Know anyone in corporate life? Are YOU in corporate life? Have me do a portrait… your LinkedIn profile deserves it!
See http://learning.photography/collections/corporate-photography for details. You can shoot any time, but must book and pay by 31 August. Come on, you know you need it1  😉
I refer to this story, about a Vancouver wedding photographer who had her Macbook stolen from her car, with wedding photos on it. Not yet backed up.
There is so much wrong with this. Of course I don’t know this photographer, but the story as reported (i.e. if true) gives me no sympathy for her at all.
“No backup yet”? Huh? Her memory card is one, the laptop another, i.e. the laptop is the backup. Why did she wipe the memory cards? I am guessing, to save a few dollars. A very unwise choice; a very false economy. You must never have any photo in only one place. Every hard drive fails. Not if, but when.
She “normally backs up online”? Oh? An all-day wedding probably involves 1000 pictures. And if they are RAW (which they must be for something as important as a wedding) that is 1,000 x 15 MByte, i.e. 15 GBytes. Try uploading that. So if she does back up online she is backing up small JPG files. Ouch!
In the video, she is holding the camera wrong; an amateur dead giveaway. It looks like she is using a low end camera with a kit lens. According to the news report, she is “relatively new to the profession”, and these were “among her first weddings”.
In my opinion, and again, if the facts are as reported, she has no business shooting weddings until she learns more. Weddings are very, very demanding. The most difficult photography. You need mad skills. Experience. In areas like fashion, food, product, event, portrait, and journalism. You also need high-end equipment, cameras, lenses. Spares for all that equipment. Flashes. Cameras that always save each picture to two cards at the same time (I would not touch a wedding without that!).
If you ever think “why is this photographer so expensive”… it’s because that photographer does things properly, so you do not end up the way these newlyweds did.
…is not great.
My Israel trip is off, alas. Funding did not succeed.
Many people feel passionate about proper press coverage of the conflict in Israel/Gaza, and complain (justifiably, I feel) about the current coverage. Alas, it appears that this passion does not extend to helping fund proper coverage. I received pledges for around $550 of the $8500 needed.
And alas, self funding is the only way. Newspapers and other news outlets do not pay—a national daily would offer me maybe $600 for the entire story, as an exclusive. That doesn’t even pay for half the airfare, let alone any of the other costs. Governments, NGOs, etc: none of them will pay. All my photojournalist friends and acquaintances do the same: do it at their own expense; shoot weddings to cover the expense; hope to get some of it back eventually. I too was going to do this as a volunteer: all I want to cover is flight, food, place to stay, guide/fixer, etc.
And photography is the way to clarify the reality of a situation. Thoughtful photography that opens eyes. When we say “a picture tells 1,000 words”, it may be a cliché, but it is true. It is a crying shame that photojournalism is falling by the wayside.
Those of you who did pledge: I can’t tell you how grateful I am. You have not been/will not be charged anything now, of course.
And everyone: plan “B” is in the making. So stand by… I am determined to keep working on this. And I am glad I tried. Rather than just wondering why there’s no good coverage that helps you understand why Israel does the things it does, I want to go out and provide some of that.
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Yesterday’s post about corporate portraits: I have decided to do a special for the rest of this month. See http://learning.photography/collections/corporate-photography for the details… and have a pro headshot made now.
Yesterday’s post about corporate portraits: I have decided to do a special for the rest of this month. See http://learning.photography/collections/corporate-photography for the details… and have a pro headshot made now.
…but you need this. A business portrait:
There are times that an iPhone selfie, or an Uncle Fred attempt, just will not do. For your LinkedIn profile, for example. or your web site. Or a job application. A professional portrait, like the one above, which I made today for bookkeeping expert Gary Layng, sets you apart from the crowd.
