60+ Beautiful Logo Design Tutorials And Resources | Tutorials | Smashing Magazine

Wow... this'll keep you busy for a while.

60+ Beautiful Logo Design Tutorials And Resources | Tutorials | Smashing Magazine:
"An amateurish logo design can more likely make your business fail for a number of reasons. A logo is of great importance in creating brand identity, and you should be very careful in selecting one for your business."

whats the jackanory ? - another fine hetherington™ product quality guaranteed

Hey... you gotta see this incredible post and interview with Dan Baker who shot the incredible images for Fortune magazine. It is incredible.

whats the jackanory ? - another fine hetherington™ product quality guaranteed:
"chairman of the boards: ben baker

I was leafing through the new edition of Fortune magazine the other day, the annual Fortune 500 issue to be specific. Amongst all the facts, figures, graphs and charts I was excited to see a massive photo spread with the directors of some of America’s largest companies from my old mucker Ben Baker.

Holy shit this is a major feature (not that Ben isn’t a regular major feature playa). Not just in terms of subject but concept and logistics. Running the math quick this looks like a six figure + production for 12 yes 12 pages. Man the excess baggage bill alone looks like it is the equivalent of the GDP of a well to do First World Nation. !!!!! Great to see that people are still spending the big dollar on producing original content."

Some photographers are so much more attractive than others...

... and she can shoot pretty well too.

Portraits of Self 2009 - a set on Flickr

Laura on an Ancient Mayan Pedastal in Mexico. Really. Alright, it is a picnic area at a resort, but that Mayan thing sounded sooo cool.

Laura on an Ancient Mayan Pedastal in Mexico. Really. Alright, it is a picnic area at a resort, but that Mayan thing sounded sooo cool., originally uploaded by Wizwow.

Another shot of Laura in Mexico. I don't get to shoot much at the workshops, but it was kinda fun to set this one up and snap a few. Thanks to Loren and the gang at Las Palmas Resort in Rocky Point and of course to the guys who came down for the workshop... and to Jimmy V who worked with the workshop guys to keep the "Girls of Rocky Point Calendar shoot something they could work on as well.

I love my friends... I really do.

Martin Schoeller Interview by Charlie Fish

This is such a good read for any artist. Read it.

Martin Schoeller by Charlie Fish:
"I spent an afternoon with photographer Martin Schoeller--known for his 'Close Up' series and his portraits of female bodybuilders. The resulting piece delves into Martin's detail-minded approach to photography as well as his genuine approach to interacting with subjects. PDF and Word doc attached below for your reading pleasure! :)"

Ellen Boughn and the Future of Stock Photography

Well... I guess photographers should, you know, reconsider that big ol' expensive Flash web site.

Or not. Time to thin the pool anyway.

Niche Reports » Blog Archive » Ellen Boughn and the Future of Stock Photography:
"Ellen: I don’t know the answer. What I do know is that Google has taught us all how to search. We no longer look for anything with just one or two words. The vast amount of information on the web compels us to become more and more specific in our use of search terms and to use more words in a search. This knowledge spills over into how we search for images. I believe that photographers with collections on specific subjects and who have implemented best practices as far as SEO goes may find that they can make more money selling stock direct than with a stock company in the near future.

Today I am excited about the prospect that we may be at a convergence of technology and user behavior that will shortly enable photographers to license their existing images."

Art - Danny Lyon, Stubbornly Practicing His Principles of Photography - NYTimes.com

This is a cool little article on Danny Lyon, Photographer.

Art - Danny Lyon, Stubbornly Practicing His Principles of Photography - NYTimes.com:
“People who purvey ideas in pictures are nothing anymore than propagandists of one kind or another,” Edwards told him in the 1972 conversation. “A great picture is something that awakens a very different reaction from each person who looks at it.”

Be Personal - Stand Out from the Crowd as a Photographer

Good advice all around. Create some sort of buzz to be known and found. And appreciated. Read the whole thing.

Be Personal - Stand Out from the Crowd as a Photographer:
"How’s a photographer to make it to the pro level if supply and demand is standing in the way?

The answer is fairly simple really.

Be personal."

Laura in Mexico: A study in beauty and grace. The photograph is a study in trying to capture that beauty and grace.

Laura in Mexico: A study in beauty and grace. The photograph is a study in trying to capture that beauty and grace., originally uploaded by Wizwow.

We escaped the dreaded Swine Flu friggin' alert. Good lord...

This shot was of Laura in the backyard of the Casita in Las Palmas resort in Rocky Point, Mexico.

The Habits of Highly Effective Web 2.0 Sites [Dion Hinchcliffe's Web 2.0 Blog]

This is a very concise little post that explains a lot of truth to the so-called Web 2.0 experience.

The Habits of Highly Effective Web 2.0 Sites [Dion Hinchcliffe's Web 2.0 Blog]:
"The variety and depth of the Web is such that not every Web 2.0 site will have tens of millions of users, nor should it. An effective Web 2.0 site is largely powered by its users, whose feedback and contributions, direct and indirect, make the site a living ecosystem that evolves from day to day, a mosaic as rich and varied as a sites users would like it to be. In other words, creating a high quality architectures of participation is becoming a strategic competitive advantage in many areas."

Photo Attorney: Photographers Protest Rights-Grabbing Contracts

OK... protest the contracts.
But don't work for the company.

Bitch about the contracts.
But don't work for the company.

Sign letters of grievance.
But don't work for the company.

Blog about the bastards.
But don't sign them or work for the company.

Get all flustered and red in the face and slobbery-spittle-flying-pissed. Use foul and disgusting language that would drive a sailor to cover their ears. Shout and stamp your feet. Hold your breath and loudly sing "It's a Small World, Afterall" in the streets. Get arrested throwing pies in faces...

But. Don't sign them. And don't work for the company.

Photo Attorney: Photographers Protest Rights-Grabbing Contracts:
"The British Journal of Photography reports that one of Germany's largest publishing houses is requiring that photographers sign a contract that gives their copyrights to the company. You may sign the petition protesting the contracts."

Problem isn't with them asking for the contract - ask for whatever you can get, that's your right. The problem is that someone will sign them because they are in hard times or shooting is simply sooooo much fun or whatever.

