My daughter shooting flags with her digital camera. Her shot was the first post 

More Flag photos. 

Memorial Day posting. These flags were there to honor the 911 victims, but they seem appropriate today as well.

Working Pathways on Podcasting

He doesn't list photogrpher or designer here, but I think I would. There are a great deal of interesting things that could be podcasted about a photoshoot or design challenge. Good site, bookmark it.

Working Pathways, Inc � The Work Better Weblog � Archive � If You’re a Guru, You Need a Podcast: "If You’re a Guru, You Need a Podcast

There are a handful of vocations ideally positioned for connecting with customers on a regular basis via audio (podcasting):"

Logic Lost. USA Today Tech Guy Writes About Blogs

A little different type of post today. I wont make this a habit, but this guy really got to me with his ad hominem attacks, oh-so-clever linkages and plain goofiness.

What is so fascinating to me about these anti-blog types is that they are so fascinated by something they say isn't important to them. This guy goes after the obvious and adds intrigue where none exists. Let's take a look, shall we.

"A 2005 version of Monty Python's famous "Spam" skit:

Man: Well, what've you got?

Waitress: Well, there's egg and blogs; egg, bacon and blogs; blogs, blogs, egg, blogs, blogs, bacon and blogs; blogs, sausage, blogs, blogs, bacon, blogs, tomato and blogs ...

Wife: Have you got anything without blogs?

These days, the hype about blogs is off the charts."

Agreed. Notice the subject of this article for instance. So what? There's no shortage of hype on any page of any major newspaper.

"And you know what that usually means: Run for cover, because a bubble is going to burst and make a big mess."

Not necessarily. And how is growth in something that is an interest or avocation to many a life changing "bubble"? Let's not confuse the free and open access to publishing which has very little hard costs associated with it with Yahoo stock selling for $300 per share. That was stupid. This, at worst, is harmless. At best it is giving voice to those who haven't had access to, you know, publishing their views in a newspaper. And some just like to do it. BFD. Lighten up Newspaper column guy.

"Pamela Anderson has a blog!"

Ooh. A slam meant to show us how intellectual the writer is, and simultaneously painting all bloggers as bubble headed celebrities. Ad hominem attacking at its best.

Tom Peters has one. Seth Godin has one. Mark Cuban has one. Lots of very intelligent people have them. But, let's focus on the semi-actresses to make our point - which was -- ?.

"A recent Pew Internet & American Life Project study found that 16% of the U.S. population reads blogs and that 6% of adults have created a blog.

(According to "Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General," 6% of U.S. adults use specialty mental health services each year. Do you think it's the same 6%?)"

Uh. Nope. Do you? Oh - I get it. Another "I'm so clever I can create linkage where none existed before" statement. Wow, this guy has got the ad hominem attack down cold. No facts here that are relevant, just a juxtaposition of words to create a linkage in the reader. They must learn this crappy kind of writing in J-school. (Don't say 'crappy', that is too strong. Tone it down buster -- ed.) Uh, sorry.

"In fact, let's create an Alice in Wonderland moment: I'm writing about reading about my columns in blogs, which bloggers will inevitably post. So now, I'll be able to read a blog about my writing about me reading about my writing in blogs."

Yes. Cool, huh? I wonder if the guy really is this clueless, or maybe he wants people to think he is so cool and intellectual that all this 'blog' stuff really is beneath him. So the ability to write about someone who wrote - and then read reviews of that writing is "Alice in Wonderland" to him? Hmmm.... Sheltered he is. Actually happens all the time. Even in newspapers.

"Blogging is to the 2000s what Web sites were to the 1990s and desktop publishing was to the 1980s," says Guy Kawasaki, managing director of Garage Technology Ventures.

In other words, we've seen this movie before. A new technology makes it easier for individuals to create and share information, which gives people an intoxicating sense of power they'd never before experienced."

No. Wrong! (-sirens going off - where did this guy get his "other words" assessment from Kawasaki's statement? Oh, that juxtaposition thing.) Blogs don't give anyone anything. No "intoxicating sense of power" can come from opening a Blogger site. None. Most blogs never attract more than a couple of dozen readers before the authors tire and give up. So their "intoxicating sense of power" is somehwat short lived, eh?

Some folks just want to share their experiences and knowledge. Some want to keep customers closer with information and such. Where folks experience an "intoxicating sense of power" is in writing columns that speak down to large groups of people that may be excited about something new. "Yes, you little confused people, thank God I'm here to set you straight in my Noospaper column. Now for a douse of cold water, you morons."

"Next thing you know, this new technology is a "revolution" that "changes everything" and "makes dogs and cats love each other"and other such claims."

What? My dog and my cat love each other now. That's cause of Blogs? Damn.

"But in the past, each technology has also gone through a cycle of superhype, followed by a hype-o-glycemic crash. After that, the technology reaches equilibrium and steadily evolves into a crucial piece of the global fabric.

"For the moment, blogs are on the ascent to the detriment of other media activities," says Larry Downes, professor of information economics at the University of California-Berkeley. "But newer and more interesting communications technologies will unthrone blogs soon enough."

Yeah. Sure. There ya go. A teacher from Berkeley. Take that to the bank. Newer and more interesting huh? Cool. (He knows something we don't know.) When they burst on the scene giving people an intoxicating sense of power, this guy can rip them. Brush up on your ad hominems, dude.

I love the hyperbole here:

• "detriment of other media activities" (What is that about? Media is being harmed by blogs? Where? Stats please. Most of what I have seen is that Media is being hurt by, you know, bad reporting and loss of credibility.) Detriment? Nope. I think it has helped to weed out the lesser qualified, and ethically challenged from their ranks. If that is a detriment, I am confused.
  
• "newer and more interesting communications technologies" (Says who? Oh, sorry, there's that teacher from Berkeley. You know, whenever I am looking for an answer for something that is happening globally in real time, I always run to some academic to get the 'truth'. Then, I usually find out they don't have have a clue. Never did.)
• "unthrone blogs" (Unthrone something that is silly and superfluous? Pam Anderson's blog will be 'dethroned'? Unthrone? Oh yeah, that reminds me why I never go to academics to get information based on a realistic evaluation. There are, of course, great professors and teachers. But I have had far more bad experiences in acedemia than good.)

"The novelty of blogs will wear off, Downes says, just as it did with Web sites a handful of years ago. "How much time do you spend anymore just surfing the Web — you know, for fun?" he asks."

Really? Ya think? Web sites' novelty has worn off? There ya go. Straight from the Berkeley guy. That is why online advertising has grown at an incredible rate. That's why so many businesses have created very successful online channels. There are so many success stories based on Web sites and strong marketing strategies that this type of statement is silly. Oh, and many of us don't surf for fun anymore, we are too busy working on the web. And I don't read Blogs or write them for 'fun'. I do both for a variety of reasons, but most of all to increase my knowledge on a wide scope of interests.

