Photography Journal

Personal Resolution

What is Your Resolution? I don’t mean to be a curmudgeon (that is not entirely true) but what is it these days with this unholy quest for ever-higher resolution? It wasn’t too long ago when we were pretty happy about a 2000 ppi scanner, that is until the 4000 ppi scanners came out. But at least we were really happy with the 4000 scanners. With 4000 pixels...

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What’s New

News Flash……..New Equipment Being Developed! For years I have been asking camera manufacturers the same question, “What’s new?” and getting the same answer, “Can’t say.” Well, that is no longer good enough! Through extensive research I have discovered what the next big things are going to be. Some of these are pretty exciting so get your orders in early....

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The Joys of Information

Every workshop I teach I am asked about ‘secrets’ of being a professional photographer. I have my standard responses – work locally/regionally, know when not to photograph, spend time looking, write - that people seem to understand if not fully appreciate. I think what they really want to hear is: ”buy such and such camera and such and such lens, go to...

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Publishing Unplugged

Publishing Unplugged — The Inside Story There are many things I don’t know. Anybody who knows me knows that this is the height of understatement. The list is too long for an issue let alone an article in Outdoor Photographer. There are though a few things that I do know. I know that I can’t just turn over dirty sheets; I actually have to change them. I...

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Pizzas & Photography

Observations:   1. Here is the difference between John Shaw and me: he is John Shaw.   Now that that is out of the way lets get to some serious photography stuff.   2. When John makes a Boboli pizza he carefully lays out every ingredient in just the perfect place- he forms a pinwheel of absolutely symmetrical spinach leaves, followed by...

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Male Bags

On a plane, once again, heading home after another workshop. This time though, I am surrounded by adults- the only screaming toddler is twelve rows back and well out of my mind. I have just finished a ten-day workshop with two extra teaching days tacked on meaning that I have been talking everyday, all day, for two straight weeks. Once I get in this...

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Lifestyle or Career

“It is like snorkeling up a muddy river.” “Excuse me?” I said. “It is like snorkeling up a muddy river.” “Okay, what is?” “You don’t want to know.” “Okay” “But it is really like snorkeling up a muddy river.” “What is?” “You don’t want to know.” This is pretty much typical of the brief conversations I have during breaks in my teaching presentations. Someone...

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Lessons From a Fridge

Skimming the cream, skimming the cream, photographers are always skimming the cream. But are they happiest photographing only cliches at the peak times of year? Cream is wonderful stuff but too much of it will kill you. It will rot your creativity as well. While it is true that a cliché is someone else’s best seller there are many pictures to be made once...

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The Joys of Delusion

As I write this I am sitting in my favorite leather chair in my favorite living room in my favorite house in my favorite state of slight inebriation. While all that is certainly more fascinating to me then it is to you I am also at this very moment watching the TV program American Idol. (Gasp!) Now what is a fine cultured sophisticated person like myself...

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It’s All Timing

Picture this for me and then file it in the “Glamorous Life of a Professional Photographer” file. Right now, I am flying back from Colorado where I was intending to photograph wildflowers and enjoy the Rockies but where I instead lost 7 pounds in 6 days due to a dreadful stomach flu. But the hideousness of that experience is nothing compared to the one I...

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