Tag: feedback

I Need Your Help!

Jason2 Comments

A fellow photographer mentioned to me the other day that there did not seem to be a good resource online where one could go and read reviews on photography books.  Sure, there’s the canned ones from Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, etc., but nothing that was out there just for photography books!

I started searching and sure enough – she was right!  So, as a sort of philanthropic venture, I decided to create a website for this purpose.  While the design is a work in progress (we all know about WIP’s, right?). but the site is live and the forums are ready for people to start contributing their own reviews on any number of photography books.  I’ve tried to break the categories out in a hopefully logical structure, so take a peek, register (it’s free) and start sharing your own thoughts about books from your own library!

Who knows – in time, this could become a pretty exhaustive library of reviews, and discussions on the state of the photography book industry!  To do it though, I need your help, so take a moment and register today!  Happy reading!

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Where do you listen?

Jason4 Comments

For those that have been reading the blog for a while, you should know that I run a companion podcast.  It’s a lot of fun to produce, and I am looking forward to putting out a new show very soon (hint, early next week).  However, while I am out of town for a few days on a special photo shoot, I thought this would be a good time to get some idea of where people are listening most.  So, if you could, take a moment to let me know how you enjoy the show:

ETA:  Sorry all, the polling service starting spamming the blog with some pretty unrelated questions so it’s been deleted.  I was looking to see how many people listened via iTunes, via PLM, or direct download…thanks! 🙂

For those that do not listen to the show,  there are a few questions I would like to ask you too.  First off, why don’t you?  🙂  Seriously though – I realize that not everyone has the time to listen to podcasts, or the resources to afford things like iPods, Touches, and iPhones, and all that stuff.  So, for the non-listening audience (just blog readers), I am trying to come up with ideas for you too.  So, here’s a chance to tell me what you want! Sound off in the comments with your ideas too – things always change and it’s the reader and listener interest that keeps me in touch, so let me know what other types of material you would like to see!  Is it more contests?  More interviews?  Worksheets and practical exercises?  Workshops and seminars?  All are options (and anything else you have in mind).  I’ll check back in on Monday to see what everyone has to say.  Happy shooting and have a great weekend!

What Next?

Jason4 Comments

As 2010 gets underway, I am trying to take a proactive approach to the blogging (writing further in advance of blog posts) and podcasting (recording further in advance) outlets.  To do so, means that for a couple weeks or so now, I have been getting the blog posts up later in the day, and on a few occasions, no blog post at all.

When you don’t see a blog post, it means I am hard at work at my regular job, and then taking time after that to research, write, and contact people for things like the monthly giveaways, podcast participants, and much more.  With that in mind, I am ready to go on a pretty long stream here now of blog posts, giveaways and podcasts with various people in the industry.  But, at this point, you know what would be really helpful from the readership?  YOUR THOUGHTS!

I have three questions for you to consider between now and the end of February:

What types of content do you want to see on the blog? (Articles, subject matter, tips and tricks, videos, photos, techniques, etc.)

What types of prizes would you like to see in the giveaways? (Be realistic – Adobe Photoshop CS4, SLR cameras, and the like are likely out of my league…unless Adobe, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and others are reading this and interested in becoming a vendor contributor [psst…email me: jason <AT> canonblogger <DOT> com]…)

Who would you like to hear from besides me talking on the podcast?  (Again, be realistic.  People like Scott Kelby, Joe McNally, and other industry heavyweights are not likely to be available – although you coulda knocked me over with a feather when David DuChemin agreed to come on a show…)

Thanks in advance, and I’l look forward to your comments here on the blog and to me via email.  Have a great weekend, happy shooting, and we’ll see you back here again on Monday!

speech recognition review

Jason1 Comment

With time becoming and ever-increasing commodity, the ability to utilize speech recognition software has both benefits and disadvantages.  And in the interests of sharing my initial experiences with speech recognition software here on the blog, today’s post comes to you courtesy of and open-sourced software application called “E-speaking”.  On the initial install, I decided to take roughly ten minutes to let the program get used to my voice before it was accurate enough to consider using for writing a blog post.

