday Photography…

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I recently agreed to put together an article for the December issue of the PhotographyBB magazine on “How to Shoot the Holidays”.  With the compilation of that nearing completion, I subsequently got an email from Towner Jones Photography to write a guest post over at his blog!  Egad!  A guest post?!?!  Never been asked that before!  I was floored.

About all I could muddle out was “Well..uuh, I am writing an article for a free online magazine…would that work?”  Again, I was floored when he said that’d be great!  You could have knocked me over with a feather!  So, my post for today is actually to say thanks to Rob for the vote of confidence!  The scariest part of it all though, is not having to deal with my bantering, but he asked for a pic too!  So, here’s your chance to see my mug on the other side of the lens.  Go check out Towner Jones Photography today.  Make sure you tell him thanks for me too!

I’ll return next week with a new edition of Thursday Thoughts…let’s see, who can I ask for an interview?  Any ideas? 🙂  thanks again go out to Rob, and remember, it’s all about the photo, so get out there and get ya some!  Happy shooting everyone and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

Thursday Thoughts with…Jeff Revell

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Recently, I had the honor of sitting down (well, emailing, but you get the idea) with none other than Jeff Revell.  As most of you probably know, Jeff is a pretty well-established photographer and recently has been enjoying some notariety for his blog on Photowalking, appropriately titled Photowalk Pro (definitely one for your feed aggregators).  He gave some great thoughts and insights on the state of digital photography.  Thanks in advance to Jeff for taking the time to participate in the Thursday Thoughts sereies here at CB!

Q:  Everyone always wants to know some of the basics, so let’s get a few things out of the way at once here…1. How long have you been a photographer?

A:  I have been into photography for over 25 years.  I first began taking an interest in high school and have been in love with photography ever since.  I think it had something to do with all that fixer I inhaled.

Q:  Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, or some other brand?

A:  I see you changed the question to include other camera brands.  I started off learning with a Pentax K1000, the king of old school photography classes.  From there I moved to a Minolta, a Canon, and finally Nikon for the past 20 years or so.  I have recently been working with some Canon models, specifically the 50D and I have to admit that the more I use it, the more I love it.

Q:  Heh, yeah, that’s thanks to Andy Smith of Virtual Realia.  To that end, let’s cover all the computer options:  Mac, PC, or Linux?

A:  I had been a PC user since the DOS days and then migrated to Windows from there.  I’m just a big techno-nerd at heart and love building my own systems.  I got a Mac notebook about 3 years ago and now it is my predominate platform – Not a fanboy but I do love my MacBook Pro.

Q:  Sounds a lot like the path I’ve been taking – although I do find myself bouncing back and forth between Mac and PC a lot these days.  Anyway, moving on:  Chocolate, Vanilla, or Strawberry?

A:  Definitely a chocolate person.

Q:  Excellent taste!  Moving into a little more granularity, photographers often enjoy hearing helpful and constructive critiques of their work, as we are aware of how much we can grow from it.  What was the singular most useful critique or comment you’ve ever had on work you’ve shared publicly?

A:  This one is easy.  The best advice I ever received about my work was to only show your best stuff. Everyone shoots lame shots; it’s part of the process of getting the image that you want.  The key is to not show all the ducks and simply show your swans.

Q:  Who said it?

A:  My buddy Scott Kelby

Q:  I think I’ve heard of him before!  🙂  Isn’t he into photography too or something like that?  Just kidding of course…  Anyway, back to the subject of critiquing work:  If someone was asking you for an honest critique of their work, what 3 factors would you look at most (excluding friendships or family relatives, we’re talking professional or fellow photographer-types here)?

A:  Wow, that’s a tough one.  I’m much harder on myself than I ever would be on someone else.  I think the first thing I look for in a shot is the composition.  How did the photographer use the elements in the image to convey their intent?  Second would be their processing.  Is it done with a scalpel or a chainsaw?  Finally, did they use sound technique when taking the image, things like proper aperture, shutter speed, lens selection, things along those lines.
All I can say is that I am so glad that I have never been asked to critique the work of others for fear of crushing their spirit and enthusiasm.

Q:  I guess that means I shouldn’t ask for a critique or anything on that vein then, eh?  How about war stories?  Got any from field shoots or outings that you can or would be willing to share?

A:  This one time, in band camp…  oops, wrong story.  I am recalling a trip I took to Arizona with my buddies Scott and Dave.  We covered some serious ground in just 3 day, traveling from Phoenix to Page, to Monument Valley, to the Grand Canyon, and back to Phoenix.  It was one of the best shooting trips I have ever taken, thanks in large part to having my friends along to share the experience.  One outing in Page took us on a 3-mile hike in the high desert to photograph the Wave.  This was in August mind you and it was HOT!  We climbed steep sandy hills and rocky outcrops along the way but it was so worth it once we finally reached our destination.  One of the shots that came from that hike ended up gracing Scott’s 7-Point System book.  If there is a moral in there somewhere, I think it would be that hard work and a lot of sweating can really pay off.

Q:  Hey, I own that book!  Cool, I didn’t know that was your shot!  Guess I should read the credits more carefully, eh?  Sorry, I tend to ramble…  Moving right along, with Photoshop becoming so powerful as a way to even create amazing digital imagery, it could almost be said that the camera could eventually not even be a needed component to create imagery.   With that pre-text in mind, if you had to choose between the camera or the software as the only way to create, which would it be and why?

A:  Well, since I don’t have near the creative/artistic abilities like Fay Sirkis, Bert Monroy,  or Cory Barker, I would have to go with the camera.  Those folks have some seriously crazy skills and create beautiful images from a blank canvas using illustrative software.  I, on the other hand require a piece of glass and a shutter button to create.

Q:  Well, I don’t know about that – I’ve read some of your HDR tutorials, which indicate you are pretty skilled with Photoshop!  Anyway, do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share about the state of photography or any catch phrases that you keep in mind when shooting?

A:  I believe that we are living in renaissance period for photography.  Not since the invention of the process has so much changed so rapidly.  With the introduction of powerful software tools like Photoshop and the development of the digital camera, the average person has more creative tools at their disposal than ever before.  The only problem is that tools don’t make pictures, people do.  My advice for those that are just starting out is to not get caught up in all of the technical wizardry but rather learn the craft from the ground up.  Because even though there have been a multitude of advancements in the technical realm of photography, they aren’t worth squat unless you learn how to leverage them to your advantage.  Never stop learning.

Great advice and insights from Jeff Revell.  Please take a moment to stop over at his blog, Photowalk Pro, to check out everything he has to offer.  Thanks again Jeff for taking the time to participate in the Thursday Thoughts series here.  Until tomorrow all, Happy Shooting!  Hope all your shots are good ones!