"If everyone had a blog, no one would blog," Downes says."

Uhh... sure. There ya go. Hey, I got one for you. If everyone was a columnist, no one would read columns. Oh - OH- hey---- if everyone was a University teacher, no one would go to school. Man, this is fun. So if everyone was a...(knock it off -- ed.) Sorry, just couldn't for life of me find anything relevant there.

"So, yeah, blogs are cool. Anything that gives people a voice benefits society and makes us all better and smarter — and, as bloggers have proved, makes established information outlets more accountable. But blogs don't seem to be the second coming of the printing press. They're just another turn of the wheel in communications technology."

Thanks for clearing that up for us Noospaper Column Guy. Where would we 'little people' be without you to lead us to the clear and shining path of deep understanding.

Blogs may not be the second coming of the printing press (who ever said that?), but it is proving that maybe the models of publication that we have lived with for the last century may not be either. Communication will be forever changed, even after Pam's site closes down.

Look, blogs aren't the "new media" savior. They are a specific type of information exchange that was unavailable to most people in the past. It provides a voice to those who may have something to say, yet doesn't gurantee an audience if what they say is of no interest. Unlike newspapers and "reader's advocate" types, it allows a dialogue with the creators that can lead to insights and discoveries and new voices. It also doesn't allow for fuzzy thinking as other knowledgeable 'bloggers' will shred intellectual lapses and dishonesty.

Personally I am a little wary of people who attack other folks freedoms, abilities, vocations and avocations. I have always wondered why people create anti-sites about things that don't impact them. (My daughter had a bunch of anti-Brittney Spears sites when she was a sophomore in high school. I laughed at how much time she would spend on sites about a person she didn't have any interaction with, and whose music she didn't like.)

If you don't like blogs, don't read them, don't think they are of any consequence, let 'em be. If, however, you are locked into that sophomoric view of the world as centering around you and your interests, your myopic opinions, then, you know, write a column about it.

USATODAY.com - Once blogs 'change everything,' fascination with them will chill

UPDATE: NevOn adds additional clarity...

It's become literally self-evident that blogs in particular are here to stay and those members of the mainstream media - whether print or broadcast - who embrace them will find that they will help open up new channels to build relationships with readers, viewers and listeners in new and different ways.

Read the whole thing.

UPDATE: LaShawn Barber takes this article as fodder for an incredibly insightful article on Blogs, Bloggers and MSM Columnists / Reporters... Read this article, it will be a terrific resource someday.

Kevin Maney doth protest too much, methinks, but it’s a natural reaction to a perceived threat. When journalists insist so strongly that blogs are a passing fad, a trend that will inevitably decline, they betray their own lack of depth and knowledge about the sheer number of blogs out there for whatever profession, pastime, or perversion one could imagine. Maney’s understanding of blogs barely scratches the surface of what’s really going on all around him.

As above, read the whole thing.

Add This to Your Holiday Reading

We are currently working on several sites for a diverse collection of clients. Two photographers, a consumer clothing site, a project management site for construction companies and a charity site for cancer victims. All of these sites have benefited from this little book. While we do most of the things suggested, we were able to use the book for some serious credibility with our clients.

I have been reading "Call to Action" as well. There will be a review on that book up tomorrow morning.

it's what I do...: KNOCK KNOCK - It's Seth's New E-Book on Successful Web Design: "
If you are currently designing a web site, and especially if you design sites for others, you need to get this little book quick. Read it. Look at your site. Read it again."

What I am saving up for...

When I get to my goal weight - and hold it for four months - I'm getting one of these. Dark blue or gray.

english cut: bespoke savile row tailors

I will be following this closely

I know Daniel and I have been discussing how many hours per week - NOTE: WEEK! - that we spend fixing and repairing and rebuilding. My G5? Never touch it in that respect. runs all the damn time. Perfectly. My WinTel - always cleaning spyware (yeah - I use FireFox, but damn it - lots of sites don't work well in FireFox and I have to swich over... when I do I get infected and have to take the time to clean it out. It would be nice if everyone built to some standards, but alas...

Security Awareness for Ma, Pa and the Corporate Clueless: Mad as Hell: Why Over The Top?: "The cost - the unacceptably immense financial premium that the WinTel world demands of its users - is going to be the straw that breaks the WinTel back! I could no longer afford WinTel.

OWNING WINTEL IS TOO DAMNED EXPENSIVE for anyone who cares one whit about their money or their profits.

In this series, I am going to PROVE it.
Please hang around."

Free. At Last.

Read this post for a view into the lies that marketers tell. Or at least corporate spokes-persons. What is worse? The moron who makes the statement or the morons who actually accept it on face value? The city of Chicago should have been outraged on the behalf of their citizens. The council should have slapped these fools with a huge fine. Course, we are talking about politicians, aren't we?

Boing Boing: Chicago's Bean sculpture is free to photograph, at last: "The park's management then set out to turn this prominent public sculpture into a moneymaker. They set out ruinous rates for professional photographers, wedding photos, and videographers, and then used the publicly funded security staff to enforce this ban. The security guards went around, kicking out anyone who looked like they may be a 'professional' photographer, which meant anyone with a nice camera and/or a tripod."

Seth Interviewed...

Seth is being interviewed about his new book "All Marketers are Liars" over at Brand Mantra. This is a fun read. Thinking about the stories we are telling over at thePHOTOtool site, I am realizing we are going to have to make some changes. Hey - it's a process, not a destination.

What's Your Brand Mantra?
"I'm the last stop on the book tour with Seth Godin. We're talking about his new book, All Marketers are Liars. As he states in the book, marketers aren't really liars... they're just really good at telling stories that customers want to believe. Please visit each post and ask questions.

UPDATE: I just re-read this paragraph and was struck by the relevance to a conversation I had just had with a group of photographers and a lab owner about the commercial photography world, the client expectations and the worldview of photographers that had stagnated in the mid 70's. For many it will prove to be a fatal hold.

"Most of the time, when you see an industry crash and burn, it's because they were arrogant and unyielding in the face of a competitive threat. That just encourages the other side and makes their story easier to tell."

That is very powerful message.

Biz Blog Profile Series - This is a really informative post at Diva Marketing

Sorry, don't want to hear about Blogs not being real enough. No more "we just don't know what to do" whining. Read this wonderful post at Diva Marketing. Then read the rest of her posts. Marketing ideas, information and real-life profiles. Damn. Rich, bloggy goodness.

Diva Marketing: Biz Blog Profile Series: Stonyfield Farm - Stonyfield Farm Blog "Cow"munities

Marketing to Women... Over at WonderBranding

Cool Site... found a lot of good sites at this Voting site. Take a look and find some ideas that will rocket your business. Of course finding and implementing.... ahhhh... implementing. Hey - be like Nike... just do it.

WonderBranding: Marketing to Women: "Does blogging have credibility? Apparently, since blog readers constitute 20% of the newspaper audience and 40%(!) of the talk radio audience.

Have you thought about creating a blog for your industry or business? Are there ways to educate your customers about your product or service that will not only keep them coming back to read more, but compel them to visit your store or office? The next generational cycle is looking for more beyond hype - they're seeking substance. What do you have to share?"

Short Post - Interesting Blogs you should check out

Here is a fascinating and touching blog by a guy making a difference.
Trevor's Blog

Jaffe Juice has lots of new stuff. Marketing and Advertising.
Jaffe Juice

Great Photographs and such at:
On Location with Rick Lee and Brooks Blog.

Tech News and More at Doc Searls.

One of my favorites is Down the Avenue... vist for some inside looks at tech marketing.

"Hey you... yeah you... with the camera. You gotta come with me. Now"

Jim Cowlin sends this link

The question of whether it is getting harder to shoot images in public places is compelling. Whether it really is or not is open for debate. I am not sure the article makes either point.

"In general, photojournalists have no more rights than ordinary citizens to take pictures.

If you're standing on public property, you can shoot anything the naked eye can see, explains Ken Kobre, professor of photojournalism at San Francisco State University and author of one of the seminal textbooks on the subject."

I was run off the property at 24th St and Camelback when shooting from the sidewalk with an 8x10 camera. I was shooting the recent installation of copper on one of the new buildings there. (1981)

I was escorted off the property at Central and Osborne when shooting an image for my portfolio of the bank building there. The uniformed cops (called by the bank security guards) told me it was illegal to shoot photographs of banks. When I challenged them to show me the statute (in a Gee Whiz- friendly manner BTW) they called in and found that it didn't really exist as a 'law' it was considered a 'suspicious activity'. We parted laughing at the stupid bank guards. (1984)

I was forcibly removed while shooting a 'street photography' exhibit at SF MOMA. You just consider the irony there for yourselves. (1984 or 1985) In addition... they were the rudest, most offensive, angry, belligerant - the most aggressively hostile folks that I ever encountered in one of these situations. Most of my dealings with those in uniform were neutral to friendly.

There have been many incidents since then. In every case it was annoying and confirmed my belief in limited Gubment, however it always ended peacefully, most of the times congenially. I don't have recurring nightmares of 'Gestapo thuggishness', nor do I feel my constitutional rights were 'stripped' from me. In most cases good people, well intentioned over-reacted in order to protect something they felt they should protect.

"Ms. Calzada offers the example of a small-town photojournalist in Victoria, Texas, who was taking shots of potholes for a newspaper story last year when a police officer drove by several times. Finally, the officer stopped and questioned him and, even after running an ID check, bluntly declared the photographer's actions suspicious and intimated he'd be keeping an eye on him, the photographer recalls.

Big deal. Is that really a 'story'? Was the photographer really that intimidated? Get over it.

In thirty years of photography I have been thrown out, asked to leave and been asked to provide ID at least a dozen times. Maybe more. None made the news. Now we have an incident where a photographer has the same thing happen to them and it makes national news.

Most of us agree that the laws / restrictions / ordinances are, uh, well... stooopid. If you were a bad guy it is doubtful that your sneaky camera of choice would be a 4x5 - on a tripod - in early morning - with a light meter and a gray card.

I think that these things are being reported more now. In the article it also mentions the fact that many regular people are getting more and more resistant to the ubiquitous camera...

"Other factors play a role as well. During the past 10 to 15 years, police and even bystanders have become less tolerant of photojournalists, Kobre says. "The public really reached its apex of being fed up" with paparazzi after Princess Diana's death, he says. And the distinction between paparazzi and mainstream journalists is disappearing as celebrity journalism seeps into all areas of the media. [Editor's note: The original version misattributed Kobre's quote.]"

I think there is going to be an interesting, and frightening, "tipping point" when citizens armed with digital cameras and camcorders start recording the events around them with more places to publish. Remember Rodney King? He may never have gotten justice if not for a citizen with a camera. At that time, there was no way to publish those videos. But now with the internet, there are more places to publish - get the word out - show the lies, corruption and more.

Politicians, media hacks and law enforcement in particular are terribly afraid of these "gotcha" tools. Politicians are reminded on influential blogs and video of what they said 5 or 10 years ago. Law enforcement is caught on video doing what it shouldn't. Reporters who used to get away with half truths, innuendo and madeup sources are being challenged as never before.

Considering the power of the above group collectively... the thought that they will capitulate and play by the rules without a fight is fairly remote to me. There are currently moves afoot to limit blogs... free speech is only for those who went to Journalism School. There are more and more restrictions on who can be photographed, where - and by whom. (Thank the papparazzi and the excesses that they wear as a badge of honor, oh, and the camera phones in locker rooms) Banks, subways, railroads... all want to be considered 'protected' for a wide variety of reasons including insurance and litigation. I am sure we will have to fight, and fight hard, in the future to be allowed to do what we do.

I hope we win.

Update: From Michael Muratore;
"I came across this link a while back. A lawyer who wrote a downloadable
brochure entitled "The Photographer's Right". Explains (basically) what
your rights are as a photographer, and what to do if you get harassed:"

"Photographers Rights"

Carl's Jr. Has New Web Site

Totally dedicated to it's key demographics (young men and women), the site is a very strong 'experience" site that will pull huge word-of-mouth response. And creating a commercial with the infamous Ms Hilton, then releasing it to a group of folks that instantly take umbrage with it... get huge mention in the press just before launching.... hmmm almost as though it were, you know, planned.

Carl's Jr. Too Hot Ad....

US Route 89

I love the old missions in Arizona. They represent history and the magnificent work ethic of the pioneers that built the land. James has captured a nice image of just such a mission on his USRoute89 Blog.

US Route 89

Located along old US 89 and an easy exit from I-19, San Jose de Tumacacori is one of the two oldest Spanish colonial missions in Arizona. Established in 1691, the mission ministered to the local inhabitants and served as a way station for occasional travelers and expeditions.

Don't Worry - Be Happy

Down the Avenue has a long post on being happy. I thought it especially profound today as I was around some severly unhappy people all week. I hope they read this Blog and realize the true nature of happiness is freedom.

