Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

This Halloween is a little different this year compared to last in my household.  Humans are now out numbering canines in the photo assistant department. I still look back fondly at the 2008 photo assistant and 2007 photo assistant halloween photos with Curly, Moe and Zoe. This year Blake  (the penguin in case you were confused) is the newest addition and I think it’s fair to say he stole the show… although Moe (the hairier penguin) was a close second. I hope you and your family have/had a great Halloween.

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And I a color photographer… it is nirvana.

Color has taken possession of me; no longer do I have to chase after it. I know that it has hold of me forever… Color and I are one. I am a painter. – Paul Klee

Color Abstract II

Technorati Tags: photography, fine art, abstract, landscape, nature

I’m excited to announce the release of my first iPad app, ePhotobook White Sands HD, a collection of fine art photographs taken earlier this year in White Sands National Monument, New Mexico.

Features of Note:

• High resolution images, sans watermark, that can be explored in detail above and beyond the resolution of the iPad
• Previously unpublished photographs
• Exclusive essays
• Twitter & Facebook integration to share with friends
• Web based content via RSS to keep you informed of new workshops, app & ebook releases, photographs and more

Inspiration and beauty for only $4.99 USD

Note: ePhotobook development services tailored to professional photographers are now available. Inquiries for ePhotobook authoring services are now being accepted.

Technorati Tags: photography, mobile, app, Apple, iPad, White Sands National Monument, fine art

To conclude my monthly series “Thoughts on the iPad” where I previously discussed future audience trends in Where Will Your Audience Be Next Year? and developing eCommerce trends with mobile apps in Cracking the Code to Web Revenue? I wanted to discuss the web marketing potential of mobile apps. With all signs pointing toward a shift in user adoption with mobile devices and eCommerce trends highlighting an increase in mobile app consumption, the natural questions are “How is this relevant to me? ” and “How can the potential of mobile apps be realized?”  The answer to these questions are most certainly subjective, but here is my take.

How are mobile apps relevant to me?
The earliest adopters of mobile applications (service & content publishers) have by and large been larger brands with deeper pockets or small tech companies looking to capture the attention of early adopters with novel products & services. For some mobile apps have been a way to establish an image of hip or cool, a means to create PR buzz or to push the envelope establishing a new business model. As it relates to small business owners, such as photographers, the question inevitably arises how is this new platform relevant to me?

Mobile apps provide a very interesting solution to a challenge faced by all businesses regardless of size, namely generating revenue online. Don’t get me wrong there are multiple approaches to generating revenue online including straight sales (ex. books, prints, ebooks, etc), freemium (ex. MailChimp, my email marketing service of choice, offers limited free service with expanded services costing money), advertising, subscription, etc. Each of these business models can be accomplished outside of the realm of mobile applications through a standard website. Unlike the standard website mobile applications excel in revenue generation because:

1. There is an understood expectation that apps at some point cost money
2. They’re mobile and your audience can make a purchase virtually anywhere
3. They facilitate instant sharing of online testimonials between customers and prospective customers via social media & email
4. Transaction conversion rates by app customers are trending higher than standard web customers
5. They can unify existing web properties (marketing and commerce) into a powerful sales tool

Realizing the Potential of Mobile Apps
Depending on your business model there are numerous ways to realize the potential of mobile applications. I can’t claim to know the exact answer for everyone, but the clues to finding the right answer for you are in the list above. Personally I feel the most novel aspect of mobile apps is the ability to hone marketing and sales efforts into a razor sharp tool. Utilizing a mobile app to act as a lens that focuses ones online presence is an incredible opportunity. Such an approach not only pulls together disparate online efforts it reinforces brand, messaging and product/service offerings.

On that note, look out for my next post later today for an exciting announcement that will show how I’m applying such theory to my business online.

Technorati Tags: technology, mobile, app, application, photography, iPad

I know the feeling…

Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.
- Ansel Adams

Click to Enlarge

Minarets - Ansel Adams Wilderness, California

Technorati Tags: photography, Ansel Adams Wilderness, nature, landscape, stock photo, Minarets

There are few photographers who are as skilled with the written word as they are with a camera as friend, photographer and author Guy Tal. Guy’s latest eBook “Creative Landscape Photography” is a comprehensive and well-thought book that is perfect for intermediate and advanced photographers who are looking to hone their creative skills.

What is refreshing about “Creative Landscape Photography” is that it is not just instructional in its 86 pages of  descriptive text, but in its consistent use of reader exercises. Guy consistently spurs the reader to take part in  exercises provided with in each section of the book. These exercise are a great bridge to Guy’s popular Creative Landscape Photography workshop even if you’ve yet to attend one. Rather than passively absorb knowledge relayed in the book,  the active participation that is prompted with each exercise helps reinforce the concepts discussed.

