PixelatedImage Blog

I’m giving you another well-deserved break from my rants - not all of which, it seems, have been appreciated by others. I was accused, of all things, this week, of exhibiting sour grapes towards the very people for whom I freely labour by writing this blog.

My rant about gear being paramount to vision rubbed some the wrong way. Alas, the internet is a tough place to express an opinion, unless you clarify everything and put italicized caveats on every thought, you’re bound to be read out of the current context by someone. If I’ve been sour to to anyone out there, let me know and I’ll happily apologize. But if you think gear is a substitute for vision or having something to say, we’ll just have to happily disagree.

To be great, art must point at something. To be a good artist, one must have something to point at. The better your craft, the more clearly and powerful your pointing can be. Gear only makes it a little easier, a little faster. The hardest work is creative, getting what’s inside, out.

In an effort to give you all a break from my soapbox, and point you in the direction of another one - here’s an inspiring lecture by David Griffin of National Geographic on the power of the photograph. Follow THIS LINK to the TED page to watch it. Thanks to my friend Wes for pointing it out.

It is time again for another hodgepodge of resource, gathered from the far reaches of the cyber galaxy.

First, in the interest of keeping as many photographers from bankruptcy and therefore living the dream as long as possible - check out Freelance Switch’s article 10 Items You Absolutely Need For Financial Security.

On the same topic, Photopreneur has a post about raising your prices HERE.

Eric Frischling, aka Flying With Fish, just got a book deal! Congrats to Eric, and good for us who travel with cameras because The Traveling Photographers Essential Pocket Guide is going to be a great resource to us.

Terry White was the guest author on Kelby’s Photoshop Insider this week, and gave a good tutorial on outputting images for an iPhone or iPod Touch. Link HERE.

David Hobby, aka Strobist, has a review of the new Nikon SB 900. I’m not a Nikon shooter, but these are sweet strobes. Nikon shooters toying with the idea of shelling out for these new strobes will want to read this.

A couple weeks back Scott Kelby asked the world to save August 23rd on their calendar. Keep it open, folks. I can’t say why. Just do it for me. Keep it open. Pretty please.

Yesterday Matt Brandon took a comparative look at VistaPrint and Overnight Prints on a recent business card project. Even I was surprised at the cost - and the cards look good. If you still haven’t got business cards that make prospects say “wow, nice card!” you need to step up to the plate.

Don’t forget to get your name in for the Free R-Strap Giveaway. Hey, while we’re talking about the R-strap, check out this two-camera set-up on Tony Schreiber’s blog. It’s similar to something I’ve been playing with, but while I’ve been toying with velcro, he’s gone and used straps. I like this alot. Check it out HERE.

Finally, a quote, found on the PhotoQuotes site. If you’re looking for inspiring out-of-context quotes from your favourite photographers, this is the place. It’s actually a great resource and the quotes are very well referenced.

A mad, keen photographer needs to get out into the world and work and make mistakes.
- Sam Abell

Have a great weekend. Shoot what you love, love what you shoot. Go make some mistakes.

Sorry I’m late with today’s post; teaching a workshop all day and it just completely slipped my mind. Having said that I’m writing this entirely coffee-free this morning so don’t expect lucidity.

Brad Jarvis pointed me to David Tejada’s blog for a post about shooting through a diffusion panel as I mentionned yesterday - link HERE. I use this technique alot and love it.

The Intergalactic emporium of all things gear-related is B&H PHOTO in NYC and they’re offering big savings right now on selected Canon (expires July 19th), Leica (expires June 30th) and Nikon (no expiry mentionned but I’m pretty sure it’s not one of these eternal offers.) The nice thing about this annual B&H tradition is that it gives you immediate rebates without having to wait for weeks for a cheque to come. Or not come. You know how it works.

Steven Frischling, aka Flying With Fish, is holding The Great Mountainsmith Bag Giveaway and all you have to do is relay your worst travel scenario to him for a chance to win one of three Mountainsmith bags.

Travel Photographers take note - the PDN/Nat Geo Traveler WORLD IN FOCUS CONTEST is up and if you’ve not yet entered, the deadline is Sept 08/08. As with all these things, read the rules and conditions and give away only those rights you feel comfortable with.

Finally, a quote:

“When making a picture, the sound of the shutter can “click off” the scene. One immediately turns to look for the next thing to shoot. To avoid killing what you behlod, linger on it. Not merely saving the view for posterity, but savoring it in the now is the only antidote to this subtle occupational hazard.” - Jeff Berner.

Have a great weekend. Take some time to shoot something that moves you.

“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.”

- Don McCullin

“Somebody said recently that the best thing a student could do was to get in some shows and publish a book; but nothing about becoming a human being, nothing about having important feelings or concepts of humanity. That’s the sort of thing that’s bad education. I’d say be a human being first and if you happen to wind up using photography, that’s good for photography.”

From The Tao of Photography, Gross and Shapiro

“It is incumbent upon you to make sure you are getting what you want at the moment you take the picture. It would be best for you to spend more time thinking of the quality of your pictures and less time thinking about the quality of your pixels. The parameters of your vision are more important than the expertise you have with levels and curves or whatever you get involved with after you take the picture….I wish you to see not how clever you can be, but how observant you can be.”

Jay Maisel from the Afterword in Welcome To Oz, Vincent Versace