It’s still clearly is not accurate enough to rely on 100 percent of the time as a stakes clearly will be made that require human correction.  however it can aid in getting most of the content puts together for the purposes of blog posts, article writing, and book writing.

one of the biggest problems was in getting the software to recognize the term “blog”, “web log”, and the letter E.  a dish rally it also had problems with punctuation from time to to time.  The software also is better able to capitalize sentences when you remembered to state that you need a “.It  ” at the end of a sentence.  The other problem is that the software had specifically related to word press is the phrase, “new paragraph” which will automatically add an additional blank line between paragraphs.  This was rather it easily overcome though, by having my hands near the keyboard.

two of the programs that I am looking to review stand here on the blog include “dragon naturally speaking”, and “Mac speech dictate”.  Requests are currently In with both companies to see if they have demo versions of their software for review purposes .  When I hear back from them I will let you know what their responses are.

if you have any recommendations, suggestions, or ideas for how to improve blog posting efficiency through programs like these please feel free to e-mail me here on the log, or in via the comments below.  My apologies in advance for the grammatical punctuation, and other errors that are evident in this blog post, but I did not want to over-edit the content so you could see this state of speech recognition software.

as we move into the new year I am looking forward to reviewing an ever-expansive set of applications, accessories, and hardware here on the blog.  If you have ideas for specific types of applications, accessories, and hardware please feel free to e-mail me as always at my e-mail address: Jason @ canonblogger .com .  Thanks for tuning in and we will see you back here again tomorrow.

Episode #36 – The End is Near!

Jason8 Comments

Okay, the end isn’t near, but the end of the year is near, and it’s time to start doing wrap-ups all over the internet and other publications.  Heck, even Time Magazine has a photos of the year, as did Rangefinder, and many blog authors are doing the same.  So, in the interests of always “doing something different”, I am inviting everyone that listens to the podcast and reads the blog to share your own thoughts of 2009 in the comments.  Here’s the questions that I always think about at the end of the year:

  1. What was my best photo?
  2. What was my biggest accomplishment?
  3. What software/hardware really stood out above the rest for me?
  4. What was my favorite book of the year that I read?
  5. What new blog became a staple in my reading?

So, rather than me telling you, this year you have an opportunity to tell me what your favorites are!  Feel free to sound off in the comments or via email…the address as always is jason<at>canonblogger<dot>com

In the blog notes for the week – the latest podcast is up, and lots of blog/podcast news to share.  I also took a more detailed look at photography and the law, and some of the resources I rely on.  Lastly, as always were the listener questions and answers.  Enjoy the show, and here’s the links/show notes:

Blog/Podcast Notes and News

Photograhy Legal Resources

Listener Questions and Answers

Enjoy the show – as an added bonus I added another link in the show notes that wasn’t actually IN the show.  Anyone know which one it is?  Winner is the first person who guesses right in the comments!  Oh yeah, and here’s a link to the show on PLM and iTunes!

So, that’s it for this week – looking forward to hearing people’s thoughts of the year!  Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again on Monday, have a great weekend!

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What do Photo walks and software cycles have in common?

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Tune in to this week’s episode of the Canon Blogger Podcast Series, Episode #58, from either the blog or your feed readers today!  I also tackle a few listener questions, and offer up a photo road tip for the listening audience.  So, pick up the feed today, or stop in to the blog to not only download the show, but also to see the other content that isn’t in the daily feeds (things like the Online Photography Test, Colors and Textures Galleries, polls and more!

As I tinker a little with the audio quality of the show and try to make things more seamless and enjoyable, you’ll notice I am pushing the show out in segments, with some music to break things up in little snips between the subject material.  If you like it, chime in via the comments section of the blog.  If you don’t like it, well…chime in via the comments section of the blog.  If you are ambivalent, well…chime in via the comments in the blog.

Hmmm…seems like someone would like to hear what the listening audience thinks of the changes in the format for the audio podcast.  And it also seems that the feedback can easily be done via:  the comments section of the blog!

If you’ve listened to the show and are still yearning for more, please stop by fellow podcasters Scott Sherman and Michael Stein’s new podcast series:  Digital Photography Life.  Formerly, these guys hosted the Digital Photography Show on another network and they’ve since moved on.  Their first show on the new network mis up and ready for your listening pleasure, so do stop over and give it a listen – great to have them back on the air!  Their podcast can be found here:  Digital Photography Life

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