Category: photography

Another Book Review: From Snap Shots to Great Shots (Canon 50D)

Jason6 Comments

One area I’ve not really tackled here on the blog is that of book reviews, primarily because I don’t see a lot of books come through that give me enough time to read them myself.  One notable exception to that was a copy of Jeff Revell’s “From Snap Shots to Great Shots” book on the Canon 50D – I had the distinct honor of having received a copy of this book from Jeff a while back.  Since I did not own the 50D, it took me some time to actually sit down and read through the book.  I wish I hadn’t waited as this is a good read – regardless of what camera you own.  Here’s my detailed thoughts on “50D: From Snapshots to Great Shots”:

(Clicking on the Cover Image will take you to the Publisher site: Peachpit Press)

I did pull out the 40D and run through the settings with the book in hand because while I do not own the 50D, I figured that the 40D had enough similarities to use it in conjunction with the read.  This was helpful not only because I fond myself saying “I didn’t know I could do that!”, but also because I got a better handle on the differences between the two bodies.  For instance, on the 50D there is a dedicated button for Live View, whereas the 40D uses the button on the center of the rear dial.  The 50D also has a “Creative Auto” mode which is not present on the 40D…

One eureka moment I had was the sensor cleaning feature – while I knew that the camera will auto-clean the sensor on start-up and shut down, I did not know that there is an option to “clean now”.  Jeff’s advice to run this feature after swapping lenses is a good idea, and one I will definitely be adding to my work flow when out shooting (assuming of course that I am swapping lenses without turning the camera off and back on – which is my usual practice).

Another was the discovery of the “Flash Off mode”.  Because I usually shoot in one of three creative modes (manual, aperture priority or shutter priority), the basic zones have rarely been used.  The discovery of the “Flash Off” mode sounds interesting and I may have to give it a whirl.

As the title of the book suggests though, this is not really a text to explain each of the features (although he does a good job of that), it’s more about leveraging your camera on how to take better pictures.  Jeff does do a quick run through of the “Top Ten Things to Know” in Chapter One, and this is a great starting point.  As Jeff himself says, the book is not meant to replace the Owner’s Manual, rather to complement it.  Instead of telling you what the button does, Jeff tells you how you can use it to take better pictures, which is the key difference between this book and an Owner’s Manual.  It’s kind of like a blend between an Owner’s Manual and a primer on photography.

Some of the sections I liked Jeff’s in Jeff’s book include:

  • Raw versus JPG (I didn’t know what JPG stood for before reading this…do you?) (Chapter 2)
  • Different lenses (wide angles vs. telephotos vs. zooms) and their uses (Chapter 2)
  • The Exposure Triangle (Chapter 1)
  • Tips for Shooting Action (Chapter 5)
  • All of Chapter 8 – Mood Lighting – lots of tips and tricks here to achieving certain results with various techniques

My favorite part of the book – the assignments at the end of each chapter – here it’s basically a recap of what was covered in the chapter, but also gives you bullet points of things you should be familiar with both as a result of reading, but also from your own experimentation.  While many books will finalize things with the idea of getting out and practicing, the fact that Jeff encourages the reader to get out and practice with each element and does so frequently elevates this book over many others in the same category.

One disagreement: There is one thing where I actually kind of shuddered when I read it – in the book, Jeff describes the procedure for firmware updates and goes through the procedure of doing so by tethering the camera to the computer. While I know that Canon does have this as an acceptable approach for firmware updates, they also have the set of instructions for using just the memory card, which is preferable for me.  I wish Jeff would have covered both of these methods, and then let the reader decide for themselves which method they prefer.  Instead, he simply covers how to update firmware using the computer, and I do not recommend this approach! While I am sure there are many that have used this method successfully, and it’s an acceptable practice according to Canon, for me this is not the best way to complete firmware updates.  I don’t like this method for three reasons:

  1. It requires installing software on your computer so it can “detect” the camera and I like keeping my computer free of unnecessary software if I can…
  2. Data transfer rates are slower, which means more time for things to go wrong (and I would think your battery is discharged more too)…
  3. It goes counter to the instructions I’ve read from Canon for the 40D.  Even though Canon lets you do it through the computer now, it still needs a blank memory card to complete the process, so it’s like you are using the computer, and the memory card.  For me, I’d rather just keep the process simple.