The "enemy" is not them... it is those in our ranks that capitulate to this tyranny. Asswipes one and all.

35 Incredibly Useful Facebook Apps - Cool!

Well, this should come in pretty handy, eh?

35 Incredibly Useful Facebook Applications for Better Connectivity | Designfeed.me (Beta):
"Here are more than 35 of the best facebook applications that could be useful and make your profile efficient and appealing as possible. Please Don’t forget to share with us your favorite facebook application and tell us your thoughts about the ones listed below."

How to Take Excellent Portrait Photos | Webdesigner Depot

Posted without comment. Other than good read.

How to Take Excellent Portrait Photos | Webdesigner Depot:
"Simply put, a portrait is a representation of a person.They usually focus on a person’s face, mood and expression.

Traditionally portraits were sculptures or paintings however, in modern times, a photograph is the most recognized way of taking a portrait.

In most cases, the subject looks straight at the camera in order to engage the viewer."

Writer writes and the Newspaper deletes it because, well, uh, because... hmm. Damn it, they just didn't like it and that means no one else reads it!

This. This is why the papers are failing. They have no ideals anymore. Just business people with a 'community activist' cult of thinking. They have no problem splaying out other peoples problems. They don't care if they destroy lives or businesses. Even if they are wrong, they rarely deal with that fact - putting the corrections down on page 23 in 3pt type.

Newspapers suck. This guy wrote a very nice, well written post about being laid off. And the 'bossmans' done took it down. Glad to read it here.

Hey Lou... you figured out yet that the news ain't what it is about anymore? Hope so. Good luck with your journey... wishing you well. Your paper, however, can disappear. No loss.

Read the whole post.

Confessions of a Pop Culture Pilgrim » Blog Archive » The final ‘Recession Diaries’ blog the Chicago Tribune does not want you to read » A True/Slant Contributor:
"I am part of an industry-wide trend that will likely result in the death of print journalism within five years time. That is not what the higher-ups would like me to tell you, nor is it a result of anything wrong that they have done. On the contrary, I admire Sam Zell and all he has done to keep this company going. I have not always agreed with the new ownership’s decisions or rationale, but my opinions come from an uniformed perspective. I write for deadline; I do not know the intricacies of finance and balancing the books. (Perhaps my early dispatches on the recession front have proved this.)"

Circle K seems to be doing well though...

Couldn't happen fast enough for me, but then I am that kind of guy. I hate what pop and 'mall' culture have done to excellence and class. Byebye galleria ho's...

Gawker - Teen Mall Culture Shopping Death Recession Abercrombie Etc. - Malls:
"The noble American mall has been killed by the recession. Already dead! So is there a trend piece to be written, still? Yes. Can we sum it up in one sentence? Yes we can:"

Joe Biden: Copyright Genius and All Around Great Guy

And he knows all about copyright and intellectual property... just ask him. The crap that will be coming down the pike from this love-fest of Government Boorokrats and Hollywood Heavies will be something to marvel at. Damn... the attorneys are gonna get rich... err, richer now.

Joe Biden promises a blank check to the entertainment cartel - Boing Boing:
"VP Joe Biden stood up in front of a bunch of Hollywood execs and promised to appoint a copyright czar, and furthermore, that this would be the 'right' person to protect their interests. I would have voted Dem in the last election, if I got a vote, but make no mistakes: the Dems are the party of stupid copyright laws. From Hollywood Howard Berman on down, they've got a terrible track record on technology and copyright policy."

Photo Manipulation Tutorials in Photoshop Part I

The folks at Naldz Graphics have put together a list of Photoshop Tutorials that feature a lot of manipulation. They may have some that are not interesting to you, but there are some really good techniques to be learned at these tutorials. Could kiss the next few weeks free time byebye. Have fun and thanks, Naldz guys.

30+ Most Wanted Photo Manipulation Tutorials in Photoshop Part I | Naldz Graphics:
"Inspired by the 30+ Weirdest Animal Photo Manipulations, I made a list of Photoshop Tutorials for you to learn how to make your own photo manipulation. Here is a 30+ Most Wanted Photo Manipulation Tutorials in Photoshop to help you enhance more techniques on manipulating images. There will be a Part II on this showcase so make sure to watch out for it."

What she ran from was unimportant. It was the act of escaping, even if only for a moment, and only as far as a smile, that drove her speed.

What she ran from was unimportant. It was the act of escaping, even if only for a moment, and only as far as a smile, that drove her speed., originally uploaded by Wizwow.

One year ago I uploaded this image of Briana running in the woods in Delaware. It was overcast and raining. but we were loving the shoot.

The Year in Pictures: Where Content is King

A very nice little post on buying an image and what a very particular eye looks for. Read the whole thing.

The Year in Pictures: Where Content is King:
"I have no special affection for Paris, no empty space looking for a picture this big, but when something really clicks at first sight and holds up on a second viewing, and you can scrape together the money, I say buy it! (In today’s world it has to be a much safer bet than any stock.)"

10 Most Creative Holders

What can I say... I love creativity. These are really fun. Actually ordered one, but I bet you can't guess which.

10 Most Creative Holders - Oddee.com

I Love Information Graphics.

So a post like this really gets me goin'... ya know.

50 great examples of infographics - FrancescoMugnai.com

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Quiet Sun' baffling astronomers

I love the part where they say that the sun going cooler may offset the global climate change... as if the cooling of the sun - and the planet - would not be 'climate change'? Scientists used to impress me with their ability for discerning bullshit and developing theories based on facts, research and study.

Now they pull it out of their collective butts and pass it off as science. Activist science, well, isn't. The last time the sun cooled it brought a mini ice age. But this time it 'may' not do anything to offset the vile and scourge of people who are heating it up .10 per decade. Do they even listen to themselves or do they blather on with impudent arrogance.

I like the part about 'baffling' scientists. Like they are all-knowing about the solar system and a system that has been in place for eons while they have studied it for, like, a hundred years. There ya go.

Yeah. Right.

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | 'Quiet Sun' baffling astronomers:
"The Sun is the dimmest it has been for nearly a century.

There are no sunspots, very few solar flares - and our nearest star is the quietest it has been for a very long time.