The best way to use your imagination is simply to not stand in its way.

What I found most compelling about Guy’s writing is that it is incredibly positive and supportive. The thought of being creative can be a menacing proposition to many, but Guy provides written mentorship that is invaluable. Exceptionally well organized, the book contains sections including  the Creative Process, Concept, Visualization, Composition and Capture. Not only does each section include Guy’s inspiring photographs they include quotes from other inspirational thinkers. A book containing such a great balance of technical information and creative philosophy is a must for ones library.

Creative Landscape Photography can be purchased  for $9.95 on Guy Tal’s web site.

Technorati Tags: photography, ebook, review

“Ansel Adams In The National Parks Photographs of From America’s Wild Places” has just been released today (10.18.10) and I was quite fortunate to receive an early preview of the book. Unlike “Ansel Adams in Color” a book I just purchased, “Ansel Adams In The National Parks” only contains the iconic black and white prints that Adams’ is best known for. This latest release of Adam’s work is also a refreshing read in contrast to recent controversies swirling over a find of lost glass slides that have been purported to be Adams’.

“Ansel Adams In The National Parks” excels in that Andrea G. Stillman, the books’ editor, has pulled not just amazing photographs from the Adam’s archive, but also his writing & correspondence that breath life into an otherwise historical photo anthology. As one would expect viewing the artistic images and reproductions of his finely crafted prints is nothing less than inspirational. What separates this book from his others are the great anecdotes and quotes that bring Ansel Adams down from the pedestal so many of us keep him on to a mere human with family, everyday challenges and a variety of relationships spanning the average to celebrity. Especially fascinating was being able to read these anecdotes in relation to select images featured in the book adding an entirely new dimension to his photographs.

What I found most interesting as a landscape photographer was the inclusion of several image sets at the end of the book. These image sets reveal the seconds in relation to some of Ansel Adams most iconic photos. This provides a great opportunity to catch a glimpse of what Ansel Adams saw, photographed and selected as he reviewed his work.

Will every photograph in “Ansel Adams In The National Parks” be new or as high impact as Moon and Half Dome? No, but you will certainly see work that sheds light on a journey of life, art and creation. This book has made a great addition to my library and is one I’ll be viewing often.

A photograph is made, not taken. – Ansel Adams

Recommended blog reading: The Subtlety of Greatness and Today’s Loss of Appreciation

Technorati Tags: Photography, Fine Art, National Park, review, book, Ansel Adams

This book was provided gratis by the Hachette Book Group

As part of Blog Action Day’s theme of Water I wanted to relay 5 tips on how my family conserves water like an outdoorsman.

Over the years I’ve done my fair share of backpacking and trekking in areas where water is not easily accessible or plentiful. In such situations its essential to conserve water. With so many backcountry trips under my belt, exposure to cultures that lack modern amenities & water access, as well as living through severe droughts here in California I’ve come to appreciate how precious a drop of water can be and permanently adopted water conservation efforts. Here are a few outdoorsman water conservation tips I’ve adopted here at home…

Click to Enlarge

Rock Surf #4

1. Never dump drinking water down the drain. Either save it to consume later, poor it into your pets water dish or use it to water your plants.
2. Toilet water is easily conserved by flushing only when necessary. Back in college during a severe California drought the common saying was, “If its yellow mellow; if its brown flush it down.” Having the family flush once in the morning versus through out the evening is a quick way to save water.Bonus Tip: Upgrade your toilet to a low-flow version and/or fill a bag with water and hang it in the tank of your toilet. The volume of the bag will reduce the total volume of water that fills the tank around it, saving gallons upon gallons of water over the year.
3. Don’t brush your teeth with the water running. Fill a glass with water and use that to wet your toothbrush and rinse. The glass of water in this case is a luxury above and beyond what I usually do in the backcountry where I’ll often go waterless when brushing my teeth. The same is true with shaving… if you’re manly enough to dry shave.
4. Shower less frequently. I’m not condoning going for days or weeks with out showering, particularly if you have to go into the office, but sometimes skipping a day on the weekend isn’t the end of the world. See how much water you use in a shower and you’ll quickly realize how much water you can save by skipping a shower in a consistent fashion throughout the year.
5. No time in the backcountry is complete without wearing clothing more than once. That might not be ideal back at home, but it can draw out the need to do laundry. If that’s not workable at least double up your loads of laundry and/or use a high efficiency washer. My wife and I just recently bought a high efficiency washer and we’ve been happy to see our water usage decrease.

Related Link:
Calculate your water consumption at home – USGS

Technorati Tags: Blog Action Day, water, nature, fine art, photography