Keep in mind though, this is a subjective topic, and it’s not necessarily wrong – I just wish he would have offered both options for updates rather than just covering the one approach.  This is not a reflection on the book as a whole, rather on one specific talking point.  Overall, the book is a great resource, not only as a reference for the 50D specifically, but it also is great for its coverage of some of the basic principles and practices in photography.  I like how Jeff takes the features of the camera and then transcends the camera-specific details to cover the ideas of how to take/make better pictures.  This just goes to show you that it really isn’t about the camera – it’s who’s behind it!

Jeff has taken this topic of “Snap Shots to Great Shots” and applied it to several books, so if you don’t own the 50D, check out his other titles as well on the Canon 500D and the Nikon D5000.  Jeff’s site, Photowalk Pro, is one of my daily reads too – it’s listed in the sidebar, and I also get email updates too.  To get your own feed or email subscription, check him out here.  If you are interested in any of his books, visit Peachpit (the publisher) or Amazon for more info.  I’ve included links here to the purchase points from Amazon:

If you want to become a better photographer, this book would be a great starting point, not just if you own a 50D (but it is particularly suited to 50D owners).  Jeff’s writing style is easy to follow and he covers a great amount without overwhelming the reader.  I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Canon 50D, or just how to take better pictures in general…

That’s probably enough material for today.  Thanks go out to Jeff for sending me a review copy of his book to read – it was quite enjoyable!  (Readers – stop over at Jeff’s blog and thank him there too if you liked it!)  If you’d like me to review some more books, share your thoughts  here in the comments or with me via email and I’ll see what I can do.  Until tomorrow then, happy shooting!

Online & Digital Print Sales

Jason4 Comments

So many people have talked about the business of selling your photographs, and the various options and pitfalls in doing so.  There are so many discussion points varying from whether to sell online or on consignment, print your own or use an online printer, and much more.  The ideas of printing, fulfillment, delivery, and such are all vexing subjects for sure, and it’s a sea of information out there to wade through.

Rather than spend time wading through that sea, I thought everyone might be interested in one option – that of the digital download.  Various outfits like Mpix, Smugmug, Shutterfly, and others offer a range of services for printing and fulfillment where digital prints are selected online, then printed and mailed to the purchaser, or even just downloaded to the buyer directly for them to print on their own.  This last option of letting the client download their own pictures is something that more people are turning to, and even here there are many options.

One that I’ve been testing the waters with is a WordPress plugin called WP eStore.  It’s got some pretty handy features, and if you are okay with touching just a pinch of the coding, it can actually work pretty well.  I can see how this could easily translate to sales of digital downloads of pictures, as well as e-books (which is the type I am going to start selling).  It’s got a pretty intuitive interface, but does have a little bit of code to it within the plugin itself.  With both free and paid versions there are also various levels of support, and the guy that developed this is very helpful with any questions I’ve had.

The left sidebar of WordPress has an entire widget dedicated to the configuration and I’ve shared a screen shot of the interface here:

I’d go into more details with screen captures but since the eStore is active and there is certain information that you have to include (like source file paths and such), that would be a little too transparent for here.  But as you can see from the widget, there are many options available to you for digital downloads including adding discounts, organizing into categories, and even maintaining customer lists if you want to send promotional emails.  All in all, it’s a very cool little plugin, and as I get more work done on various e-Books  this utility will no doubt come in handy for both the blog and for the reader.

Speaking of the reader experience, that end is pretty easy too – all you have to do is click the shopping cart button to add an item to your cart, and you can check out with Paypal.  Once checked out, the buyer gets a dedicated private link to download the item in question.  No fuss, no muss – instant download, which I think is a super nice feature.  The same would hold true for anyone interested in offering photo downloads too.  You can see the eStore plugin in action right here on my Store link from the navigation menu at the top of the page.  For more detailed information, or to download either the free or paid version for your own use, check out Amin’s work on his site here: .

Anyway, there’s my thoughts on the option of digital sales for photography products and services – the eStore plugin for WordPress.  Easy enough to install, great support, and pretty much hands-free once everything is set up and configured.

As always, mileage may vary, and different options are out there for different needs.  If anyone knows of other products, services, or options for online print sales, feel free to share them here as it’s always fun to learn about new things from one another!  Happy shooting, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow to wrap up the week!

P.S.  Don’t forget, only one week left in the January Circles-themed Flickr Giveaway.  get your photos in soon for a chance to win a copy of Photomatix Pro from the folks over at HDR Soft!