The observations are baffling astronomers, who are due to study new pictures of the Sun, taken from space, at the UK National Astronomy Meeting.

The Sun normally undergoes an 11-year cycle of activity. At its peak, it has a tumultuous boiling atmosphere that spits out flares and planet-sized chunks of super-hot gas. This is followed by a calmer period.

Last year, it was expected that it would have been hotting up after a quiet spell. But instead it hit a 50-year year low in solar wind pressure, a 55-year low in radio emissions, and a 100-year low in sunspot activity.

According to Prof Louise Hara of University College London, it is unclear why this is happening or when the Sun is likely to become more active again.

'There's no sign of us coming out of it yet,' she told BBC News."

101 Essential Freelancing Resources

Wow. Double Wow! This is a great list for the Freelancer. As we move to a more self sustaining life, we are all becoming freelancers. And not only in what we do, but how we live.

"We're All Freelancers Now."

101 Essential Freelancing Resources - FreelanceSwitch - The Freelance Blog:
"The web is such a big and wonderful place, packed with tools and resources which you all too often don’t know about. So to help all you freelancers out there we have compiled a gigantic list of resources, categorized up for your benefit. If you know a resource that we’ve missed, let us know as we’re always looking to grow this list!"

Amazing Photo Manipulations and Vectors by Liquid Pixels | Designfeed.me (Beta)

Photography? Art? Illustration? Digital Manipulations? Yes... all of that. Check out this cool portfolio of work. Possibly NSFW...

Amazing Photo Manipulations and Vectors by Liquid Pixels | Designfeed.me (Beta):
"She produces photo manipulation and vectors using some creative tools such as photography, drawing, women sensibility and also some spirituality. At Japi Honoo's website you will find further information about her work/bio.

'I become the work I create. It is this moment, this sensation of being one with my image, this is the passion roller coaster that I search for as a Art comes to life.' Liquid Pixel."

30 Beautiful Website Footer Designs

These are great footers! Wonderful collection... check them out.

Interface Design Inspiration | 30 Beautiful Website Footer Designs | Dzine Blog:
"This post is a part for dzineblog’s interface design inspiration series, the series which focuses on inspiration on graphic user interface designs that will help you in enhancing your interface design skills"

26 Free PSD Design Templates

If you need something like a DVD case or a DVD cover, these pre-made templates can be a real time saver. Nice list, Craig.

26 Free PSD Design Templates - Craig Baldwin's Blog:
"There are a lot of great design templates and psd files out there on the internet that people are generously giving out for free so I thought I’d try and find the best ones and round them all up, here we go then."

8 Tips for Choosing an SEO Professional

Good advice and never a better time than right now. Read all 8 for a good review.

8 Tips for Choosing an SEO Professional | Practical eCommerce:
"The checklist below will help you choose the right specialist for your search engine marketing campaigns.

1. Stay away from agencies/companies that guarantee top rankings.

If you’ve been in the business long enough, you know that there are few guarantees with search engine marketing. No company can guarantee top natural rankings on Google, Yahoo!, MSN or any other search engine.

Agencies/consultants can, in fact, guarantee that you’ll be able to generate traffic via paid alternatives such as pay-per-click or paid inclusion but never via search engine optimization."

40 Inspirational Black & White Websites | Inspired Magazine

Nicely done sites with minimum color and that good old black and white goodness. Like Tri-X in pixels...

Colorblind Awesomeness - 40 Inspirational Black & White Websites | Inspired Magazine:
"Far from the huge colored web galaxy, there is a small but extremely catchy black & white css planet. Please make yourself comfortable & enjoy our selection!"

Design Trends Showcase: One-page Websites with a Smooth Scroll | Creative Opera: Design Advice and Creative Inspiration

I tend to like one page web sites... for a variety of reasons. I think photographers and designers... a few other creative services, could benefit from a quick, easy single page.

Design Trends Showcase: One-page Websites with a Smooth Scroll | Creative Opera: Design Advice and Creative Inspiration:
"For some clever designers, linking from page to page just doesn’t make sense. Why jump all over the place when you can just scroll to where you’re going? Check out these creative sites, all which feature today’s design trend focus: one-page websites with a smooth scroll. Be sure to click on the links so you can experience the scrolling action!"

Portable Lighting | LIGHTING ESSENTIALS : For Photographers

My new post on lighting with small strobes.

LIGHTING ESSENTIALS : For Photographers:
"An ambient light reading was made and shots were done at that setting to find out what the ambient looked like without any additional work. It was dull and lifeless, so we tried a few underexposed shots to get a feeling of that look ad settled on a 1.5 stop underexposure for the shot to have interesting color and sky.

I ’sketch’ with the camera. Take a few shots at different exposures to see where the light falls at different exposures. Check out the DOF and the resulting color/contrast of the overall image."

I just thought this was kinda cool...

... so - I posted it here. It's what I do... heh.

This is a cool Tumble Log... on Pricing

Something for everyone here. Check it out.

When the Deans of Journalizm Skools Can't Tell the Truth...

... well, I guess we are all in a lot of trouble when we turn to the media for, you know, the truth. Blatant and transparent liar: Ernest J Wilson III. Moron.

Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » The Truth About My Arrest at USC:

Well... There Goes Any Hope of Free Time...

To say this is inspirational is really mild. What a fantastic list of photography OnLine Publications.

40 Amazing Online Photography Magazines | Inspiration | Smashing Magazine:
"Whatever country we live in, we’re probably all familiar with the well-known photography magazines available in our newsagents and bookstores. The UK has Practical Photography, France has Photo, the Italians have Zoom and the Americans have American Photo. What you may not know is that there are many more photography magazines that are only available online. And some of them are good, very good."

Twitter Savings at Apricot Lane

If you like fashion... and I mean some pretty cool stuff, and want to save some money... check out Apricot Lane's (City North) Twitter! They do twitter specials and you can save money while looking Fun,Fearless and Fashionable.

(FD: Yes they are my client. But the savings are real... so you are now in the know.)

FREE Light Grunge Textures @ Designfeed.me (Beta)

Thanks for the cool textures, Designfeed.me dudes. Appreciated.

