As we laid out a week ago, one of the best products we saw at PDN/PhotoPlus was not a new lens or a camera body, although there was some great new tools in that arena.
Let’s take it to the next step of the process: The images.
And past that, how about publishing your own book of photographs and then selling it to the world?[photopress:blurb_logox.jpg,full,alignright]

Blurb.com makes it real easy. Check out this link and video. Basically you get free software (PC or MAC) tons of layouts and options, use whatever fonts you already have, add a dustjacket, endflaps, go over 400 pages if you like, publish, and then you can sell the book either on your own site or the blurb.com bookstore. Or let your clients buy a beautiful copy of the assignment. Here’s the best part: once you have published one book, subsequent orders are printed as ordered! And Blurb.com handles all of the commerce for you.
Easy peasy.

And this week, we’re giving away one book for free! The winner this week will get Continue Reading »

Love that quote. Too true.
Ok, a pet subject of ours is data back-up. It doesn’t matter if you shoot film or digital. If any party of your process or life goes through a computer you MUST BACK UP YOUR STUFF!!!!
Not a matter of IF your hard drive will crash, but when. Sorry. Facts are facts.
[photopress:time_machine.jpg,full,centered]
So much so, that the new operating system of MAC,LEOPARD has designed a system making the process soooo easy. They gave it a very cute name: “Time Machine” and a cool interface that allows you to go “back in time”, in a free floating screen to a time when life was good and your documents, photos,movies, digital life were still there.

Cute, yeah, but it’s a real Continue Reading »

[photopress:artwork_images_425054379_320022_ralph_gibson.jpg,full,centered] © Ralph Gibson

When I was first studying photography, there was an artist who had images that would forever stick in my mind. Was it the intense black and white of the prints or the brilliant graphic nature of the photographs? Now when I say graphic, it was not a simple design that was presented, but a specific statement or emotion that was being laid in front of you. Years later these same iconic images are burned in my brain, in a pleasant way. An assistant to Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank, he is still a cultural explorer with a unique, consistent vision. It is our pleasure to present you with a few minutes with Ralph Gibson:
And take a look at this link for more of his images from the George Eastman House collection.

OK, a little dramatic ( did you add some echo with the title?) . But the continuing back and forth between Nikon and Canon in the race for the best, means that we are all the beneficiaries of higher quality tools.
Here is a closer look at NIkon’s D3:

You can read a hands-on review we did here.

Small item- we have joined Facebook as of today with the group Photoinduced. Come and hang with us there and get to know each other a little better. If you haven’t checked out Facebook yet, this may be the time.
Heck, it’s becoming the biggest social networking site. Companies from P&G.Microsoft, and organizations like TED, Breast Cancer Research, and others are all a part of it.
Look forward to seeing you there.

oh, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

( by the way…for those that receive the NEWSLETTER, spell check is definitely on my gift list)

While in NYC this past month, we came upon an amazing book at Aperture that we have to share with you.
Dutch conceptual artist Hans Eijkelboom’s : PARIS · NEW YORK · SHANGHAI. It’s an exploration of the cultures of the world that represent past,present and future in a photographic sense, with an almost anthropological slant.

With a forward by Martin Parr (perfect choice) this 3 part book shows a cultural insight into our lives. The repetition of scenarios across the world becomes a careful study that allow the viewer to bring their own conclusions about what is good, bad or indifferent.Or quite similar.
The pages hold multiple images that have been taken of people in their daily lives. No confrontation, but observed and photographed. You get to see a collection of common subjects from each city/culture.
Actually, it appears to make no judgment, but present the reality for you to ponder.

Well, no work of art ever has a completely neutral POV., right?

However, the unique, extensive work has now become one of our solid recommendations for your bookshelf. The cool design, where the covers for all three sections are connected in a folded pattern and stabilized by velcro, only adds to your experience. I may not have described that correcttly but ,trust me, it is brilliant.

And we’re giving one away for free right here. This is how you can make it yours: Continue Reading »