Landscape, Nature and Travel Photography

Ok maybe not, but it does look like it. This was taken at the same time as my earlier Grizzly Gulch photos.

Technorati Tags: Grizzly Gulch, Grizzly, Bear, Kachina, Kiona, San Francisco, Zoo, opening

“You Are Here” is a running (5) five part series discussing a variety of contemporary philosophic questions about photography. If you missed the two entries you’re in luck.

See here:

You Are Here (Part 1/5): The Ultimate Compliment

You Are Here (Part 2/5): Photographers of Influence

You Are Here (Part 3/5): The Multiple Personalities of Modern Photography

Enjoy Part 4…

As previously mentioned in “Photographers of Inflence” (Part 2 of my “You Are Here” series) I had a challenging time coming up with photographers that were of influence when discussing the topic with some of my photographer friends. While listening to my friends talk about those that influenced them I had a flashback and remembered a photographer of influence who I had not thought about in years. This one photographer that came to mind was Bob Talbot.

Bob Talbot’s posters, cliche for some now, were an inspiration to me and quietly seeded my interest in photography as a college student. Looking back his photography resonated with me because of my interest in marine biology and my overall interest in nature & conservation. Even still I find his photography captures my imagination as much now as it did then.

So how did I forget about Bob Talbot’s masterful photography? Only in a conversation about influencing photographers did i remember his name after 12-14 years. At the time of my conversation I started to wonder what ever happened to Talbot? When I asked my friends the answer that I got was… “one hit wonder”.

The reasoning behind this comment was that the photography market at the time was all about posters. As posters lost muster in the market there was an evolution that was required of photographers to survive and somehow Talbot never adapted. I still like Bob Talbot’s work and don’t know exactly what happened between then and now, but from a photography business perspective my friends comment got me thinking about adapting.

It would seem to me that long term success in the photography industry is tied to trend awareness and flexibility. As the creator of visual media it’s critical to understand where your viewers are and making your images available in that format. It seems pretty straight forward, but it is easier said than done. The process usually requires establishing new connections in your network and developing new skills.

It’s been a few weeks since I had this conversation. In that time I’ve had a chance to think about this a little deeper. If anything the result has been that I’ll forever have “adaptation” in the back of my mind. It’s a great lesson in business, but for now it’s all about focusing on the here and now.

Oh and what has Bob Talbot been up to? After looking at his web site its apparent prints and posters are still a mainstay of his business, but he’s also ventured into video and film. It would seem he’s found success with directing and cinematography projects for major and independent films. Hopefully his independent film projects will find success. I think the world would be a better place if greater attention were given to sea mammal conservation, the core focus of his work.

Lastly how deeply rooted is my appreciation for Bob Talbot’s photography and conservation efforts? Well considering I have the California “Whale Tail” license plate that looks a lot like one of Talbot’s most famous photos I’d say it runs pretty deep. For those unaware of this license plate it supports conservation and clean up efforts of California’s beaches and coastline.

Technorati Tags: business, photography, philosophy, Talbot, Bob Talbot, sea mammal, conservation, ocean, beach, coastline, whale tail, license plate, California

It’s hard to believe it has been nearly 1 year since I took this photo. Although the lighting is not “magic hour” light I couldn’t pass up this shot. Taken at an altitude of roughly 1500ft and 20 miles from the Arctic Ocean. The flowers here are roughly 2 inches tall and have called a rocky precipice home. Beyond is a southern view of the Kongakut River and Brooks Mountain range.

Technorati Tags: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Refuge, ANWR, landscape, photo, photography, Alaska, wildflower

The seventh episode of EXIF and Beyond has been released. In this episode Dan Heller discusses a variety of topics in relation to the business of photography. Topics of discussion include: how to best get started, leveraging the Internet, marketing, portfolios, what sells, and his latest efforts regarding hierarchical keywording.

Download the latest episode:
Dan Heller Interview - The Business of Photography

For the non-iTune listeners a streaming version of this podcast can be accessed here.