Free Texture Tuesday: Light Grunge | Designfeed.me (Beta):
"Sometimes you need to put your grunge habits on a diet, these textures will work perfect when you just want to add a “hint” of texture to your designs."

FreelancerPro Interview: Being Content Rich | Designfeed.me (Beta)

Good interview with someone who knows how to get content on his site. Read the whole thing, you will be glad you did.

FreelancerPro Interview: Being Content Rich | Designfeed.me (Beta):
"Interviewing other creatives is always interesting; I like to see where they draw inspiration from, how they built their business and what keeps them ticking.

So when I came across copywriter Jon Wuebben—who has also written a book on his craft, along with creating a few other ventures—I knew he would captivate the freelancers that read our blog. Read on to learn more about how Jon has created several businesses and published a book, all while keeping his eye on his clients."

Good Designers Ask "Why?"

Why is always a good question.

retinart - Good Designers Ask "Why?":
"The good designer will always ask Why?

The good designer might end up with the same result as the bad designer, at the behest of the client, but they questioned it.

If the bad decisions were able to be justified by the client, if their reasoning and logic could stand up to your simple question, then maybe it isn't completely a bad idea? After all, it's their message you're voicing.

Because chances are they'll probably give you an answer you can live with – an answer in which their real needs are hidden. Let's play this out——"

Play it out... it is a great read.

True That, Kirk!

Kirk Tuck has some thoughts that may be of value to you. A lot.

The Visual Science Lab:
"I could give you more advice about shooting with little strobes but it would all be bullshit until you figure out why you shoot, and what you want to have coming out of your camera."

There's more. Lots more.

50 Great Photographers You Should Know (with portfolios) | Inspiration

Posted so you can visit...

50 Great Photographers You Should Know (with portfolios) | Inspiration:
"Lots of wonderful things happen around us all the time; being able to see is easy, but being able to capture that very moment is probably the hardest part. A good photo comprise of many things, not only you must hit the shutter at the right time and moment, the perspective, composition and color coordination plays a big role too.

Being a good photographer is not easy, let alone getting to that professional level. This weekend, we want you introduce you some of the greatest photographers around the globe and their awesome portfolios. We hope you’ll be able to get some sort of inspiration from their work. In no particular order, here’s 50 Great Photographers You Should Know. Full list after jump."

Jordan in a tight Headshot. Simple and soft light.

Jordan in a tight Headshot. Simple and soft light., originally uploaded by Wizwow.

One Year Ago.

I uploaded this photo of Jordan.

Why A Blog Is Important For Your Freelance Business | Designfeed.me (Beta)

Good Points. Read it all.

Why A Blog Is Important For Your Freelance Business | Designfeed.me (Beta):
"New freelancers often ask how soon they should start blogging. While some experts believe that a freelancer should wait until their business is fairly well established before they set up a business blog, in my opinion, you should set up a blog for your business as soon as you can.

Blogging is a relatively low cost activity that will add value to your business for a long time to come, and in many cases blogging alone can push your business from obscurity to prosperity.

Read on for an overview of what you should be doing with your freelance blog, five ways that a blog can help your business, and a few brief recommendations on how to get started."

A Photo Editor - Why Would You Quit Working With A Freelancer

Read it.

A Photo Editor - Why Would You Quit Working With A Freelancer:
"Doug Menuez writes on his blog today (here) about the cold hard truth of shooting for the top news magazines in the 80’s:
At a conference in the 80’s I once heard a young photogapher ask Roxanne Edwards at Business Week what would happen if, you know, somehow the film just did not turn out? Response: “Then you would never work for us again.” Sharp, honest, true answer. But seriously, doh! The other editors on the panel from Time, Newsweek, US News all shook their heads solemnly in agreement. The pressure to get world-class images on deadline against tremendous competition was unrelenting, yet it was also what fueled us."

How to Share Files Easily Between Your iPhone and Your Computer

Works on an iTouch as well, I understand.

End User: How to Share Files Easily Between Your iPhone and Your Computer:
"Want to use your iPhone as a backup portable drive to move files wirelessly back and forth between computers? We've got two options for you--one free app, and one pay one."

ArtSpace: Photography - The Verge

Here ya go... I hope to see a lot of you here...

ArtSpace: Photography - The Verge:
"We want to see what you can do, too! Submit photos, artwork, poetry and short stories to denverge@gmail.com and see your work in ArtSpace!"

Why You’re NOT Making Photo Sales

Hmmmm.... Posted without comment.

Why You’re NOT Making Photo Sales:
"For too many photographers, marketing means keywording, tagging and hoping.

But there are a number of small, simple things that any photographer can do and which can have a dramatic effect on the chances of making a sale.

Networking on Flickr, for example – joining groups and talking to other photographers – can be both fun and educational, and raise your profile high enough to be spotted by a buyer. It was her popularity, after all, that attracted a Toyota executive to Rebekka Gudsleifdottir.

An act as simple as sending an email to a photo editor can be enough to persuade them to look at your images and — if they’re good enough — license some.

And even search engine optimization doesn’t have to be too big a drag, especially if you’re prepared to pay someone to do it for you.

Marketing might not be the reason you picked up a camera, but it is something you have to do if you want to make sales."

And so it starts...

... again.

Call it whatever you want. I know exactly what it is. Seen it before.

Link:

But the irony of a Journalism School arresting a journalist doing, well, journalism is so amazing. And look at all them 'free-speech' advocates just standing around with their hands in their pocket while a fellow journalist is manhandled by thugs with guns.

Crime? Asking unauthorized questions.

You vill kum vith me! You vill be silent!

Hey... ACLU... you on the job?

Nawwww... course not. Free speech is only for people who speak the correct way.

How to Stream Internet TV to your HDTV - Stream Cable TV from the Web - Popular Mechanics

Well this is cool. Thanks Instapundit dude. I can watch my "JAG", and "Rockford Files" all day.

How to Stream Internet TV to your HDTV - Stream Cable TV from the Web - Popular Mechanics:
"Okay, that takes care of local channels, but cable offers hundreds. What about ESPN? CNN? HBO? What about video on demand? Can you replace those once the coaxial cable is cut? The honest answer is that, if you love surfing through an endless series of channels, then nothing will truly replace cable. But according to a 2007 Nielsen study, the average American household received 104 channels—and watched only 15 of them regularly. So if statistics are any measure, a broad selection of content is important to viewers, but sheer quantity is not.

A surprising amount of TV and movie content is now available over the Internet for free or for a nominal price. The richest and most impressive source of Internet video, aside from outright torrent theft, is Netflix’s “Watch Instantly.” This streaming video service is a freebie extra for anyone who subscribes to the company’s DVD-by-mail service (any plan over $8.99 per month offers unlimited streaming of content). Watch Instantly lets users browse through a library of 12,000 movies and television shows, much as they would surf channels on a cable box. It nicely combines the joy of serendipitous movie discovery that comes from watching HBO or Showtime with the impulse entertainment of video on demand."

Check Out Dietmar Busse

Really interesting work.

Thoughts of a Bohemian » Blog Archive » The trouble makers

Posted without a damn comment. You got a problem with that?

Thoughts of a Bohemian » The trouble makers:
"Great photographers are fundamentally unhappy people. Not in the suburban housewife way of unhappy and waiting for something tremendously beautiful to happen and be swept away, a la “Madame Bovary”. Not at all. They are unhappy with the world around them and how it functions. What bothers them is the way reality is commonly perceived : Normal, blend, boring and uninteresting.

What is compelling to a photographer is not the way reality is presented to them, but what is behind. Or on the sides. great photographers are those who are not accepting things the way they are. They are trouble makers. Put them in a photo call situation with pre-assigned position and they will go out of there way not to stay there. Not because they like to create trouble but because they want more. Something different. Something more revealing. Try to put the same photographer in a pool situation like it was done during the first Gulf war, and they will wave their middle finger at you, even if means they are putting their life in danger. If they can’t change position, they will change cameras, lenses, they will crouch, or jump, because somewhere else then where they are, is the right image, the perfect frame."

Read it all or I will really become testy... you know.

It Takes Balls To Get An Interview At Crispin

Standing Out,
Personal Branding.
"Brand You."

A powerful, personal arsenal of marketing tools and methods are at our hands. Many of them are free or nearly free. It isn't about the tools, however, it is about the creativity needed to take the tools and make them work for you. To try to do something... well, else. Sure there are the annuals and the portfolio sites and the postcards and the yaddayadda....

But stand out. Be seen. Be heard. It is noisy out there. Make more noise than the guy next to you or you will become part of the white noise. And that is not a place to be when you have something to say.

Or... maybe you don't have something to say. Maybe you are actually white noise behind the orchestra soloists.

Does that make you feel uncomfortable? It should.

Please Feed The Animals › It Takes Balls To Get An Interview At Crispin:
"The next morning I got a response. While he declined the rap battle, he did ask what he could do for me. I sent him my work. Got a phone interview. And last week they flew me out. I did not get the gig (news I found out while writing this story). But I took something away that may be even more valuable than a job offer – I learned the importance of standing out.

To quote P.T. Barnum, “Without promotion something terrible happens—nothing.” As an unemployed creative, you need to promote yourself in ways you’ve never imagined. Because if you blindly send out your book and wait for the phone to ring, nothing is exactly what will happen."

Redesign Your Portfolio Site: 4 Tips To Make It Better And Get More Business | Freelance Folder

This is a nice, short post with lots of real information in it. Works for designers and photographers.

Redesign Your Portfolio Site: 4 Tips To Make It Better And Get More Business | Freelance Folder:
"If you’re thinking about redesigning your portfolio site, it’s probably for some pretty good reasons.

Maybe you’re not getting enough business out of it, maybe you want to add more features but you can’t because of a restricting layout, or maybe you’re just tired of the current design.

No matter the reasons, there are some basic steps and guidelines you should follow when redesigning a portfolio site. These four tips will help you make the most out of it:"

Read the whole thing.

40+ Articles to Help Freelance Designers Find More Work

OK. Grab a beer, turn off the Oprah re-run and get to reading. Thanks Blogger peeps.

40+ Articles to Help Freelance Designers Find More Work:
"For freelance designers and developers, finding work on a consistent basis is one of the biggest challenges. Especially in the current economy, this is one aspect of freelancing that prevents some from achieving everything they want as a freelancer. Fortunately, there are plenty of great articles available online that can help you to improve in certain areas that will help you to have a steady workload.

In this post we’ll feature more than 40 articles on various topics that can help freelancers to find more work and achieve a more stable and significant income."

Photographers Nominated For A Webby

Thanks for the link, APE.

A Photo Editor - Photographers Nominated For A Webby:
The Webby honorees and nominees are out . Here are the photographers who received an honoree:"

40 Captivating Photos That Depict Human Emotion | Inspiration | Smashing Magazine

Photo by Paulina

We were talking recently about the connection that an image can have with the viewer. It was in reference to the 'illustrative' images created by multiple photographs and Photoshop. I love this kind of work. Pure emotion and few extras to get in the way.

40 Captivating Photos That Depict Human Emotion | Inspiration | Smashing Magazine:
"Though we differ in the way we look and things we believe in, there’s something we all share: emotion. Human emotion is innate in all of us; it’s something we’re born with and something we die with. Happiness, sadness, love, hatred, worries, and indifference - these are things that constantly occur in our daily lives."

25 Photoshop Tutorials for Working with Textures

Pretty cool. Lots of good stuff. Thanks Vandelay guys!

25 Photoshop Tutorials for Working with Textures | Vandelay Design Blog:
Being able to work with texture in Photoshop gives you endless possibilities for your design. There are a variety of different approaches when it comes to adding texture, some are simple and others are more advanced. The 25 tutorials featured in this post will help you to learn a number of different techniques that can be used in your own design."

A music video

Posted without comment... other than I like this guy.


More Here.

How To Create A Powerful And Engaging Facebook Page

Seems pretty self-evident what the page is about. Now go check it out.

How To Create A Powerful And Engaging Facebook Page:
"Facebook is undoubtedly one of the most popular social media services used by individuals, businesses and non-profits to connect with people. Groups and Pages are excellent options to leverage the large network and reach of this popular platform. Lately, Facebook Pages have become quite popular among businesses to show their presence in a much better way building engaging and long lasting relationships with users and fans. Let’s see how to make an interactive Facebook page that gives a reason to your fans to stay, interact and promote your cause."