Hardware Review: Expodisc

Jason3 Comments

It’s been a while since I’ve done a hardware review, and I realized that when the folks at Expo Imaging had sent me the Rayflash to review, I had also received an Expodisc.  I know I recorded the video for it, but for some reason it never got published, as the two were meant to be posted back to back.

In any case, here is the long-awaited review of the Epodisc from the folks at Expo Imaging:

Expo Disc

First – what is the Expodisc?  It’s simply a disc that defracts light as it passes through your lens in order to determine the proper white balance setting for your images.  Why is this a good thing?  It’s a good thing because light doesn’t always fall into the specific categories designed by your vendor.  It’s not always daylight, tungsten, florescent, etc.  These vendor pre-sets can get you close, but if you want spot on white balance settings in camera, this is definitely the way to go!  Here’s the short video I had put together a while back on how it works:

Do I like the Expo Disc?  Absolutely – and if I were in an environment where lighting conditions change often, or it was tricky to determine (say those lights in gyms with the green phosphorous), these utilities are a godsend.  Landscape environments can also be tricky when you are dealing with things like snow, shade and sunny areas at the same time, and portraiture can be tricky too – say you have a bride’s wedding dress, the whites of the eyes, and the teeth for sample areas – which do you set?  Use the ExpoDisc and it will be spot on every time!

Thanks again to the folks at Expo Imaging for lending me the review units of the Ray Flash and the Expo Disc. It was a pleasure, and for those interested in learning more about their products, please visit their website here.

Happy shooting everyone – be sure you get your shots in, because there’s limited time left in the Circles contest for a lucky participant. Here’s the Flickr thread – keep on posting and keep on shooting!  We’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

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The value of a sunset (or sunrise)…

Jason5 Comments

We all see them every day – the sun rises and the sun sets.  Most of the time, it’s nothing too spectacular, perhaps some pretty colors are cast with various hues of orange and blue, or red and purple hazes…it’s all well and good.  We may even see some spectacular ones…a crimson or scarlett red, or fire-y orange ones.  They may also have an added impact if they are reflected in a lake, the ocean, or dramatized by their surroundings – palm trees, mountains, boats, or whatever happens to be there.

The spectacular ones are typically the ones we see in print, on calendars, and in magazines.  Yet every day, we find our eyes gazing toward that first and last light…knowing that we could see something magical.  Does this make the ones with more vibrant colors more magical?  The ones with fewer colors less magical?  Perhaps, but consider this – we are always looking for it.  Consider this project: take a picture of the sunrise and/or sunset every day for a week, month, or even a few months.  Take it from the same spot every day.  Find yourself some nice vantage point with some nice accents to the main subject (that being the sunset).  Then, after your specified time period is up, peruse the results and see how many “great” sunsets (or sunrises) you saw.

It could be a fun project not only to help you gauge when the sky will be well suited to sunrises and sunsets, but also to exercise some discipline in taking the same shot from the same vantage point, if only to understand when conditions are ideal.  This could be termed “scouting” in a sense, because you’ve found a nice place, set things up, planned, and then you just wait for the right light.  So many photographers talk about the light, and we hear terms bandied about like “seeing the light”, or “painting with light”.  I’ve heard a few mention the idea of “waiting for the right light”, and it mostly has come from landscape photographers.  This is what they do…they take the same scene over and over and over.

With practice, they can anticipate when the conditions will be favorable.  Their sense are more attuned to things like clouds, weather, and distractions.  Rather than relying on luck and serendipity, they plan, research, and study the scene for long periods of time before they find “the right light”.  Sure, you can manufacture it, and we’ve all seen the wonder shots in the galleries of others – but if you think about the time and energy that goes into capturing that perfect sunrise or sunset, imagine all the “almost” shots, and the time and energy that went into them, I would suspect that many landscape photographers would say there is value in every sunrise or sunset.  Because, even if they didn’t get the light just right in their location, someone – somewhere – when the sun set, nailed it perfectly!

Have you captured your perfect sunrise or sunset yet?  Was it planned or by accident?  Sound off in the comments and let me know if you think there is still value in sunrises and sunsets.  If you’ve got a shot you would like to share, feel free to post that via the upload link too (also in the comments).  Happy shooting, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow.