As discussed in this episode:

“Keywording’s Role in the Future of Stock Photography”

“Adobe Adopts Hierarchical Keywording Proposal”

Technorati Tags: EXIF and Beyond, podcast, interview, Dan Heller, business, photography, hierarchical keywording, keyword, Adobe, portfolio, sales

I’ve made my way through yet another month of image processing for my Photo A Day project from last year. I’m pretty embarrassed that I’m so far behind, but at least there’s progress being made. Below are a couple of photo highlights. Check in to see the rest of the months images from last years Photo A Day project.

Technorati Tags: PAD, Photo A Day, photography, project, San Francisco, nature, pet, wildlife, Blue Angels,

There’s a lot to be said for the Internet as a publishing medium. It has given a lot of people the ability to share their thoughts and vision more easily than previous possible. Interestingly enough every so often a debate as common as “Nikon vs. Canon” surfaces about “Professionals vs Amateurs” in relation to credibility and authority online . The latest by Tony Long on Wired.com “Internet Smackdown: The Amateur vs. the Professional” has some great points particularly in relation to journalism, but ultimately it exudes unavoidable elitism.

Taking his thoughts beyond the written form of journalism and into photography it go me thinking about how easy or difficult it is to pick out an amateur from a professional. I can see where Tony Long is coming from in regard to the written word as it can take some digging to really understand the quality of the source. Photography on the other hand is Read more… »

There are few things I’ve experienced in the San Francisco bay area that can rival watching the sun rise over downtown San Francisco. On this morning the sky lit up an amazing hue of pink and red. Unfortunately most sunrises are missed by the residents of San Francisco, not so much because of the stereotypical fog but because of the constant rush of city life. As a result slowing down to enjoy these magical moments are often missed.

Technorati Tags: photography, San Francisco, California, sunrise, dawn, cityscape, landscape

“You Are Here” is a running (5) five part series discussing a variety of contemporary philosophic questions about photography. If you missed the two entries you’re in luck. See here:

You Are Here (Part 1/5): The Ultimate Compliment

You Are Here (Part 2/5): Photographers of Influence

Enjoy Part 3…

Photography, for many photographers, invariably starts out of curiosity and passion, but as of late photography has become a lot more confusing. You might say modern photography has developed multiple personalities. The availability of online services for image sharing, critique forums, print sales, and stock photography have increased visibility and outlets to share ones photographic work. But for what purpose?

Is photography for fun, a business or art?

I suppose the inevitable blurring of all three is what spawns the confusion. Depending whom you talk to and where they are in their evolution as a photographer you’ll get a different answer. I asked this question of myself recently and the answer shed light on a challenge I’ve been facing… staying focused and prioritizing my projects. The answer to this question for me is yes… its fun, business and art. As you can imagine this creates quite the dilemma when you’re juggling multiple efforts. Often working on one-project results in my feeling that I’m depriving another. This internal conflict can quickly become a distraction and can easily compound.

The topics for the series of “You Are Here” came to me rather suddenly primarily because of a couple conversations and a few rough days at the end of May. Rushed, stressed and juggling multiple things my conversation with a couple of photographer friends put me in a reflective mood. It was a great break from being so focused on my work that I couldn’t see anything else. It was particularly refreshing to hear where other photographers were mentally and in relation to achieving their professional and/or artistic goals.

I didn’t leave the conversations feeling any less burdened with my mountain of personal goals, but I did gain some critical perspective that has since helped me to focus a little better. It wasn’t until this time that I started to consciously think about the multiple personalities of photography and thinking of my goals and projects in these terms. The approach and attention needed for each whether fun, business or art can be quite different. Sure there is overlap, but ultimately the mindset and effort required for each can be very different.

As a result I now more consciously evaluate my on going photography projects and prioritize accordingly. Where I can I try to align my photographic work so that the output is a combination of art, business and fun. In many instances photographs or projects I’ll work on are more aligned to stock and less about art. You can’t have it all, but I do try. The result has been a more streamlined approach to completing my projects and to date it’s all remained fun. I hope that never changes.

Technorati Tags: photography, art, business, fun, hobby, profession, professional, philosophy