New CSI Site is Launched

My friend and client, Karen May, and I launched the new site for Conference Services International. We took a very open and clean approach to the site. Open space and clean lines allow Karen and her staff to add as many pictures of their work as they like.

If you are seeking a company to help you with a conference, seminar, or trade show, give them a look. Great company to work with.

A Photo Editor - Chris Buck Interview (Part 2)

This is a wonderful interview... you should go back and read part 1 as well.

A Photo Editor - Chris Buck Interview (Part 2):
"I don’t market as much as I should and to be honest I got to the point where the work I was creating on shoots assignments wasn’t holding together well enough enough as a group for a little booklet to send out. So, I started shooting from scratch for my promo pieces and I’ve been shooting three projects over the last two and a half years, two of which are ready now and I’ve got one that I’m going to shoot for another year or two. The two that are pretty much shot are ISN’T, a series of portraits of celebrity look-a-likes, and Chris Buck’s Chris Bucks, which are all portraits of other people with my name."

Learn to play the guitar « PUBLIC SCHOOL

Well, at least they are honest. Heh.

Learn to play the guitar « PUBLIC SCHOOL:
"We recently realized how many former/current guitar players we have in the studio. Most of us went through a pretty intense high school guitar period, and some still play. I think someone mentioned playing bass too. I’ll leave the guessing as to who played what, up to you. I really wanted to be Slash when I got older but the whole GNR cover band thing didn’t really pan out. Thanks for nothing Axel Rose and your ruining of the good GNR name."

Heh x 2.

Watch Learning Guitar to Get Laid on CollegeHumor

SHUTTERBUGGED - New York Post

There was a time when I totally respected law enforcement. Lately, there have been way too many incidents of thuggery and brutality. I am rethinking my positions and not terribly excited about too much power in the hands of people who are not smart enough to do their own jobs. When we have people who are 'in charge' and continue to ignore what they are supposed to be in 'charge' of, it scares the crap out of me. Not a personal fear, but a fear that this country has been too willing to pass off our freedoms to 'overseers' with guns.

SHUTTERBUGGED - New York Post:
"Faced with complaints from photographers and tourists alike, the NYPD has issued a department order reminding cops that the right to take pictures in the Big Apple is as American as apple pie.

'Photography and the videotaping of public places, buildings and structures are common activities within New York City . . . and is rarely unlawful,' the NYPD operations order begins."

Viewpoint Photography: new website

My friend Steve Driesuszn needed an interim site before we launch his new site. Takes a while to populate a big site and Steve has an opportunity to do something pretty cool. He needed a site to be up fairly quickly.

We created a single page web site, one that Steve can manage, and launched it in a very short time. The SEO happy little page will respond to searches fairly easy, and Steve can keep the page updated with new content as needed.

"... Your Eyes..."

"Some day I might find myself looking in your eyes..."



You called me from the room in your hotel
All full of romance for someone that you met
And telling me how sorry you were, leaving so soon
And that you miss me sometimes when you're alone in your room
Do I feel lonely too?

You have no right to ask me how I feel
You have no right to speak to me so kind
We can't go on just holding on to time
Now that we're living separate lives

Well I held on to let you go
And if you lost your love for me, well you never let it show
There was no way to compromise
So now we're living (living)
Separate lives

Ooh, it;s so typical, love leads to isolation
So you build that wall (build that wall)
Yes, you build that wall (build that wall)
And you make it stronger

Well you have no right to ask me how I feel
You have no right to speak to me so kind
Some day I might (I might) find myself looking in your eyes
But for now, we'll go on living separate lives
Yes for now, we'll go on living separate lives
Separate lives

Phil Collins

Ever think you know something...

... and then find that you don't know much. And you feel small for having thought you knew. And so happy when you see how wrong you were.

It happens.



Seriously.

Why I love Still Pictures

These images are moments frozen in time from lives lived long ago. They give us a glimpse at a moment in time that will never be recaptured. A smile, a hand to hold, a road to some forgotten destination. I love these pictures. Hope you enjoy them as well - take a look...

Lost Films:
"The pages below show prints I made from processing film I found in old cameras. You are seeing them for the first time as they were lost by the photographers that took these images."

SEO for Photographers and Photography Websites | PhotoShelter

Posted without comment. Those that know me, know why.

SEO for Photographers and Photography Websites | PhotoShelter:
"PhotoShelter provides the first comprehensive guide to getting photography listed on search engines.

* A step-by-step guide specifically for photographers to improve your search engine compatibility
* Increase your website traffic and grow your photography business through SEO
* Must-have information for all photographers serious about self promotion and online marketing

Search engines like Google are now a photographer's most powerful online marketing tool. Getting top search engine results is the best way to promote a photography website, attract new visitors, sell more photos, and book new assignments."

Photograph: Chair beneath canopy | Atlanta, GA

Photograph: Chair beneath canopy | Atlanta, GA, originally uploaded by Wizwow.

Atlanta. Last time I was there it snowed on me. Going back for a workshop next weekend and hoping for a bit better weather. I also hope to shoot with my bud, Kieth Taylor who has been instrumental in lifting my spirits and also finding some serious BBQ... see you in a week, Kieth.

BTW... I have one slot left for anyone wanting to come to the workshop...

OK is not OK - not if you want to LIVE

Posted without any comment other than this: READ THE WHOLE DAMN THING. TWICE!

OK is not OK - Grids - SPD.ORG - Grids:
"I understand why editors are making conservative choices. I understand why the editor in the fictional conversation at the beginning of this rant says he wants smiles. It doesn't come from stupidity; it comes from ... well, I think it comes from fear. Stick to what you know. Now's not the time to take chances. Ads are down, subscriptions are down, maybe now is not the time to run that black and white photo essay on Sudan. Maybe we should keep the energy high and run an up! picture instead of that edgy David Hughes illustration. Maybe we should run the layout with lots of fun pictures instead of the quiet, elegant layout with the Dan Winters pictures. Make that hed bigger! I've never understood what the fear was about exactly. Will readers cancel their subscriptions if the magazine runs a black and white Jim Nachtwey photo essay, or an insane Ralph Steadman illustration? And what exactly will happen if there's no eye contact in a turn-page portrait? Will Toyota pull its ads if no one is smiling in a fashion portfolio? Maybe, but I don't think so."

