Improving Our Photography Online

When everything is getting me down, I take to reading … about photography techniques. It’s one of the four most important activities in my life, so I might as well keep learning.

• Take Out Your Camera
• There are many reasons to bring out the camera. Maybe it’s a special occasion like a birthday, or you are on vacation, even the holidays have everyone pulling out their cameras. But what about those other times? Do you have a reason to take pictures more often. There are many reasons to take out your digital camera daily. Read More
• Starlight Effect: Creative Use of Aperture
• Ever wondered how photographers make sources of light in photos appear like they’re twinkling? What most pros do is attach a starlight filter which automatically makes points of light flare. You can even twist the filter to adjust the effect much like a polarizer. Read More
• Here is Scott’s A to Z list of photographic subjects. It is obviously not all-inclusive, but it should jump-start your creative eye and hopefully help to get you off the couch and into the field. Happy shooting! Read More
• The Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi
• Canon’s EOS 450D – or Digital Rebel XSi as it’s known in North America – is the company’s latest DSLR and the successor to the hugely popular EOS 400D / Rebel XTi. Announced towards the end of January 2008, just a few days before the annual PMA show, the 450D / XSi features a number of key improvements over its predecessor. Read More
• How to Create Multiple Matte Colors for Transparent GIFs in Adobe Illustrator
• This simple process allows you to reduce the number of HTTP Requests that your site is making by allowing more than one matte color for GIF images. You can, by adding strokes, make any transparent GIF work in most situations. Read More
• 14 Timeless Ways to Live a Happy Life
• Thanks to Alex Blackwell we have forteen new ways to keep ourselves happy and carefree … Read More
• Kick-start Your Own Business
• Steve Pavlina gives some tips on how to kick-start our own business, especially a part-time, home-based business. Read More

 

Shirts That Fit Every Photographer

For those photographers amongst us who need to clear away the crowds of onlookers when trying to shoot images of kings, queens, celebrities and scary things, here is the answer:

Get a (long sleeved, short sleeved, v-neck or a girly-style) T-shirt that tells everyone exactly why you are yelling “GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

Don’t get angry with ‘em, get yourself a t-shirt! All prices are shown when you browse through the gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

You’re not a photographer craving a new shirt? That’s OK, there are plenty of creative designs from the many amazing Artists on Redbubble. Check out the collection I plan on purchasing between now and Christmas 2008!

 

Now We Are Twittering, Let’s Give it A Chance

According to PCWorld, Twitter is like a high school hallway:

A combination of chaos and order, informal and formal communication, public and private, bravado and cooperation, experience and naivete. The combination of all of these elements is part of its charm and value.

I totally agree!

Although it can feel like several layers of graffiti, wallpaper and mindless drivel, the corridors throughout Twitter are not quite the labyrinth first imagined. Nor are the short blurbs of untargeted information as mindless as first expected.

You’ll find many people with similar interests, hobbies, occupations, plus many willing to find someone just like you. That is, if you are a internet-connected, browser-searching, and willing to type a quick (140 character maximum) message at least once every five minutes.

But don’t take my somewhat-cynical yet-becoming-more-optimised opinion as gospel: Go check it out. I’ve got a constant barrage of text flying from my sidebar, yet I find it interesting, encouraging, and incredibly fun.

 

The Fun of Random Flickr on WordPress

Are you a flickr-photography addict, either uploading your own work or perusing the plentiful supply of the millions of souls who display their work every millisecond of the day? I am, and damn proud of it.

Are you also a WordPress blogger/journalist/writer/etc, uploading anecdotal stories regarding your photography adventures into your local streets, backyards, forests, restaurants, churches or local events? Do you regularly login, paste your NotePad™ written monologue, then logout before checking out the options? I seriously suggest you stick around in your ‘WordPress Dashboard‘ to check out the features.

I discovered today that the flickr blog is generated within WordPress! Utilising the best feature of WordPress discovered only a few days ago, I was able to enjoy random posts from the Flickr archives.

Thus, here are five dates of uploaded photographs found using the ‘Random Post‘ option (top right of screen, drop menu) of WordPress:

• Better use of Tags and Feeds and Their Intersection (Dated: 13.Jul.2004)
• Living to Relive the 70s and 80s (Dated: 28.Apr.2005)
• The first of Many FlickrMeet’s Around the World! (Dated: 17.Mar.2006)
• So you like Playing with Food? (Dated: 13.Oct.2007)
• Those horrific Wildfires in Southern California (Dated: 23.Oct.2007)

Ah, the wonders of the internet. Not only are people encouraged to take more photographs, but also to get out and see more of the world! What a paradoxic conundrum worth having!

 

Getting Good News Every Day

I’ve not sorry to say this : When I want to read the daily news reports, I’ll be heading for ZDNet Australia (News) from now on, and not AdelaideNow.

Reasons:

• The ZDNet home page has a three-toned, easy on the eyes, simple navigation system at the top of screen. Two horizontal-tiers under the logo take us straight into the information. Whilst I love drop-down menus, I believe the AdelaideNow site is losing many readers when they cannot see information they want instantly.
• No more flashy images stealing the limelight. Yes, images help bring readers in, but when they randomly bring in garish and ghastly photoshopped comparisons of of Kevin Rudd and Robin Hood, I have to turn away. There is three columns of text, with ever-rotating flash imagery, lots of colours, and little direction. It’s like being at a 1980’s Blue Light Disco. I cannot take it anymore!
• Who owns the AdelaideNow site? Are they influencing the bias of reports on the site? Or is political standpoint the only reason to own a newspaper? I’ll let you be the judge on this issue.
• And the number one reason (Drum roll please) Why do I need to know about the increasingly bad weather here in Adelaide at TWO locations on their home page?! One or the other, please!

 

Twelve Months in Review

Today is the first day of May 2008, almost halfway through yet another year. So let’s review what I was writing about in May of 2007:

• Finally, Color Picking Made Easy
• World Change Begins At Home
• Amazon Purchases DPReview
• Creating Your Own Company Blog
• Comparison of Canon Cameras
• Slide Show of Photography
• Serious Stone Sculptures of Adelaide
• Utilising Photography Appropriately
• Staying Focused and Inspired

It’s always good to review: It gives one a reminder of why we started, where to keep the balance, and to remember why we keep writing.

 

SearchMe to Find You

Using SearchMe, I can find every thing about you.

In fact, searching on ‘stephentrepreneur‘ has found every photograph from my flickr gallery that has been used without asking. No matter. That I can find my photograph at all is a good sign that they have at least given a link to my flickr gallery.

SearchMe. Cool, easy and a great way to find out where some is or has been. Almost better than twitter. Almost.