And if you haven't bookmarked down the avenue yet, correct that now.

down the avenue: "Imagine trying this exercise. Every day for a week, write down three things you have gratitude for without trying to analyze why or a potential result. I’ve done this over the years and its remarkable to me how many more things open up in your life when you take the time to stop, listen and write.

Below are some fabulous excerpts that relate to happiness and gratitude worth sharing.

“Happiness is not so much a distant destination or a prized possession – it’s more a matter of personal choice, or a way of traveling.”
--Dan Zadra

“Why wait? Life is not a dress rehearsal. Quit practicing what you’re going to do, and just do it. In one bold stroke, you can transform today.” (I would add a lifetime)
--Phillip Markins

“Life is ours to be spent, not saved.”
--D.H. Lawrence

And while I struggle reading some of Henry Miller’s work, this one is classic:

“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, divinely aware.”
--Henry Miller"

There's more... read it all.

A Marketing Analogy

Turning strangers into lovers. Hmmmm...

recursiveProgress: 21st-century Marketing: The Funnel of Love: "This business of marketing, for our purpose at least, is the process of turning strangers into persistent customers. A relatively consistent sequence of events must occur for a stranger to become a spouse (persistent love). The events parallel the process that creates loyal customers. Avoiding, ignoring, or otherwise missing any of these steps typically results in a relationship of dubious durability."

I Hate When That Happens...

Rick Lee aint gettin' the respect he deserves from his hometown newspaper... man, that'll leave a mark.

On Location With Rick Lee: "I Get No Respect"

I Really Need this Guys Service...

Actually, Dr. Ciresi is a great friend and client in the East Bay area. I think I may have hooked him on blogging. I hope so. He has a very practical and compassionate view of his work and his patients. Visit and encourage him to keep blogging. And if you's need a new schnozzz... dis is da guy... ya know...

Dr. Ciresi: Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery: "Honest frank assessments, notes, writings and items of interest to those considering Reconstructive, Cosmetic or Plastic Surgery."

This is Kinda Cool

I am involved with "Claire's" project. You should take a look at this interesting new concept in funding projects. It may not take off to be the next Google... but it is very cool.

A Photographer could create a Fundable project and give each fundee a CD Slideshow of the project with images not found anywhere else, or a print.

Let's say you have a personal project photographing a specific little piece of Americana and you posted a "Fundable Project" looking for 50 funders at $20 each ($1000 for gas, food etc... to help offset a week or two excursion.) The funders could recieve a print from you, a CD of images, 2-4x6's in a card, maybe something 'special' from the road... be creative. You were able to access a pot of cash that would benefit your project, and someone who was able to help received a cool something - even if only recognition.

Could be a lot of fun, and increase awareness, audience, visibility, access new markets, find a loyal customer base - all that stuff that I harp on here nearly everyday.

Visit for more info...

Welcome to Fundable - Fundable

Out of the Bach's

Hey, it was the writer's pun.

Article at Seth's about a symphony orchestra doing things way differently than most other orchestras is timely. I have been launching my consulting business quietly for the last couple of months and have a few clients that are very challenging. One of the photographers I am working with is very resistant to the changes I am proposing. He wants to continue down the same path that he defined for himself nearly 30 years ago. And right now his business is down nearly 60% from 2000. That sound like good strategy to you?

Can you imagine how few companies there are out there that are doing the same thing, in the same way, as they did 30 years ago? Ice cream trucks and hot dog vendors come to mind, but it goes more difficult after that. Even the folks framing houses and pouring cement are doing things - and running their businesses - differently.

For some reason many commercial and portrait photographers have the worldview that things and people haven't changed. That their industry is the same as it was 20 years ago - 10 years ago. Hauling your portfolio around to show AD's and waiting for the phone to ring off your last Annual page - well - aint workin' no more. Get it.

Much has changed. Much more is required. Education, technology, engagement and moxie... You need to understand the new role you must play. You must understand the new people that you must work with. You absolutely must 'embrace change' (cliche... yeah, but truer now than ever).

I must admit a great affinity to classical music and symphony orchestras. I wrote an award winning string quartet back in the 70's and was interviewed on a local radio station. They asked me why I thought more young people weren't going to the orchestra concerts. I still remember my answer (cause my girlfriend taped it on my old reel-to-reel and I still have that audio).

"Because the orchestras aren't talking to them. They preach a kind of 'elitist snobbishness' that kids turn a deaf ear to. The orchestra's have to get out of tuxedos now and then, play venues that aren't huge and stuffy halls full of bluehairs, try music that is out of the mainstream, make some sort of effort that would say to the young folks - 'Hey, we really WANT you to come to our shows, so we will program stuff that you are into.

The orchestra's need to loosen up and realize that the community that they have to reach for survival isn't just old people, or people that traditionally support them cause that changes with successive generations. They have to create new audiences so they can grow."
- Don Giannatti in an interview with Steve Compton, KDKB Radio, 1973

Now I am challenging photographers, especially the established ones who haven't embraced some of the newer opportunities to step up and get involved. Marketing is not a passive undertaking anymore. Used to be, but not now. Marketing is active, engaged, living, changing, dynamic. frustrating, exhilarating, lively, drudgery, fun and a hell of a lot of work. A yellow page ad and two pages in a directory isn't any of the above. And it wont work all by itself anymore. Ever.

Whether you live in Manhattan, Dallas, Tucson, Tulsa, Herford, or Oro Junction... getting customers and clients for your photography takes marketing, a great story and lots of engaged effort. there are many, many ways to get involved. See my list on those who "get it" and those who don't for just a few suggestions. Oh, and read all of the articles at Seth's this morning.

Seth's Blog: "Having read several studies on why orchestras are failing, I have learned (which came as no surprise), that people these days don't want to hear one type of music (which is what orchestras usually offer-only classical) and that audiences get bored without a visual element in a concert (merely watching the musicians isn't enough)."

This you gotta see

A beautiful image that will confound you until you scroll down and see the context. I love the impact of the shapes and the colors. This is the portfolio shot that really kicks it.

[daily dose of imagery]

You knew it was bound to come....

Look up all the terrific, educational and enlightening moments on TV. Is this the next TIVO? OOOOH... like this incredible list of life enriching clips.

Google Video Search

Well, that certainly covers it...

Communication skills for the creative.

communication skills - zefrank

Give It Away and Prosper

Jennifer Rice at "What's Your Brand Mantra" has a well thought out post on 'giveaways'. Take a moment to read her take on different types of Free Giveaways. Her Short Term, Long-Term and Industry Shake-up breakouts are spot on. How can these different strategies work for you?