KINGSTON 8GB Compact Flash for $10

Posted without comment

FRYS.com | KINGSTON:
"8GB CompactFlash Elite Pro 133X

Imaging pros expect a lot from their equipment and can't afford to have a component limit their productivity or creativity. That's where Kingston's CompactFlash Elite Pro memory cards come in. The newly redesigned Kingston CompactFlash Elite Pro offers a minimum sustained write speed of 133X. The Elite Pro is designed specifically to help advanced amateur or professional photographers get the best performance from their high-end imaging devices and applications."

Eight Tips for Aspiring Photographers | Black Star Rising

Here's an excellent little post for aspiring photographers. Read it all.

Eye on Image-Making: Eight Tips for Aspiring Photographers | Black Star Rising:
"Shawna’s Eight Tips

During the presentation of her fashion photography, Shawna shared with us eight tips for aspiring professionals:

1. Pursue what you are passionate about. You will never excel at something unless you are motivated by passion and are driven to succeed. The reason is simple: you are competing with similarly motivated and passionate people. Let’s say you decide to try your hand at wedding photography — perhaps for the money and not because you love capturing the emotions weddings produce. You will be competing with other photographers who live, eat, sleep, and breathe weddings. Even if your pictures are technically as good as theirs, do you think they will be as compelling and as satisfying to your clients? Is doing something you have no passion for the key to long-term success?

2. Network. Photographers are often great networkers, but they usually network with the wrong people — other photographers. It’s fine to attend meetings of photography organizations and socialize with your peers. But unless you are an assistant, you probably won’t get hired by another photographer. Instead, you need to network with people who can help you get work and with whom you can forge partnerships. In Shawna’s case, this means art directors"

There are more. Read it all. If you are thinking about being a photographer, or a designer, these are good tips from a young person doing it. I know you hear it from us old guys all the time, but here it is from someone who is actually in the trenches.

Tree: A Photograph | Kansas City

Tree: A Photograph | Kansas City, originally uploaded by Wizwow.

Sometimes a simple tree makes a photograph that seems to be representational of something else. What? I dunno... I just feel that it speaks something else... at least to me.

Free Adobe Flex Builder 3 software - dealmac.com

Very cool thing for Adobe to do.

Free Adobe Flex Builder 3 software - dealmac.com:
Free Adobe Flex Builder 3 download for unemployed developers.
Adobe offers downloads of its Adobe Flex Builder 3 for PC and Mac for free to unemployed developers via this link. Adobe Flex Builder 3 is an Eclipse-based development tool enabling intelligent coding, interactive step-through debugging, and visual design of the user interface layout, appearance, and behavior of rich Internet applications (RIAs). To receive a serial number, valid proof of eligibility must be uploaded."

Recent photography trip to New Zealand results in two prize winning images

Photograph by Singh Ray

Beautiful work.

Focus on Singh-Ray Filters: Recent photography trip to New Zealand results in two prize winning images:
"Recent photography trip to New Zealand results in two prize winning images

Late last fall, when his much anticipated trip to Italy fell through, Australian photographer Kah Kit Yoong needed a quick back-up destination to fill in the gap. 'The short 3-hour flight from Melbourne to New Zealand's South Island fit the bill perfectly,' he says. 'The pristine wilderness of its mountainous regions and its untamed coastline have attracted landscape photographers from all corners of the globe for years."

Colin Pantall's blog: How not to Photograph: Deadpan

Posted without comment.

Colin Pantall's blog: How not to Photograph: Deadpan:
"Worst of all is the last look, the this-is-not-a-look look, the one where the photographer says something like 'Be expressionless'or 'Empty your mind' or 'Think about nothing?' This is not the same as thoughtfulness or introspection or attendance-elsewhere, this is an attempt by the photographer to portray the subject/victim as an empty vessel upon which the photographer can project their own thoughts, ideas or desires.

To what end I'm not sure. There's not much happening up top for most of us at the best of times. This doesn't make us interesting people, quite the opposite. Emptying our minds of everything makes us even less interesting, even if we do it convincingly."

Fergie Gots Shoes?

Well... there ya go!

Apricot Lane City North:
"Yesterday — in a Dolce & Gabbana sheath — she unveiled a shoe collection with Brown Shoe in Las Vegas at the WSA Show."

Red Room and Chair, Kansas City

Red Room and Chair, Kansas City, originally uploaded by Wizwow.

Fantom 1TB eSATA / USB2 External HDD - dealmac.com

Fantom 1TB eSATA / USB2 External HDD - dealmac.com:
"$80 after rebate

Fantom 1TB eSATA / USB 2.0 External Hard Drive

OnSale.com once again offers the Fantom GreenDrive 1TB eSATA / USB 2.0 External Hard Drive, model no. GD1000EU, for $119.99 plus $4.99 for shipping. Mail-in rebates of $20 and $20 knock the total price to $79.99 ($0.08/GB)"

What happens when you have no core values...

... and everything is situational and the only thing that motivates you is the hatred of others?

Well, you could make this ad like MoveOn.org did in 2004. It was a heartfelt ad that was really concerned with children being saddled with a debt.


Save the Children...

Now it's a different person in charge, and the question is simply moot? So they really didn't care about the children at all. After all, a debt is a debt... the kids paying it off are no different. But the people who were telling us about how bad the debt is don't really give a shit, do they?


Save us all.

I personally didn't like the debt then, and I really don't like it now. I have core beliefs that run deeper than who is in Power.

Old Photo found on ancient Compact Flash Card.

small-antique, originally uploaded by Wizwow.

I guess the CF card went through the wash one too many times...eh...

heh

This is a very powerful thing...

... to discover new talent. Encourage new talent. And help new talent.

You gotta see this... do it now.

Handmade is a brand. It is interesting and it sets you apart.

Check this out now.