And it is remarkably easy and quick. And surprisingly, it does not hurt. Best of all, if you can get to Oakville between August 1 and August 7, I have good news:
AUGUST 1-7 ONLY, A VERY SPECIAL PRICE FOR A CORPORATE HEADSHOT. See http://learning.photography/collections/corporate-photography for the details. Book now: Aug 1-7 only, and first come, first served. Session is in Oakville; session must be paid before August 7, booking upon payment; actual portrait can be made until August 14. Evenings, weekends, daytime: all possible. I aim to make it simple for you.
[….we briefly interrupt our regular programming to bring you this message…]
SUMMER SPECIAL
I see and hear that many readers enjoy this blog. Then you will enjoy my e-books and personal training also, I am sure.
So… to thank you for being loyal readers and to encourage you to try my books and training, I have just created a limited time Summer Special: 25% off all orders over $250. The training or shoot must be booked and paid for by July 31st. The actual shoot or training may be taken any time in the future.
To benefit from this discount, head over to learning.photography and fill your cart with $250 or more of products; then on the last screen enter Discount Code ReaderLoyalty —and you are all set, the price will decrease when you recalculate. 25% can amount to a nice sum, making affordable prices even more affordable.
For example, take a course for two people (order the two-people price twice in the same cart) and you get the discount. A course for one plus the set of all five e-books would also get you there, as would a portrait shoot and the e-books—and so on.
And more importantly, books and courses will make you a better photographer. Quickly.
NEW COURSES!
When you look at learning.photography you will see new courses. Video on your DSLR and Landscape Photography among them. Go have a look. Also, many courses have been updated—they always are: as the industry changes, so do my courses.
TEACHING METHOD
The way I book courses is different from anyone else’s. Instead of me setting the schedule for my convenience, you do, at your convenience. And I make it affordable to get private, or near-private, tuition. Head on over to this article to check out the news post.
See you soon!
[….back to regular programming…]
….but things will speed up again, no worries, fans. I have been preoccupied with things, busy shooting, busy teaching, working on the e-store at http://learning.photography, and dealing with all manner of issues. But things, as said, will get back.
Meanwhile, there’s a father’s day special! Go check it out: http://learning.photography
There are three Father’s Day options, open ONLY until Sunday: All five books for $49, a portrait for $100, and a one-on-one lesson for $149! Go check them out!
The title of this post? That is a warning, the kind of warning you get on the flight deck as you are about to fly into a mountainside.
It is also the kind of warning I feel internally when I see something like this:
I mean… digital filter? Like photons care? Yes, I can imagine scenarios where a sensor needs a different filter from film, but not readily, and this ain’t one of them. This is more a marketing ploy to get Uncle Fred to hand over more money to replace his “analog filters” with digital equivalents, I think. So while having some lens filters for protection is a good idea in case it rains, do buy good filters, but don’t worry about having them always on every lens. I personally never use them.
Instead, spend your good money on a modern camera, 3 years old or younger, and on lenses.
And on my newest ebook, and do use the discount code, see yesterday’s post. Â Click on the image below to also see a few sample pages, plus the table of contents.
As you saw yesterday, the new book “Stunning Landscape Photography—making Your Environment Tell Stories”, the fifth in my series of e-books, is available immediately from the e-store at http://learning.photography.
And better news still. If you have always wanted to buy my e-books but have not gotten around to it, I have a deal for you, as a loyal reader.
Get an additional 10% off everything you buy, until July 1st, by using discount code “Speedlighter” upon checkout.
Enjoy!
Big news: the all new e-book “Stunning Landscape Photography” has just been released.
If you have always wanted to try shooting landscapes, or if you want to become better at doing it, this is the e-book for you. In my latest e-book, I includes information on technical requirements, tripods, bags, filters and other requirements; required photography knowledge; timing of shoots and location finding; shooting technique; lenses; basic and practical composition; and post-production. I include many specific landscape techniques, from night scenes to flowing water photography. The ultimate guide to finally mastering your landscape shots.
This extensive and richly illustrated 117 page e-book is $19.95 plus applicable taxes: it comes as a PDF file, conveniently optimized for freely viewing on iPad, your computer, and similar platforms. Head on over to the store at learning.photography to obtain your copy right now!