I met a portrait and wedding photographer in a medium sized town who would always walk around the town at lunch time, saying hi to folks and giving out little business cards with a "free sitting with 5x7" on it. He would normally get about 20% response and would do them on slow studio days. Now, the sitting took a few minutes, and the 5x7 costs less than a dollar. Nearly everyone ordered additional prints. Average profit per 'free' sitting was well over $270. I should point out that the new people that he brought into the studio also brought weddings and family portraits and referrals. I met him in 2003, and he told me his gross in 2002 was 1.8M. Small studio in a small town with huge clientele. And he still walked around giving out 'free sittings'. Cool, huh?

I have musician/photographer friend who plays piano in a blues band. Last year he hired a studio and cut a CD with 14 piano solos, jazz influenced and fun. He got printed CD's and sent them out to all kinds of clubs and radio stations - and - his photography clients. It has been his most successful promotion ever. I am hoping to do an interview with him later this year when we are in the same city. While this may count more as a promotion than a 'giveaway', I still thought I would include it here.

iStockPhoto gives away a free image to all of its registered members every week. Free. Some of them are pretty cool and they sure keep folks coming back. iStockPhoto knows that the more people come, the better the chance they will become involved, or purchase.

I believe in the power of free. Do it within a well crafted story and you can make a huge difference in visibility, credibility and profit.

What's Your Brand Mantra?: "What can your business give away that will generate trial, buzz and purchases? What industry-accepted charges can you eliminate and turn into a competitive difference?"

KNOCK KNOCK - It's Seth's New E-Book on Successful Web Design

Seth's new E-Book is fantastic. I downloaded it yesterday and printed it out immediately so I could make notes and scribble all over it. This is a short little book that is FAT with information. Seth's quick style and ability to get right to the point makes the small book all the more powerful. It is an E-book in PDF format and you can have a copy really fast by clicking this cool little link.

If you are currently designing a web site, and especially if you design sites for others, you need to get this little book quick. Read it. Look at your site. Read it again.

There is no escaping the power of the well designed web site. Those are the kind of sites we all strive to build for our customers. You can bet that Daniel and I will be going over the sites we have built and the ones we are to build with a checklist developed in part from this book. At the end he challenges others to write the sequel. We take the challenge, Seth. We will be reviewing 500 photographer websites from bad to fantastic - ready for July 1.

Did I mention you could get a copy here?

Are You Part of the Revolution?

I am. Have been for nearly 30 years with a small hiatus with a partner (ask me how that turned out someday). This will be the heart and soul of the economy in 30 years. (A prediction? - ed. "Why, yes it is.")

Numerous currents have converged to produce this reaction. Bloggers, those do-it-yourself journalists, showed big media that the barriers to entry (like owning a printing press, say) didn’t much matter. Podcasters took radio into their own hands, creating audio shows and putting them online. Amateur music producers, using software that was once the province only of major labels, invented mash-ups: combining songs into totally new ones, then giving them away or selling them. And with the advent of services like Google AdSense, which let people easily put advertising on their sites, these tinkerers could—while not vaulting themselves into Bill Gates territory—at least break even.
Technology - The Amazing Rise of the Do-It-Yourself Economy - FORTUNE

Hmmmm - wonder if she's the drummer...

Must say I never really cared much for "metal" (unless Van Halen was metal?). but then metal artists didn't look like this back when I was playing. Brooks produces a beautiful portrait of a talented lady.

Brooks Blog - a photographers blog: "This is Vinita. She sings and plays guitar in Lia-Fail, an all girl metal band...

"

Three Moments in Storytelling

Interesting weekend. Lots of family things and some time to write a bit on the book. However,there were moments that I had to just pause and wonder of the surreality of the situation. I don't care if surreality is a word, it just seems right.

Moment 1. Sam's Club
I go to Sam's to get prints from my digital files. The lab area is right next to the 'exit' door and I usually just fly through showing my card and saying "photo lab". Been doing it for months.

Saturday I walk in and the lady there stops me by jumping in my way. "Hi," I say, "just going to the lab..." "No sir, you are not," she says firmly. "You have to go to the other side of the store and go in the entrance door." I took a moment to explain that there were kids and a wife in the car and that I always do this. She glared at me. I of course acquiesced and went the long way.

So was there a meeting where some Sam's Club MuckyMuck said... "And look. We are getting damn tired of these people coming in the damn out door. If any of these morons don't understand the meaning of the "out door" then they can go across the street and shop at CostCo. What the hell do these "customers" want from us. Easy access to our goods and services? Outrageous! If they head for the outdoor tell 'em to get lost. Now, lets look at last quarters slump in sales..." Sure felt like that Saturday morning. New Story? "Sam's Club - As Warm and Friendly as an Airport Patdown."

Moment 2: McDonalds
Kid was so slow that it was almost comical. He would get a water, look at the order, get another water, look at the order... I was third in line and it took 25 minutes. The manager would come over to look at what he was doing and then she would walk away carefully avoiding eye-contact with any of the people in line. Several folks left, grumbling loudly, but I stayed. I was fascinated by the total, TOTAL, lack of concern by anyone on the other side of the counter. Everyone going about their business without acknowledging that there were, you know, customers in the store.

Finally, the manager opened a register and sighing loudly pointed to me and said... "What do you want?" No kidding. It happened. I actually burst out laughing. True theater of the absurd. New Story "You don't, like, deserve nuttin today. Get outta heah... 'n take your screamin brat wit ya."

Moment 3: Skate Rink
We dropped my youngest at the ice skate rink for a birthday party and went in for a while. The place was a buzz of activity. There was face painting, balloons, free skating lessons and more. The manager knew that there would be 4 birthday parties going on and wanted to provide a fun and exciting environment for the kids (and parents) as well as let everyone know that there was a "really great summer program" for learn-to-skaters. Fabulous.

She had some of her junior coaches there leading activities and they were paid with ice time. Total out-of-pocket... $24 and some free ice for her junior skaters. Interest in the $1250 summer program? Very high. 5 kids were enrolled this afternoon and there will be several more who filled out the paperwork.

And for the adults that come and sit in the rink at 5am daily (me and the mrs, for instance) they installed free WiFi, a (5am to 6am discounted) coffee cart, magazines and TV. It isn't just a skating rink, it is a place you can relax in while helping your kid realize their potential. You actually get the idea that they, you know, WANT you to come back. This rink does a fantastic business. Any guesses why?

Need to Get an Idea? Fast?

Jump on over to Johns Ideas and Creativity for a real look at how ideas can be created, nurtured, refined and studied. I love these little tricks and use them in client meetings where folks try to 'brainstorm' a solution to a marketing challenge. I slightly alter the method to include the clients logo, images, story and such so that we can start to get them thinking about themselves abstractly. Sometimes that is when the breakthrough comes, when they start to see themselves as others do.

