There’s been lots of news going on this past week, let’s take a look.

First, I’d like to say thanks for joining the new prophotolife discussion forum. Not even a week old, there’s been a good deal of activity and I’ve learned about many new (to me) photo sites through this thread of reader website favorites. The forum will also be a real help with some of the email questions I receive. There are certain topics, like ” what’s the best LCD monitor to buy?” that I honestly don’t know the answer to without doing some research. By referring those questions to the discussion forum I hope to learn a thing or two with your help.

It really catches my attention when I see an image with beautiful retro photo edges because I’m a big fan of vintage photography. This week there was an eye-catching item on Imaging Insider detailing how a photographer had painstakingly prepped awesome vintage photo borders and is sharing them at no cost for downloading. There are even video tutorials on how to use them. Then I read a bit further and, lo and behold, they were created by our old friend Steve Paxton of paxtonprints.com! You may remember Steve’s inspirational series of portraits of the homeless we featured in volume one of Around the Net.

Speaking of inspirational, I was viewing reader Jason Caine’s photostream recently when I came across some images from the photo series he’s creating of his young niece, Taylor, who is battling leukemia. Taylor writes a blog about her experiences while Uncle Jason documents it photographically when he can. To share such a deeply personal experience with viewers is a testament to their strength, both as individuals and as a family. I’m sure I speak for all of us in wishing Taylor the very best in her battle and admire the way the family is tackling this opponent head-on.

Adversity is all relative. The profession of photography has certainly become more competitive in recent years and technology is getting harder and harder for some established photographers to keep up with. Despite these major changes, the bottom line is that photography is and should be fun. I appreciate that my worst day of being a professional photographer is probably better than the best day of doing a number of other jobs. But what about professional photographers who have tired of keeping up with technology and have “lost the love” for the profession? Our friends at 1001noisycameras.com have some advice for them, in their no-holds-barred, straight driving, witty style. We have to accept that things are only going to keep evolving and then adapt to the changes.

Ever had a song you just can’t get out of your head? It’s been that way for me lately with (of all things) Ringo Starr’s “Photograph”. Yes, Ringo was the lowest rung on the Beatles ladder and has been the butt of jokes for years. Sure, he didn’t drip with talent, necessarily. But let me warn you: when you’re young you might make fun of a song or artist, then when you’re older, hearing them brings a comfort and familiarity that makes it okay to be a little “uncool”. And so it is with Ringo and this song that I can’t get out of my head. The little Amazon widget at left will play a snippet of “Photograph” for you, if you like. Do you have a favorite song related to photography? Put the song and artist in a comment or start a thread on the forum…as any new songs come in I’ll start compiling the “prophotolife photography song favorites” list. I can immediately think of three or four more but haven’t taken the time yet to hit up iTunes – Over 2 million songs and growing.

And now that I have the song “Photograph” planted firmly in your head, hopefully it will leave mine. Have a great weekend, see you on Monday with another video…

- Jim T.