New Page Added: Kudos
Not trying to blow my own horn, or anything, but I compiled a number of quotes that some of my fellow bloggers and fans have had to say about my work here on the blog and about my photography as well.
You can check out what they have to say over on a new page called “Photo Quotes” in my “About” section. It is, by no means, a complete listing and I’m sure I’ll add to it as we go.
Thank you to everyone who has shared such amazing words of encouragement and support over the years! I truly appreciate it and it keeps me going – especially when I fall into a rut that I don’t think I can get out of.
Points of View Photo Project #24
Welcome to the 24th edition of the Points of View Photo Project here at Jason D. Moore Photography!
UPDATE: New deadline for submitting your version of the image for week #25!
Each week readers from all over the world tackle a common source image and display it to show the many interpretations, perspectives, and approaches that can be taken from the same starting point. I always fins it interesting how a single image can be manipulated and processed to express such different feelings and emotions.
If you are new to the project, or if you’ve been following along regularly and would like to participate, be sure to scroll to click on “More…” and scroll down to the bottom to download the source image for next week and learn how to submit.
But now, on with this week’s images!
PRESS RELEASE: Announcing the TJM Media Group
For Immediate Release…
Towner Jones Photography, LLC and Jason D. Moore Photography are pleased to announce the formation of the TJM Media Group. This new association serves as a common brand through which exciting new projects can be presented from these two established photography and graphic design content providers.
On February 1, 2010 the TJM Media Group will present the first episode of “Start to Finish” a Photoshop and photography training series showing viewers the complete creative process from capture to presentation. TJM Media Group content will be available through each of the members’ blogs as well as directly through the TJM Media Group website (tjmmediagroup.com) when it goes live in the coming weeks.
Guest Post: Stop! You are NOT a Photographer! – by Kevin Halliburton
Let's Blog!
First off, I want to thank Jason for investing the years it has taken to build this invaluable blog and for risking it all on me for a day. It feels like someone just handed me the keys to their priceless sports car and told me to have fun, so thanks Jason, buckle up!
You are not a photographer. You are a story teller. When that sinks in it will transform your work.
Reverse lighting engineers aside, (you know who you are) most people are drawn to an image by its story line, not the perfectly executed technique.
That’s an easy thing to forget, and the more gear you add the harder it is to remember. The photographer’s job is rarely to create a technically perfect reproduction of a scene but rather to illustrate a compelling story as clearly as possible.
Points of View Photo Project #22
Welcome to the 22nd edition of the Points of View Photo Project! This week we have been lucky enough to have a chance to work with not one, but three source images from reader and blog contributor Steve Kalman who challenged us to produce an HDR image, if we were so bold to try it.
Read on to see what some of our regulars have done with these photos and to learn how you can grab next week’s source image and participate in this excellent project that gets your creative juices flowing, invites you to experiment and try new things, and opens you up to the different perspectives that can come from a common image.
Also, be sure to scroll down to the bottom to find out how you can share your photos and a source image for one of our upcoming editions of the project!
Best Shots of 2009: A Year in Review
As the old year passes I like to take a few minutes and review my work from the previous 12 months.
I know I took more bad shots than good but, as I’ve been told, a professional is someone who knows which photos to leave out of their portfolio. I also tend to believe that any artist worth anything is never satisfied with their work. It is never finished, simply abandoned.
So as we round out the year, rather than showing you some great shots, here is a collection of my photos that sucked the least. (Just kidding…)
Take a look through my Best Photos of 2009 gallery and let me know which are your favorites!
The Results Are In: December 2009 Photo Contest!
As the year comes to a close, so does another one of my Monthly Photo Contests. Before announcing the winner for the December Photo Contest, I’d like to take a moment to thank all of our contest sponsors over the past year including Westcott, Scott Kelby, Mpix, IGT America, onOne, Unified Color, Photoshop Cafe, What the Duck? and Kelby Training. Thank you for all of your generous support and for working with me to encourage our fellow photographers to grow with every shot.
I’d also like to thank everyone who has entered my contests this year. Whether you won a prize or not, I want you to know that I saw artistry in each and every shot and you are all more than capable of doing great things behind the lens. Keep it up!
And now, for our winner…
Wednesday Inspiration: Jesh de Rox
Need a little help getting through your week? I know I do. Sometimes when work seems to be bearing down on you and the weekend just can’t get here soon enough – and you don’t get snow days when you desperately need one – it helps to just stop and remember to breathe.
I first discovered today’s inspirational site about two years ago and was lucky enough to find it again the other day. I had forgotten what a gem it is. Jesh de Rox Photography takes you in like very few other sites do. From your first moment landing on the page you are invited on a journey through beautiful imagery and music with a sense of timelessness.