Try some of Johns ideas to help you break out of a creative slump, form an idea for a portfolio shot, create a new list of stock photos to shoot, define a message for a mailer or refine your 'mission.'

You do have a mission don't you? Good.

John's Ideas and Creativity: "Google images for creating ideas
I've been tinkering about with this approach to creating ideas lately (when the computer lasts long enough without crashing - I think it may be in its death throes, but that's another (long) story).

I start by accessing pages of random images on Google.

Then I pick out an object in the image. I do this by either straightforwardly picking an object or I select an area of colour/shading and treat that area of shading as though it's a three dimensional object."

No matter if you are left or right...

...these ideas from America's "Top Ad Agencies" are unbelievably lame. I'll say it again. Advertising is dead. Marketing, Storytelling and Excellence rule. I just wonder where all the really 'creative' folks in advertising have gone? I guess even the fact that the magazine turned to 'Ad Agencies' instead of great marketers like Godin, Peters and dozens of other highly regarded creatives is indicative of the problem. (Of course the magazine receives many millions in revenue from ads placed by agencies, so maybe there is a reason... just not the one that was given.) It is too bad that instead of concepts, ideas, framing and 'storytelling', the agencies rolled out - well - ads. Lame.

New York Daily News - Home - Pros say Dems' donkey no longer asset: "In a bid to breathe life back into the Democratic Party, Esquire magazine commissioned three leading advertising agencies to come up with a new look for the so-called party of the common man."

Talking Story... a Blog About Coaching

No, not football... life. This site asks you to get involved with making a difference... in yourself, your employees, families and friends. I'll be visiting often. Take a look.

Talking Story with Say Leadership Coaching: "As a management coach, I spend a lot of time in my early one-on-one coaching with someone trying to get to the root causes of wherever they may be stalled with their personal time management. We talk about their daily and weekly habits, for those discussions will arm me with significant background knowledge on two things: 1) how they spend the bulk of their time, and 2) where they may be stuck."

Beta or Not...

This is going to be one hot blog / aggregator.

MarketingFilter | Mmmmm for Marketing: "MarketingFilter is your glimpse into the world of smart and innovative marketing professionals. You won't find many names from big firms here, but you will find some of the freshest and most effective ideas being thrown around in marketing today.

Don't Forget, MarketingFilter is beta right now. Give us a little time."

Open Source Radio... Hmmmm

This is interesting. 'Podcasting', a spinoff from blogs, has the attention of "BIG MEDIA" (BM). Infinity will be offering a radio version of podcasters. KYOURADIO, will present work by independant podcasters from all over the globe. All you need is a recording device and the ability to turn the audio into a digital file. That, and the ability to speak well, clearly and with some sort of articulate message and you may find fame and fortune with your own talk radio show... er, talk podcaster show.

Now how do we start to incorporate podcasting into our mostly visual world? Should we? I think yes.

Some quick ideas for visual artists podcasts:

• Shoot 'post-mortems' with images, out-takes and an audio discussion on the challenges met, and ultimate success of the shoot.
• 'Show and Tell'. Take an image per week and discuss the concept, production, post production and final use of an image that was created.
• Interviews with friends, peers, clients, vendors... models... the list is as long as you want.
• Picture stories with audio captions. It's been done before, but it can be improved upon.
• How about a running commentary on a shoot in progress? Add a little video, some podcasting notes...
  

You get the idea. Maybe there will eventually be an 'open source' magazine format with the ability to publish images, audio, video, and even a little text. Pajamas Media is doing a huge "blog collective" thing for writers, mostly political and cultural. Maybe we ought to think about something like that sooner rather than later.

KYOURadio - Open Source Radio: "Do you have the feeling that things are moving faster than they were a year ago, or even a few months ago? That keeping up with the latest trends in culture and technology is almost a full time job?"

UPDATE: One of these would be handy. Hmmm... maybe one of these?

UPDATE: Definitely one of these. 5MP stills, 640 x 480 movies, and shoot hires stills WHILE shooting movie. Audio is supposedly excellent. Well, there ya go.

Wonder how long before the big cameras start to include video and audio? (Ooooh... a 24MP Canon MK III with movie mode, in camera video / audio editing, satellite uplink for instant uploading, builtin RSS feed and feeder, a browser, phone and 'Voice to Text" converter for dictating straight to my blog. Oh, and it will help me find my keys too.)

Fresh. Juicy Goodness

...from Rick Lee.

On Location With Rick Lee: "Mmmm... apricots."

Rogers, Slingerland, Gretsch, Ludwig

I love to play the drums. Been doing it most of my adult life. I have two sets; a new Yamaha set that is quite elaborate with 5 toms and 5 cymbals, and a vintage Rogers 6 piece "Londoner" set with 9 cymbals. The Rogers is strictly for jazz and the Yamaha is for Rock and Country.

Playing the drums involves coordination, physics, spatial references, an understanding of time, taste and planning (you must be planning that fill and setting it up a few measures ahead or you are in trouble when it is upon you.)

It is also one of those instruments that was difficult to show off to relatives when I was young. Mom never had me play the drum part to "Moon River" for my aunts and uncles. And a well crafted, musical drum solo is one of the most rare of all musical endeavors. Even after playing for nearly 40 years, the drum solo is still a daunting area that I work on every time I practice.

What does this have to do with marketing. Well, good marketing, storytelling that is, requires much of the same disciplines: coordination of message and reality, physics (media), an understanding of the transience of time and its unmerciful passing, taste and a good deal of planning. Plan that marketing well in advance and execute at the moment that the opening presents itself.

Hey, gotta get back to listening to these... the best drum solos of all time. And they are free downloads. Check out Buddy's "Channel One Suite", Joe's "Take Five" and Peart's Drum "Solo". Then plan your marketing strategy with a pair of Regal Tip 3A's tapping on the desk.

DRUMMERWORLD - famous drumsolos at drummerworld

"Comments - we want Comments"

I have been asked why I don't have comments turned on. It has more to do with the amount of time I have to devote to reading and responding. However, I have been thinking that I will turn them on for awhile. There are some rules.

First - you must register.
Second - keep it civil.
Third - no politics or religion.
Fourth - keep them brief, to the point and enlightening.

This is an experiment on many levels, so let's give it a go - shall we?

If you aren't following Chromasia...

you should. Photos that are thoughtful, well designed and beautifully presented. Grab a bottle of your favorite brew and spend some time there.

c h r o m a s i a / 11 May, 2005 / compartmentalisation #2

Not an ordinary post

Cherry Outfit
Originally uploaded by Wizwow.

I have been asked to post more images. Sure, here ya go.

