This is an eclectic selection of links for around the net. Without further ado:
Photo Instruction Resource
I’ve been a fan of professional photographer Will Crockett and the photo instruction on ShootSmarter.com for years now. The free content (and there’s a lot of it) is accessed by subscribing to the weekly Shoot Smarter newsletter. Once you’ve signed up you can access the wide variety of useful content, ranging from using a light meter on studio portraits to documenting the working of a shot. They also have instructional DVDs and other educational materials …

About the photo at left: every photographer / studio has their own way of doing certain things, little tricks that help their particular workflow. At our studio we sometimes have multiple photographers working out of multiple camera bags so things like media cards can end up floating around loosely. A couple years ago we realized that the slots in a 35mm slide protector page fit our compact flash cards perfectly. Ever since then there’s been a slide page taped to the side of our camera cabinet, providing a perfect home …

It’s recognized that for every action there‘s an equal and opposite reaction. As the world of online publishing expands, the traditional world of print publishing (newspaper and magazine) appears to be contracting. While I enjoy the new technologies, it’s sometimes been hard for this traditionalist to watch as newspapers and magazines struggle. Until recently it’s seemed like the passing of print publications would cause a terrible void…but I’m beginning to accept that we’ll all make it through, regardless.

I think we’re just starting to scratch the surface of the many …

Today’s around the ‘net is jam-packed with links to web solutions for photographers and an interesting Harry Benson interview.
The first mention I’d like to make is the beautifully presented website of Maria Angela Photography. Maria left a comment and I followed the link to her site and was really impressed. The home page automatically filled the screen and the whole experience was professional. Sometimes Flash sites seem bulky and slow but the Flash effects loaded quickly and effortlessly, adding up to a notable website experience for potential clients.
Are …

The new studio is "box city".
It was easy to find links for this week’s around the ‘net, there’s a lot of great posting going on. Here are my favorite six for this week, ranging from pretty photos to the business of photography to some info for the tech junkies. Hopefully something for everyone:
National Geographic Photo Contest
Looking for inspiration? The results from National Geographic’s 2008 International Photography Contest have been posted. The winners and honorable mentions appear, most with judges comments below them. If you haven’t been to National Geographic’s online …

Though we all enjoy discussing photography, I admit there’s something I do like better: actually taking photographs. That’s why I’m pleased to be a part of DIYPhotography.net’s latest project titled “Something New - A Photography Project“.
Udi at DIYPhotography.net is always sharing great DIY tips and ideas to bring photographers together and he has a wonderful concept here. There are many aspects to the project and they all have to do with sharing and learning, both photo equipment and ideas. Photographers worldwide are encouraged to pair up with another local photographer …

Two inspirational videos from TED
Every so often I come across an online video that is truly exceptional. This TED presentation by David Griffin called “Photography connects us with the world” is one those videos. Griffin is the director of National Geographic magazine and, as such, he’s extremely qualified to discuss the storytelling power of photographs. It’s definitely worth a watch for anyone interested in photo stories.
The next vid is also from TED, this one from well-known nature photographer Frans Lanting (National Geographic, Audobon, Time). He takes nature photo stories one …

Aaron at What the Duck brought the strip below to my attention and I had to share it. Creative ruts are a recurring theme, one we looked at back in July. We failed to consider how a shovel might be used, though!

Staying out of ruts means keeping the wheels turning, so today and tomorrow I’m attending a Photoshop workshop here in Cincinnati, organized by the Ohio Valley Chapter of the ASMP. The guest instructor is Atlanta-based commercial shooter Jim DiVitale. There’s always something to learn from such seminars and DiVitale …

*a preview photo for next Monday
It’s hard to escape the news these days. There’s a monumental election about to happen in the U.S. next Tuesday and the turbulent financial times are affecting businesses worldwide, including the photo industry. There’s some sad news but I’m also feeling more positive on the near-term outlook for my own studio, Daylight Photo. More on that in a bit.
One of the biggest photo news stories around the net this week has been the demise of Digital Railroad, the online photo marketing / licensing site that …

First, some history on a self-published photo project, then a link to a powerful documentary on war photographers.
A couple of weeks ago I received an email announcing my friend Cathy Murray’s newly self-published 11” x 11” calendar, Good Kitty 2009. As photographers, most (if not all) of us harbor a desire to see our work published. It’s really cool when someone you know pulls together their images and produces a product like this, publishing 5,000 pieces in her very first effort.

Cathy obviously has a passion for felines and photography and …