Welcome to volume #1 of Around the Net, the weekly prophotolife round up. It’s been a great week, lots of links and info to share. Things have been busy: blogging, working with a great new client on location and prepping for tonight’s gallery show. I’d like to give prophotolife readers a sneak preview of my exhibit (photo right). If you’re in the Greater Cincinnati area come on down to The Carnegie Arts Center in Covington, KY, tonight and say “hello”.

copyright Steve Paxton / Paxton Prints

How often do you see …

Lighting: (1) White Lightning X1600 in Photoflex 293 Medium (24 x 32″)
softbox for main light, (1) X1600 background light with 40 degree grid

A great thing about the clamp lights used in the DIY videos is that they’re an inexpensive way to learn the principles of lighting. Plus they should last forever and I still use them without hesitation for tabletop shots. At some point, though, if you’re serious about photography you’ll begin to fully explore strobe lighting. The shoe-mounted flash for your camera is a great way to start. …

Okay, so photographers might not cash in like doctors or lawyers, but we wear shorts to the studio, play the music loud and take long lunches at the Sharonville Root Beer Stand (anyone for a Timmy Dog?) on days when it’s nice and there’s nothing scheduled. So how much money does a professional photographer actually make? What are the employment prospects and job outlook for professional photographers? It’s all contained in a report by the US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics. A few excerpts:
Significant Points …

To date I’ve been using standard 75 watt household bulbs in the clamp lights used in the DIY lighting videos. But there are tons of bulb choices out there (tungsten, halogen, fluorescent), and I’ve been getting questions about how they compare. Well, that’s something that’s hard to describe and, after all, we’re visual people. So let’s fire ‘em up and take a look. The contenders:

GE Soft White, 100 watt, (the standard household bulb), tungsten, $0.80
GE Reveal, 100 watt, (clear glass, light blue in color), tungsten but called “full spectrum”, $1.75

n:vision …

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It’s been a great week here, lots of new visitors and over 10,000 hits in one day for one of the DIY lighting videos. I’m just amazed at all the cool information that can be shared on the internet and how quickly new friends can be made (hello to the folks coming over from DIYPhotography.net, another great site). Imagine if the whole world worked the way the photo blogosphere does: sharing information freely and helping one another for the benefit of all. Seems simple, doesn’t it?

Better

I’m excited about some changes …

What does a custom logo design cost? With The Logo Company you’ll find high quality and surprisingly affordable logo design services.
An earlier prophotolife post discussed why you should design a custom logo for you and your photo business. Whether you have a full-time business or a part-time photo blog, a well designed logo conveys professionalism and sets you apart from the masses. I’m really happy with the prophotolife logo, which was designed by one of this site’s sponsors: The Logo Company. When I’m pleased with a product or service I …

Let’s take the DIY lighting videos a step farther than in part 1: it’s time for a bigger setup and what I like to call “the mother of all stick-in-a-can videos”. You’ll know why once you watch it. I’ve realized there’s more to these pieces than setting a wooden stick in concrete and attaching diffusion material to a wooden frame, so in a few days I’ll post either a video or text on how to best make them and where to get the right materials.
Now it’s off to spend time …

Note: I’ve received more than a few inquiries about the ‘acetate’ (diffusion screen material) referred to in the DIY lighting videos. We use ROSCO Tough Frost diffusion material #3026, it’s color neutral, heat resistant and very durable…a genuine investment. One of this site’s sponsors, Calumet Photographic, sells it in 20″ x 24″ sheets for $7.95. We buy it in 48″ x 25′ foot rolls for $136.99. If you want to go big, the 48″ x 25′ roll will make 3 full size 4′ x 8′ panels. Or if anyone buys …

1981: first SLR, Nikon EM

You all remember your first real camera, I know you do. The way it felt in your hand and what it looked like through the viewfinder. Maybe you’re still using your first real camera. If you’re a young photographer that’s considering photography as a profession then I’d like to take you on a little trip.

There are a few distinctive ‘gaps’ in a professional photographer’s career. In this instance I’m defining a gap as a chasm or a break, something that requires a leap to get to …

First of all, massive thanks to Strobist and Microstock Diaries for giving this blog a shout! To everyone that’s just recently linked in, I appreciate having you here. We obviously all share a
love of photography and everything photography-related and prophotolife will keep publishing that kind of content. More DIY videos and text are in the works.
Since ‘the studio’ is often referred to in posts, it made sense to offer you this quick video tour: