Here are some great links for your Thursday!
- You can now apply for the Arts Writers Grant, which is “designed to encourage and reward writing about contemporary art that is rigorous, passionate, eloquent and precise.” Bloggers, authors, and “short-form” writers are all eligible for the $3K-$50K award (via Zoe Strauss)
- Speaking of Zoe Strauss (one of The Photoletariat’s favorite contemporary photographers), the “Zoe Strauss: 10 Years” retrospective, celebrating her career thus far and her incredible I-95 project, is slated for early 2012 at the Philadelphia Art Museum. Congrats, Zoe!
- A Photo Editor has a great article up this week with tips for young creatives, including, but not limited to “When you meet new people, remember Dale Carnegie.”
by Zoe Strauss
I just got off the phone with a potential client. It was one of those long conversations where I do an awful lot of explaining: why I need to charge this much, why they can’t just use the images for whatever they want, blah blah blah blah blah.
You know how it goes. You’ve recited your own explanation so many times that it probably gives you a headache. It’s like pulling a bad tooth that keeps on growing back. You’ve probably wondered if it’s really worth the trouble.
But whether you shoot assignments or weddings, I’m here to tell you unequivocally that it is worth it to keep repeating this stuff. [click to continue…]
Photographic creativity ebbs and flows like a tide. And what contributes to those ebbs is a combination of your own complacency and something I call the “What’s worked for me lately” factor.
It happens like this: You stumble upon a new technique or method that works well for you, and when you find that it gives you great results, you throw it in to your bag of tricks for the next time. And the time after that. And the time after that.
Pretty soon, you’ve shot nearly everything for the past two months with the same approach. Your imagery starts to get stale, or at the very least you find yourself running out of inspiration because you’ve suddenly grown tired of the same old method.
That’s when you know it’s time to break out and try something new! Here are 20 techniques that might spark your creative inspiration and propel your photography into a whole new realm. [click to continue…]
Unnamed Spire, Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram Himalayas, Pakistan
I’ve been at this photography thing for almost 15 years now and I feel pretty confident that I know what I’m doing. In fact, I teach others how to get along better with their cameras, through my critiques and online courses. And I share my knowledge and experience with you every week.
But does that mean I’m too far along to learn anything myself? Um, NO. [click to continue…]
Even when taking a close-up portrait outside, remember to take stock of light, angles, and positioning.
[Editor's Note: As senior contributor Dan Bailey noted recently, there are all kinds of photographers out there, each at different stages of development. The following post is intended for beginners.]
Angle, distance and lighting all play an important role in the composition of a photographer’s work. [click to continue…]
Audio is a very important aspect of any video. Even if your primary focus is on the visual side, bad sound will turn any audience off, so it is essential to get the best possible audio while you are shooting.
But on-camera microphones are some of the worst out there. [click to continue…]
I shot this photo a couple of weeks ago during a sunny afternoon on my skate skis. Do I think it’s an outstanding image? Not really. Do I like it? Yes, there are aspects of it that I find attractive. Do I think that it’s a keeper? Maybe. [click to continue…]