Oh yeah, did anyone in Colorado see the sunset today? 🙂  Nothing spectacular to write home about, but it was kind of cool colors, and worthy of showing here to indicate that just because it’s not a portfolio shot, sunset shots (in my mind) have value!  What do you think?

Colorado Sunset

P.S.  Don’t forget, the January Flickr Giveaway is in progress…submit your photos for a chance to win a free copy of Photomatix Pro from the folks at HDR Soft.

New Formats for the New Year

Jason5 Comments

With the advent of a new year, the podcast is hopefully going to take on a new format – with things being more conversational.  Erik Bernskiold comes back to the show and we’re talking about all the latest news in photography, as well as a main talking point of how to publicize and share your images online – looking at the pros and cons of the various options that are out there.  Lots of news including announcements from the recent CES show, as well as contest information, and listener questions and answers so it’s a pretty heavily packed show.  Almost an hour and a half, so it could last you through a few commutes!  Here’s the show notes, and enjoy!

CES News

Canon Camera Announcements

  • A3100
  • A3000
  • A495
  • A490

We also had been noticing a lot of the newer SLR cameras have been announcing firmware updates, so if you have a relatively new SLR, check your vendor website for details.

Sharing Your Photos

  • Flickr
  • Forums
  • DeviantArt
  • Photography Corner

Hosting Services

  • WordPress
  • Smugmug
  • Squarespace
  • Livebooks
  • Self-hosting
  • Paying a Design Professional

Picks of the Week

Listener Questions

Print Resolution versus Screen Resolution (Jason)

SEO for Websites and Flash (Erik)

Listen to the Podcast

Catch up with me and Erik on our respective websites – you know my info, but if you want to learn more about Erik and his work, here’s his web presence links:

A long show for sure – but tons of content.  Thanks to Erik for taking the time to sit down and talk again – we’re going to try to make this a regular occurrence, as well as get some others involved in the conversation! Thanks also go out to the folks at Audible for their sponsorship of the blog!  Happy shooting, and share your feedback, here, on Erik’s site, on iTunes or even with the folks at PLM (thanks to them for their sponsorship as well!)  Happy shooting and we’ll see you here again tomorrow!

What's the best ___?

Jason5 Comments

What’s the best camera to buy?  What’s the best Photoshop plugin for photography? What’s the best CS4 tutorial? What’s the best lens for the Vivitar 110? What’s the best iPod for the dollar? What’s the best car? What’s the best truck? What’s the best soda? What’s the best flavor of ice cream?

I think you get the picture…so many questions on “What’s the best____” and almost without fail, the answer begins with an “It depends…”

We all want to get the best value for our money, and it pays to do research before you buy.  No one likes to over spend, or buy something they end up not liking, or even worse, deal with the dreaded customer service lines or phone calls.    Without meaning to sound all grandfatherly (I am only 40 years young…), I distinctly remember a time when we could think for ourselves, and when we formed our own opinions.

This is not to say that seeking the opinions of professionals and/or experts is not useful, because it is.  If Scott Kelby says some photography product or Photoshop plugin is just totally cool – I am going to take a look at that product.  He knows his stuff when it comes to these subjects, and yes, I would consider him an expert.  Am I going to ask him what he thinks the best way to tape drywall is in my basement?  Of course not!  So, seeking expert advice is always a good thing.  But there is a danger in seeking the advice of “experts”.

The danger is that it is so easy to claim oneself as an expert anymore.  Anyone with $10 and an hour can purchase a domain/hosting and set up a website claiming they are an expert in duct tape applications.  People will flock to this site, asking questions about how to apply it in all sorts of circumstances.    What’s the best way to affix bubble wrap to a window?  What’s the best way to tape a package for shipping?  What’s the best way to adhere flashing to an airplane kitchen galley?

Anyone can purport to be an expert, but you need to exercise some common sense in deciphering who is qualified to render an opinion.  Additionally, it may help to exercise a little judgement of your own.  No one likes to make a decision and be wrong.  Being wrong is no fun.  I am wrong on many things, and while I may try not to be wrong – that is something that will never completely happen.  But you know what?  When I make a decision and I am wrong – I usually end up learning more from that than if I take the advice of others and the decision is wrong.  Why?  Because the blame is shifted from me – “That’s not my fault,” I say, “Joe Schmoe told me to do that…he is wrong.”