Just a fun shot from a recent catalog shoot. We worked pretty hard to get a clean white background with no flare and a good skin tone. The models were so professional and used to this kind of work that I just plowed through the images as fast as they could change. It was a lot of fun to work with these talented ladies.

The client is "Body Zone" and we designed two new catalogs and a whole new set of logos for the different lines of swimsuit and dancewear.

Communication Arts: Columns

Very good, long article on some important aspects of running your own small business. Keeping these ideas in mind should help in decisions you will make about your work environment, even your marketing systems / implementation planning.

Communication Arts: Columns

Scale is the critical factor in determining staffing in a design studio. In terms of personnel, the difference between large and small studios is that smaller, more horizontal organizations need individuals who are capable of, and enjoy, taking on different roles and tasks, and have a fairly wide skill set. Large-scale studios can afford to support designers who are more specialized—both in their skill sets and their roles. Roz Goldfarb emphasizes that in both scenarios, “Success depends on productive team work and consistent coordination between people in creative, marketing, strategy, account services and studio management; and in the case of small studios, regardless of who wears which hat.”

What Every Good Marketer Knows: Seth Weighs In

I know I link to Seth a lot but damn, he's got a good post here on what every marketer should know. I think it is what every small business person should know. What every sole proprieter should know. I think this list should be taught from middle school on.

Photographers and Designers need to heed the messages here.

My favorites:

• Your best customers are worth far more than your average customers.
• Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That’s not marketing, though, that’s efficiency.
• Products that are remarkable get talked about.
• What people want is the extra, the emotional bonus they get when they buy something they love.
• Business to business marketing is just marketing to consumers who happen to have a corporation to pay for what they buy.
• Marketing is not an emergency. It’s a planned, thoughtful exercise that started a long time ago and doesn’t end until you’re done.
  

Read them all.

Seth's Blog: What Every Good Marketer Knows

Tech Ideas and More at 43Folders

Good site for tech info and keeping current. Interesting this article is nine years old... still relevant.

43 Folders: "A calm technology will move easily from the periphery of our attention, to the center, and back. This is fundamentally encalming, for two reasons.

First, by placing things in the periphery we are able to attune to many more things than we could if everything had to be at the center. Things in the periphery are attuned to by the large portion of our brains devoted to peripheral (sensory) processing. Thus the periphery is informing without overburdening."

Are You a Creative? Read this....

Yeah. All of it. Stings, doesn't it. Via Kevin.

Adrants � Dyson Vacuum Guy Says Agency Biz Stinks: "'And the fact is that they are not creative at all. They are doing the very worst thing you can do, which is to sit staring at a drawing board trying to come up with an idea out of nowhere."

Kevin Creighton: Organized Individualists

Kevin's site is full of bloggy goodness, with an emphasis on Mac OS, marketing ideas and more. Bookmark him and enjoy.

Organized Individualists: "The Lost World of Mac OS's

I'm pretty unimpressed with Tiger, so far. The speed bump from Panther (OS 10.3) wasn't near as dramatic as going from Jaguar to Panther, and the added functionality isn't lifting my skirts."

Digital Divide for Artists

We (Daniel and I) have been giving seminars in our office for over a year now. We find it is a fun and exciting to bring new knowledge and tools into photographers hands. When someone who attends really grasps what we are saying, and starts to run with it, well, that's pretty exciting. However, it is interesting to us how few follow through with our advice, or even seem to research more on their own. I guess it is the way of the world. So many talented people letting fear and inertia keep them from moving ahead.

Seth has a post today about the new "digital divide" between those who 'get' it and those who don't, or even worse, won't. That was precisely the theme of our last seminar and is the one we are most passionate about now. We call it 'Cover Your Ass(ets) - Digital Tools for Wired Artists.' We are still working on a more catchy name, but - I digress.

The point of the seminar is to show how many digital tools and products are at the photographers/artists disposal. And the really amazing thing is that most of them are free. Don't cost a nickel. Zip. What they do take is initiative, time, thought and a bit more time. And time is a premium for most of us. (Yes, I know... 3 kids in 3 different schools, an ice skater who is on the ice every morning at 5 and a budding volleyballer... Time? What the hell is that?)

So when we tell folks about these things, these tools and ideas, we many times get push-back. Some will argue with us that the tools take too much time, are too difficult to master, don't work on their OS... whatever. It seems silly and a little sad. The tools exist, arguing against their existance - especially when others in their industry are using them so effectively - seems more like an arguement with themselves over the justification of their fears.

So here's some typical comments:

• I have no time to get 25 images together.
• I have been really slow so I haven't created anything new.
• I have too many images/designs to go through
  
• Ok, so that's a blog. What on earth would I write about?
  
• How can I Blog? I don't have any time to do that.
• What again is a PhotoBlog?
• How would a Photoblog thing help me? I need more work.
  
• I don't have any 'news' about my business.

BS. All of it. I don't care how 'busy' you are, you have the time to do this. In most cases is it lack of inertia that keeps one static. There is time to do these things. Find it. You must or you will perish. We'll see your ads on EBAY. "Photo Equip for sale. Hardly used."

Here is how we see the new "Digi-divide" existing for Photographers and artists:

Photographer Who Doesn't Get It:
Has a Really Cool Awesome Totally Static Site Built in Flash with stupid title pages like:
a : r : t : i : s : t - and has no idea what it is doing for them - or to them.

Photographer Who Gets it:
Has a dynamic site, mostly html and CSS, and is constantly adding content, new work, news items, links and more.

Photographer Who Doesn't Get It:
Has the same images on their site as they did 6 months ago

Photographer Who Gets it:
Changes images constantly. Shoot something new, put it up. Tell everyone about it.

Photographer Who Doesn't Get It:
"What's a Blog? I really don't have time for those things."

Photographer Who Gets it:
Has a Blog. Or at least a dynamic news section of their site to keep clients and prospects aware of all the cool stuff they are doing.

Photographer Who Doesn't Get It:
"Photoblog? I heard about them. Aren't they just for amateurs and pictures of kids and stuff.

Photographer Who Gets it:
Has a photoblog, maybe two. Linked to PhotoBlogs.org as well as other listing pages.

Photographer Who Doesn't Get It:
"Flickr?"

Photographer Who Gets it:
Has a Flickr account, at least a free one. Uses it for a myriad of reasons.

Photographer Who Doesn't Get It:
Thinks that putting RF images at some online stock agency is "stupid."

Photographer Who Gets it:
Has at least 25 images at iStockPhoto.com where hundreds of thousands of photo buyers come to see and buy. And see the LINK to the photographer's own site. Get it.

Photographer Who Doesn't Get It:
"I can't compete against Corbis, man."

