Buy a Fucking Camera
Merlin Mann’s perfect parody of photography sites, buyafuckingcamera.com, is no more. However, the video tutorials from that site still exist. It’s worth revisiting again and again to remind us of what most of the photo bloggers out there are really thinking while they’re “teaching”: * How To
Truth is Stranger (and More Interesting) Than Fiction
The first time I heard the phrase, “photographers are liars,” I was intrigued to learn more and possibly start a fight. The theory goes: since a photographer creates an image from his/her point of view, anyone else viewing the image will not get an accurate depiction of the scene
It's Never Been Easier
I replaced the word “writer” with the word “photographer” below, because it really applies to both (or any modern creative profession). This perfectly describes the era we’re living in: > “It’s never been easier to be a [photographer]; and it’s never been harder to be a professional
Photographer as Storyteller
The question often pops up around here: What exactly is storytelling in photography? Erin Feldman [https://twitter.com/ErinMFeldman] points us to an interview [http://storychicago.com/updates/photographer-storyteller] with photojournalist Matt Knisely, who gives his opinion: > “The entirety of the shot is brought to life through the
Photography vs. Art
Guy Tal wonders [http://guytal.com/wordpress/2013/03/28/words-matter/] why photographers are usually differentiated from artists: > “Try looking for books on Amazon.com and you will find a category for ‘Arts & Photography.’ Barnes & Noble goes further by separating 'Art, Architecture & Photography.’ Even
Worthwhile Reads
Back when Google Reader’s closure was announced, I was asked by a few readers to reveal what sites were in my RSS reader. When there’s millions of photo sites out there saying the same things, listening to the same podcasts and buying the same equipment, it can be
Boredom is a Tool
Creativity is not a natural state for an adult. In fact, our brains would love to avoid to it. It represents a vulnerability we long ago learned to avoid. Modern life is increasing void of boredom. There’s always a device or a task to occupy our time. Even waiting
Amateur Media Will Win
I’m doing an annual pruning of my photo blog reading list. It’s an audit of the blogs that have been interesting and the blogs that have proved useless. A trend is emerging. I’m getting further away from group blogs, big publications and networks of photographers/writers. I’
Your Nemesis is Closer than You Think
There is no competition for a creative person. There’s only your own assumptions and habits to overcome. Your nemesis is closer than you think.
How Do You Know if You're a Talented Photographer?
Jason Kottke [http://kottke.org/10/09/on-talent] on talent and photography: > “It’s interesting that you can’t figure out whether you’re any good or not from your 300 friends on Facebook, the 23 people who liked your Tumblr post, the 415 people you follow on