The thing of it is, whether Scott Kelby or Joe Schmoe tells you something about anything – you need to make up your own mind from time to time.  It’s important because if you don’t make your own decisions, whether it be about dry-walling, duct tape, or photography – your learning curve will never amount to much.  Learn from experience!

Happy shooting, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow with the Best Blog! 🙂

P.S.  Don’t forget, the best contest is going on right now on Flickr – Circle themed photos are being accepted through Jan 29th and the winner gets a free copy of Photomatix from the folks at HDR Soft.

All about Brighton, Baby!

Jason1 Comment

Last Friday afternoon the local photography meet-up group for the metro Denver area got together and paid a visit to historic downtown Brighton (about 30 minutes northeast of Denver. It was a fun get-together, and with a smaller than average turnout of 6 of us, we really got a chance to not only converse and interact with one another, we also had some great opportunities for photographs. The highlight of the day was when we happened to be walking by the Brighton Armory. As it turns out, this building was recently renovated as part of a new cultural center for the area. The Operations Manager saw us walking by and invited us inside, as well as a tour of both the upstairs and downstairs areas.

Not only did we get a little piece of history about the place, we got some great shots of the building itself.  With several hundred to parse through over the weekend, I’ve trimmed it to the slide show below showing some shots from both around Brighton and the Armory itself.  The other thing that was exciting about this is that after expressing an interest in volunteering our photographic services for any events, they seemed interested in taking us up on the offer.  We shall see what may come of these serendipitous meetings.  It just goes to show you that it’s always a good thing to support the arts, and always good to think about networking – even when you are just having fun on a photo walk!

Here’s a couple links for those interested in learning more about the area and the Armory:

http://brightonarmory.org/

http://heartofbrighton.org/ArmoryVideo.htm

Enjoy the slide show and we’ll see you back here tomorrow – happy shooting!

Don’t forget too, the January Flickr contest thread is open, and the Circle theme should be producing some interesting images.  Speak your creative vision and enter today!

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December Winner!

Jason4 Comments

The trumpets sound!  The chorus rings, and the internet shall stop and take notice!

Why you ask?  We have a winner for the December Giveaway!  I am happy to announce that the winner of the December Giveaway Bonanza is none other than:

Frank Sammut!

Frank’s shot of a childs hand, offering up a gift perfectly symbolized the concept of giving, and his blurred bokeh of the holiday theme in the background was just beautiful!  He’s got some great work on his Flickr page too, so stop by and check it out and tell him congrats!

December Giveaway Winner - Frank Sammut

Congratulations to Frank for winning the giveaway package!  Frank, if you could drop me an email:  jason <AT> canonblogger <DOT> com, I’ll get you all the information and relay you to the donors for the giveaway.  Thank you to everyone for participating, and especially to the sponsors, including:

  • David DuChemin (for a free copy of both Within the Frame, and VisionMongers)
  • MPIX (for a free 16×20 gallery wrap print of Frank’s choice)
  • RedRiver Papers (for the specialty paper bundle)
  • HDRsoft (for the license to a copy of Photomatix Pro)

It’s also time to anounce the theme for the January giveaway.  We’re going to move away from the seasonally tied themes, so people don’t feel restricted there as different areas are in different seasons.  Instead, we’ll be going with something that is going to inspire some dynamite entries for sure:  Circles

That’s right, we’re going with a shape!  It should be interesting to see what comes in.  As always the standard guidelines apply:

  1. Make sure your image is between 600-800px on the longest side.
  2. Try to keep things within the current month.  Archives are okay, but preference will be given to current photos
  3. Images should be family/work safe
  4. Should be posted to the Flickr thread for the current month contest
  5. Deadline for entries is Friday, Jan. 29th (again, 3 weeks)
  6. The folks at HDR Soft have been very generous and have offered up another copy of their Photomatix Pro bundle for the January winner – so if you are into the HDR craze, or are interested, there’s another chance to win your very own licensed copy!

The January Flickr thread is up, live and ready for entries, so get out and shoot!  Happy New Year and Happy Shooting!