Photographer Who Gets it:
Actively selling their own stock and fine art prints.

Photographer Who Doesn't Get It:
Cannot find the time to participate in forums or discussion groups.

Photographer Who Gets it:
Active in forums in areas that the photographer can be seen as an image specialist, not just photo related forums.

There are more, of course, lots more, but these are the ones that I think can make or break the artist for now. Business is changing all the time, and it is imperative to change with, not against, it. Time is difficult to find, but it is there. Get committed to making a change and you will be surprised where you will find extra time.

Put down the remote. If you are more concerned about who gets 'voted off' on TV, you may be the next one to go in real life. And when that happens, you'll need this link.

From film to Pixels

Hat tip: Steve D.

Apple - Pro/Photo - DigitalFusion, p. 1: "Film is portable, durable, versatile. But its arcane chemistry is going out of style. Magazines, ad agencies and newspapers want their photographers to go digital — it’s cleaner, faster, cheaper. Digitizing a photographer, however, is no easy task. The pros have tinkered with film for ages and they know how to get a great shot. They know how a perfect print is coaxed from a piece of photo paper. Digital is different. There are no chemicals, darkrooms or negatives. Contact sheets are composed on computers, not cut and pasted on paper."

Bookmark This Blog... And read it often

Intellectual Property Blog. Hit this site and ended up spending quite some time there. I am very interesed in IP law and how it effects our business... design, photography and developer.

If you are interested in copyright and intellectual property rights, you will find this blog very usefull.

IP Law Observer: "IP Law Observer

A web log of intellectual property law issues including patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret and privacy law postings. Attorneys at the law firm of Folger Levin & Kahn LLP write this blog"

An Article on the Growing Blog Boom: from ABC News

It isn't a fad. It is a real 'paradigm-shifter' of communication and publishing methodology. We (bloggers and blog readers) are in the infancy stage now, and soon we will be toddling off into sponsored commercial blogs, blog-based revenue streams and personal/corporate blogging structures that are unimagineable at this writing. Blogs, the immediate distribution of relevant information streamed in nanoseconds to people seeking that information, will transform the current "top-down" model of publishing by removing the 'gatekeepers' and adding literally thousands of editors, fact-checkers and idea people to an ever-expanding network. It will definitely be a braver new world.

ABC News: Silicon Insider: The Great Hidden Tech Boom: "May 5, 2005 -- Having declared newspapers (and most of the rest of the mainstream media) dead, what do we do now?

This isn't an idle question to be bounced around the blogosphere, but a very real and immediate concern that could have a profound impact on how all of us get the news, the reliability of that news, and ultimately, the First Amendment and the freedom of the press."

Althouse shows us an ad that is a little "Over the Top"

Ya think? How many folks saw this ad and said to themselves, "Yes, I can't wait to go and whisper 'Goddess' to some carpet sales guy name Lou." Or, "You know carpeting is next to Goddessliness, so it is imperative for my spiritual self to get some new shag for the bedroom".

Wonder how many people read it and thought "GEEEEZZZ... this is a freekin' lame ad."

Wonder how many didn't even bother to read it cause it was, well, stupid. Pure marketing 'bs'. Dudes (or dudettes)... it's carpet. Carpet. Hello... oh never mind.

Althouse: "Whisper the word goddess and receive a spontaneous 10% discount."

Piscopo on Marketing Your Style

Avoid being a commodity. Style is a unique part of your photography and a huge market segmenter. If you have a unique style, or are developing one, work at defining it to a simple 'statement'. Don't make your viewers try to figure it out. I have seen some very unique portfolios lately, and the 'style' was taken through the images, presentation and online presence. Keep it simple, keep it consistant, keep it going.

shutterbug: Marketing Your Style: "The traditional portrait business has changed with new technology and new client needs and requests. Fads come and go, but the one thing all portrait photographers have to face is how to make a good profit - even a better profit - in today's new marketplace. The answer may rest in one of the most common business growth techniques - product diversification. Ultimately, anyone can take a portrait, even a very nice portrait, but what is there after selling your customer all of the wall prints and albums they need?"

Absolut Murketing: Here's a Viral Campaign

"Like it Matters" has a good post on a bold advertising move by Absolut. Sometimes a bold stroke can really make a statement.

Like It Matters: Absolut Murketing: "Absolut, a brand with one of the most iconic & successful advertising campaigns evah, is launching a new product with *zero* advertising. No advertising in a category that typically buys $3 million in media for a rollout (Australian market)."

Cool Site ::: tom.photo

Ok. I don't understand much of the text, but there are some cool things going on here. First of all there is the home page that is more like a "Blog" than a home page. Typical top navigation makes it intuitive, and it sits right below a very nice header graphic. They are small snippets from his images and all coded in color for the different areas of the site.

The pages are very simple to view, but I do wish the site were not 'framed' but set in CSS (standards) as it would lose the mid-scroll and allow for the SE's to find the site and for me to bookmark an inner page. Not a big deal, but worth considering when you are designing a site.

The portfolio area has groups of images from his shoots. Instead of seeing only one image of a model, he posts many from the shoot. This makes it easy to see how he 'works' a shoot and gets a lot of images in a given time frame. I also like the 'blog' feel to the portfolio.

Simplicity and elegance. BTW: Adult themes - this may not be work safe.

::: tom.photo

This is very cool.

Old drawings and elevations are so much fun to look through. Take a look at this extensive catalog of drawings, photographs and brochures for NY apartment buildings Pre WW1.

I love the interior shots with their moodiness and available lighting. Some of the images were obviously "painted with light" and they are fascinating. This is a well done, easily navigated site that will keep you involved for quite a while.

NYPL Digital Gallery: "More than 1,300 digital images depict elevation views and floor plans for middle and upper class apartment buildings from New York City's pre-World War I residential building boom."

Not as Bad as a Finger in the Chili...

Looks like folks are taking back their drive thrus, one BK at a time. Well, you wonder how the restaurant will work this, or if they even will discuss it. The idiocy of the lady calling 911 also reveals how bad the service really is at so many of these facilities. That folks like this get so frustrated shows how it affects us all... in so many ways. Buffoonery begets buffoonery.

blogging.la: "A resident of San Clemente recently went through the drive-in window at a Burger King in Laguna Niguel and actually dialed 911(!) because she was having major troubles getting her Western Bacon BBQ burger order filled correctly!"

Pipes

Pipes
Originally uploaded by Wizwow.

Spent the afternoon with my little one in Goldfield, Arizona. A "Ghost Town" for tourists, it has some cool textures and we had some good light. It also has a train (we rode twice) and the best darn Chili Dogs in the East Valley. More at my Flickr site.