PixelatedImage Blog

Head over to GKB’s blog for a fun interview with yours truly. It’s brief, but fun. Thanks to GKB for taking the time. Link HERE.

Have a great weekend, folks.

Scott Kelby has finally come to his senses and abandoned his No Blog Wednesday policy in favour of Guest Blog Wednesdays. It’s clear the man needs a break, but why make us suffer, right? (Totally kidding, Scott!) - Head over to Photoshop Insider for the first guest post by Vincent Versace. If  you’ve been enjoying my recent rants on the geek:artist ratio and the HOW vs. WHY stuff, you’re going to love what Versace has to say about being taken by your photographs.

Brave enough to stare the future of digital imaging in the eye and not flinch? Head over to Red.com and look at the Red Cameras - the 5K Epic, the 4K Red One, the 3K Scarlet. Very cool.

It looks like we’ve now filled what we thought was our last space for the Lumen Dei Photographic Workshop and Tour in Kashmir this September, but we’ve been talking and if we hear from you in the next week we can make room for one more - it’s just how the logistics are working out. So - if you’re kicking yourself for not applying, these are literally the final hours. But this is REALLY the last spot, no more joking around.

While we’re talking about travel photography, the website for the Travel Photographer of The Year 2008 competition is now open. As always, the prizes are sweet, and you need to do your due diligence about the rules. If nothing else, look through the galleries of winners from years past - some inspiring stuff in there.

And some reminders:

Have you checked and/or updated the firmware for your camera recently? I just upgraded my 5D bodies today after ignoring it for too long. For some reason it scares the heck outta me.

Have you done your data backups today? This week? If your primary harddrives died right now, how catastrophic would it be? Does the whole thing keep you up at night or make you break into a cold sweat? Consider DROBO.

Calibrate your monitor. It’s even less fun than flossing, but your images will look better.

So you read the post about why you should(n’t) have a blog and you’ve decided to start one, or resucitate your current blog. Here’s ten non-canonical blogging tips for running a blog that is a solid resource for the community for which you are writing. In no particular order:

1. Pick a target.
Making some intentional decisions about who you are writing for and why you are writing will keep you focused. The best blogs appeal to a niche audience and serve that audience well. You won’t find me posting about my knitting circle here. I know who I am writing to and why, and that determines what I write and how.

Read the rest of this entry »

A while back there was much discussion on the Travel Photographers Network about photographers and blogs and whether the twain should meet. Then I dug a little deeper in other places - places less civil than the kind folks who populate TPN - and was amazed by (1) the polarity of the opinions and (2) the animosity with which those opinions were expressed.

Are there good reasons to write a blog? You betcha. Are there bloggers who oughta shut things down and put their efforts elsewhere? Definitely. Here’s some reasons…

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m en route from Tampa to Vancouver, briefly stopped in Denver for a coffee and a change of planes.

On Friday I spent the day with Scott Kelby, had lunch, did some shooting at the Tarpon sponge docks, did a very quick one-take interview for Photoshop TV, and then went out to dinner at Maggiano’s Little Italy. Maggiano’s was spectacular, and I’ll let you know when the Photoshop TV episode airs.

In between all those things there was some scheming and I hope to be able to share those details soon with you. In the mean time, let me say this: you will never meet a nicer group of folks than the gang that runs the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. If you haven’t joined the gang yet, and you spend any amount of time in Photoshop, it’s time to send in your dues and start drinking the kool-aid.

Scott Kelby is truly one of the nicest, kindest men I’ve met and the team he’s assembled is second to none. Scott’s got me convinced to go to Photoshop World in Vegas from September 4-6, 2008 - the line-up of teachers looks spectacular. More information here.

We just had a spot open up on the Lumen-Dei tour in Kashmir, which leaves us now with 2 free spots - if you’re looking for an adventure and a chance to work on your chops in a spectacular environment, now would be a good time to talk us. More info here.

Rumours had me all excited about the possible announcement of the Canon 5D Mk II on April 24, but once again the rumour mill let us down and Canon’s going to keep u waiting a little longer.

Lastly, a word about “my gear is better than your gear” syndrome. While I was at the NAPP intergalactic HQ we were discussing a recent string of comments on Scott’s blog that got a little heated. It all started because Scott made some comments about Lightroom and did not give corresponding comments about Apple’s Aperture. And it all went downhill from there. So. Two unsolicited rants for all of you who might ever, ever, be tempted to go there.

Rant the first.
A blog is generally not an effort in unbiased journalism. It’s personal, and its content is decided by the author. Unless we are paying for content we have no justification for the entitlement that seems to get tossed about. If you don’t get what you hoped for on one blog, go to another, but forgo the complaining.

Rant the second.
My choice of hardware and software in no way implies that your choice is wrong. Something’s gotta give here folks, and any time we spend on the ramparts defending our brand/platform of choice is time we aren’t out working on our craft. If you’re so sure your favourite brand is that much better, then go out and create something so true, beautiful, and creative, that it silences the critics. Until then, go work on your art. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it - Gear is Good, Vision is Better. Make a choice, let others make theirs, and then get on with it. A carpenter who loves his tools more than his craft is not an artisan, he’s just a tool-enthusiast. Have a great weekend. Go shoot something you’re passionate about. (Baring that, shoot something colourful, like shells. Or something.)

My limited edition monograph, The Pixelated Image, made Scott Kelby’s Top 5 List today. It’s a long list of favourites from gear to books to teachers to places. The Pixelated Image made it to his Top 5 Photography Books That Will Inspire You list. Quite an honour coming from Mr. Kelby.

This book is a collector’s item. Only 100 will ever be printed, they’re hand-signed and numbered, and they aren’t cheap. The funds I am raising from the sale of this book are going towards my Women and Children First project which is a creative funding solution to get me shooting for NGOs working in the developing world with women and orphans and vulnerable children. Lots of great groups out there need photo-resources for fund-raising and advocacy, this will help me get there for one or two of them.

More information here.

Inspiration is the intangible we all run on as creatives. It’s the in-breathing that gives us the spark, the a-ha! moment. It’s what pulls us out of those ruts. No matter how you do it, you need to be aware of what inspires you so you can pro-actively pursue it. Especially when you’re in the rut and can’t see over the sides. A year ago I wrote this post on the nature of inspiration - if you’re looking for some, give this a read.

In the mean time - comments are open - what inspires you?

Please update your bookmark.

For those that came here only because I promised them a sneak-peak at the new galleries for PixelatedImage.com - you may now preview them. CLICK HERE