P.S.  Can anyone tell me anything different about the site?  (For you feed readers, come on over and check things out – something is different! 🙂 )

The Best Photo Blogs for 2010

Jason12 Comments

As photographers we are always seeking out new sources of information that can help us with our work – whether it be pixel-crunching sites, creative inspiration sites, or news and trending information sites.  As I go through my RSS feeds and Alltop favorites every day, over the past year, some were filtering to the top much more often.  Naturally, this happens every year, as has been the case for the past 3 years now.  When I started this annual event back in 2007, the number coincided with the year, so to wit, here are my TOP TEN PHOTO BLOGS FOR 2009.  This may serve as a good starting point for 2010, so the blog post is titled accordingly, even though this is more of a “Year in Review” type of writing regarding photography blogs.  As always, lists are subjective and others will have different thoughts and opinions, but nevertheless, here’s my faves (meaning these blogs are in my Alltop or RSS ):

  1. Joe McNally’s Blog – The perfect blend of tongue-in-cheek stories, and yet educational and fun to read!  This quickly ratcheted up to the top of my preferred favorites, and it should be in your list too! (And his books are of the same ilk:  read The Moment it Clicks and The Hotshoe Diaries as soon as possible if you haven’t already…)
  2. David DuChemin’s Blog – As David said it best – “Ahhh…..Vision!”  If you are yearning to touch the intangible and learn about creativity, David DuChemin’s blog is a must read!  (I hear he has a few books too!)
  3. Petapixel – Very similar to this one, in that it is informative, interesting, and almost always tied to photography.  He wisely started without a vendor association though, and it’s paid off in spades (he’s been around less than a year, and has double the readership).  Of course it could be that his content is pretty kick-butt and mine is just the meandering mind of an individual.  Nevertheless, a great read and congrats to them for the content they are putting out!
  4. Strobist – If you don’t know about David Hobby’s site, then you are in the dark (literally!), because it’s all about light!  Anything you want to know about photography lighting, this is the place to go.  With workshops, and primers for both the beginners and advanced shooters, this is an absolute must-read!
  5. Canon Rumors – What can I say?  I am a Canon guy, so I am always interested in the news and rumblings of Canon’s next great move in the digital photography realm, and this has become my premiere source of information on the web aside from Canon directly!
  6. Weekly Photo Tips – Authored by Scott Eccleston, this blog is a mixture of tips, tutorials, and personal thoughts on a variety of subjects to include gear, post processing, and such.  Worth the read just for the human aspect of photography.
  7. Photowalk Pro – Jeff is the de facto master at organizing photo walks, and although I’ve been on walks since before discovering his blog – his insights have helped me to organize better walks, be a better organizer, and his subsequent foray into photography (HDR) tutorials and photo books (a review on his book about the 50D is forthcoming!).  Definitely one worth adding to the reader!
  8. The Online Photographer – Not the usual fare, as TOP can get very professorial.  I learn a lot though, and gain insights and get creative inspiration from the photographers and works they discuss here.  The entire staff is great, but my favorite writers are Mike himself and Ctein!
  9. Photojojo – What a great blog, creative ways to use your photos all the time.  Not only are the ideas cool, but almost always they are highly economical.  Definitely for the DIY-er!  They also have great photo montages periodically, so also great for inspiring some creative vision!
  10. Photoshop Insider – Want to get the latest scoop on Photoshop and photography in general?  Scott has taken a a great Photoshop resource and in the last year, merged it into his own foray into photography from the perspective of being behind the camera.

There’s my top ten blogs for 2010.  It’s certainly not definitive, definitely biased, and subject to change at a moments notice, but as of today, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!  What are your favorite photo-related blogs?  Now’s a chance to shamelessly promote your work (or your friends work) in the comments!

Favorite Photos of 2009

Jason5 Comments

One of the resolutions I had wanted to do was publish a “Best of” series from the Flickr group each month.  That did not come to pass, but I did want to take some time to share some of my favorites of the past year with you here. Not much to say in the way of prefacing these, other than to say that I liked them.  Whether for the technical quality, the compositional quality, the message, the colors, or the perspective – they stood out for me.  Feel free to visit the Flickr group pool and peruse for your own favorites, but here’s mine:

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

My favorites from 2009

Thanks to everyone who continues to share their photos in the Flickr Community.  I will try my best to get some “favorites” put out monthly from this group, as that is one of many New Years Resolutions I am going to try to commit myself to for 2010.   Some are personal, some are inspired by others.  I’ll likely share more of these commitments going forward as well.  Do you have any resolutions for the 2010 calendar year?  Sound off in the comments!

Finally, stay tuned for the December Giveaway Winner which will be announced later this week too!  Tomorrow, be sure to stop back for more top picks from 2009.  Happy shooting and we’ll see you then! 🙂