Press Release :: ImageSpan and PicScout Team to Deliver Best-in-Class Image Licensing and Tracking Solutions, Creating Improved Revenues for LicenseStream Subscribers at Imaging Insider

Looks like someone is watching out for photographers and other digital artists. This is a good thing. Read it all.

Press Release :: ImageSpan and PicScout Team to Deliver Best-in-Class Image Licensing and Tracking Solutions, Creating Improved Revenues for LicenseStream Subscribers at Imaging Insider:
"Together, ImageSpan and PicScout are addressing a huge and growing problem: online image theft. Lost revenues from unauthorized uses of images online are estimated at upwards of $65 million, according to a comprehensive study by the Stock Artists Alliance. By combining PicScout’s market-leading image tracking and recognition registry services with ImageSpan’s Web-based LicenseStream automated licensing and royalty settlement service, the partners can provide LicenseStream subscribers with a view into where and how their images are being used online. LicenseStream also provides subscribers with automated options, or remedies, to convert non-paying content consumers into paying customers. The three-year agreement calls for PicScout to be the exclusive image tracking service and image registry service for all content provided to it by ImageSpan and covers mutual customers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

There is a lot here to take in. Read it all.

This always happens to companies who do really great work...

I just don't think the big ad agencies get it. I haven't seen any great work lately, but then... I ain't really looking. And I think that may be a big problem... lots of people like me aren't really lookin'... and that will be a challenge that all the media groups have to deal with.

As Work Goes in-House, Goodby SF Suffers - mediabistro.com: AgencySpy:
"Two major brands have announced they're pulling their marketing/advertising work in-house. Anheuser-Busch and Hyundai, both of which are in a better position than most to succeed in a recession, are doing less with their agencies. Goodby stands squarely in the middle of these moves, and has laid off a number of staffers.

As of last September, word on the street was the Korean businessmen inside Hyundai weren't keen on the 'Think About it' campaign. But then came along the recession and Hyundai Assurance (now Assurance Plus; Hyundai will make your car payments for 3 months if you lose your job) — and in 2009 the automaker is actually making money.

Then came word that Hyundai would pull their work in-house to Irvine Calif. based World Marketing Group (aka Innocean), which already does their work in Korea (and a new office is being built/staffed stateside). AdAge reported that they're having trouble filling the top spots. We're hearing differently though — a source inside Goodby tells us loads us creatives are chomping at the bit for the opportunity (um, as they should be — don't steal a (wo)man's baby). The only unknown here is what happens when an ECD is finally hired. Our guess — people start working."

Sure... let 'em run the country...

The Audacity of Stupid. Someone who know what they are doing gets fired by people who don't know what they are doing and the ones that don't know what they are doing are then promoted.

Ya gotta laugh to keep from crying...

Harvard Derivatives Whiz Fired For Emailing Larry Summers About "Frightening" Trades? | TPMMuckraker:
"A former quantitative analyst at Harvard Management Company, the university's once-vaunted endowment manager, tells the Harvard Crimson she was fired for voicing concern to then-university president Larry Summers' chief of staff about the money manager's risky use of derivatives the traders didn't understand.

The episode dates back to 2002, when analyst Iris Mack, whose website identifies her as the second African American woman to earn a Harvard PhD. in applied math (and someone who likes primary colors) joined the much-venerated Harvard Management Company, which invests the university's then $18 billion endowment, to find what she termed a 'frightening' state of affairs.

'The group I was working for had no background whatsoever to be working on [derivatives],' Mack says, adding that, to her knowledge, several of her colleagues were not licensed securities traders. 'Sometimes the ways they handled even basic Black-Scholes models [widely used to price stock options] were puzzling.'

So Mack took inventory of the abuses -- high employee turnover, lax risk management practices and a 'low level of productivity in the workplace' were among others, and detailed them in an email to Marne Levine, Summers' chief of staff and a Treasury staffe"

PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama tax pledge up in smoke

Fish, meet barrel.

PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama tax pledge up in smoke:
"'I can make a firm pledge,' he said in Dover, N.H., on Sept. 12. 'Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.'

He repeatedly vowed 'you will not see any of your taxes increase one single dime.'"

She's Pretty. She thinks kids should die. She's pretty.

Well, beautiful and brainy simply doesn't fit this hopeless, hapless fool. She thinks that a few more diseases should come along and kill a lot of kids so her stupidity can be invoked on the rest of us. Poor stupid girl.

Respectful Insolence: I really wish this were an April Fools' Day joke...:
"That's right. In Jenny's warped world, your children are acceptable collateral damage in the cause of promoting her unscientific belief that vaccines cause autism. Here's a hint for you, Jenny: We already do have vaccines that are safe, and neither you (nor the antivaccine loons) are changing. The government and pharmaceutical companies are listening to you far more than your idiotic pseudoscientific nonsense deserves and even though you are a scientific illiterate. Scientists are wasting millions of dollars studying over and over again the question of whether vaccines are associated with autism and keep finding the same answer: They aren't.

But it's never enough for you. No matter how many studies exonerate vaccines as a cause of autism, you don't believe them. You will never believe them no matter how many studies are done. In fact, I say you are lying when you say that 'if you give us a safe vaccine we'll use it.' The reason is that you have made it very clear that no vaccine will ever be safe enough for you. Regardless of how much evidence is presented, to you your Google University 'education' in the dark underbelly of antivaccinationist websites and blogs will always trump science.

Read it all and see if you can do it without laughing. I love titty models who think. Jenny, however, is just a bust on legs.

Oops... I hope it isn't too late

OpenDNS Blog » Worried about Conficker on April 1? Setting up OpenDNS can protect your network.:

"By now you’ve likely heard the speculation that April 1, April Fools Day, is the date Conficker kicks into action. And unfortunately this isn’t a joke. The virus, also known as Downadup, leverages a known vulnerability in the Windows OS and has the potential to do some serious damage. Some estimates for number of machines infected so far are as high as 15 million. The Internet is abuzz with news about the virus and predictions about what it will do."

Without Comment...

William Shatner "The Transformed Man" - dealmac.com:

$1

William Shatner's 'The Transformed Man' MP3 Album download

Today only, the Amazon MP3 Store offers downloads of William Shatner's The Transformed Man for 99 cents.

The recession takes its toll on recording artists.