The site is for people in love. And if you’re finding it hard to make through this week turn up your sound, get comfortable, and remember who you’re doing this for, and be ready to be inspired.
Book Review: Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Book, Volume 3
A couple of weeks ago I finally received my copy of Scott Kelby’s The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3 which I was given for being a Worldwide Photowalk leader again this past summer.
Just as with the previous installments in this series (reviews for The Digital Photography Book and The Digital Photography Book Volume 2) we readers are allowed into the inner sanctum ofpro photography with the help of our enlightened guide, Scott Kelby.
Scott picks right up where Volume 2 ended taking us along on a variety of shooting situations – both in the studio and out in the field – to share some trade secrets and offer some insights into how to use our tools to make great images. (more…)
No-Blog Monday
I’ll be back tomorrow, hopefully, with a review of Scott Kelby’s The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3.
Photographer Highlight: Stephen Zeller
Through the recent Walk4Hearing Silent Auction, I became aware of San Diego based photographer Stephen Zeller. He’s got some great work over there in under the categories of portrait, family, engagement, event and commercial photography.
He has a very definitive style that is clean, classy, and unique, and it’s definitely worth a look.
Stephen is also an avid blogger writing about images, news, reviews, and pretty much everything photography related over at his blog Stephen’s Photography Tips. Check him out!
Photo Site Highlight: Plinkk Photography
I always hate Tuesdays. By Tuesday you can no longer use the excuse that you’re still getting back up to speed from the weekend. You really have to be on your game even though you’re mentally not there yet. I hate Tuesdays.
That’s why, on this Tuesday, I thought it would be fitting to send you over to check out some excellent photography. You may be somewhat familiar with our highlighted photographer from his participation in our monthly photo contests. Tim Collins, of Plinkk Photography, and his wife Helen do some awesome work in the field of engagement/wedding/event photography. In a genre that can so easily fall into a very formulaic portfolio of images, Tim and Helen have an eye for creating something truly unique.
When I see photographers like these I find myself all the more excited about my own work. I know I’m not there yet, in many ways, but I am reminded that it is possible to capture such beautiful moments and create such breathtaking images and I am given renewed passion to grow in my own craft and, in turn, help others achieve their dreams as well.
So, if you’re like me and you are finding yourself uninspired on this Tuesday, head on over to Plinkk Photography and see what’s out there!
An Invitation
I have been blessed by the longevity I’ve had so far with my writing online (over 7 years and nearly 1,100 posts). It hasn’t always been easy coming up with new and interesting things to say but with the encouragement, support, and participation of my readers I have been lucky enough to continue on down this exciting road.
Whether it’s through comments, submissions to my various projects or contests, or sponsorship it is because of all of you that this blog has grown into the Photoshop & Photography Community that it is. And I couldn’t have done it without you!
As my regular readers know, I am always striving to pay forward the knowledge and opportunities I have received by giving my readers a forum to show their work, connect with experts in the field to share their insights, review photos, software and books, and provide training, all in an effort to help you grow in your own work and become a better photographer, Photoshop user, and a more creative person.
If you’ve been coming here for news, information, and inspiration, for any length of time, I’d like to invite you take the next step to help make this site even better. First off, I’d like to ask you to share it with others you know who might be interested in what we offer. Put up a link, write a post, send out an email talking about what you’ve gotten out of this blog. The more people we have here, the more the community will be enriched.
I’d also like to invite you to leave comments or send me emails about what you think about a post, any Photoshop or photography questions you might have, ideas, whatever! I always love hearing from all of you, and I assure you that I read every comment and email that comes through. Let me know what you think!
Participate. Send in a shot for the Points of View project. Submit a photo to be reviewed. Enter my monthly photo contests. I invite you to take a more active role here on the blog. Have something you’ve created that you’d like to share with a wider audience? Write up your workflow and send it in! Have some thoughts about a certain topic, program, or service? Put together an article and email me! I am always welcoming of guest bloggers with interesting perspectives to offer.
Finally, I would like to invite all of you to consider sponsoring this blog in some way. Whether it’s a small donation to the site, a prize for an upcoming contest, a sponsorship for a particular series, or a general blog sponsorship with a leaderboard, sidebar, or a footer ad on every post – whatever you feel comfortable doing – I would like to ask for your help as I continue to bring quality content each and every day. Through a sponsorship you will also be putting your site, brand, or product in front of thousands of visitors every month. To find out more about sponsorship opportunities and to contact me directly, please check our my sponsors page.
As I work to turn my passion into my profession and share the joy of Photoshop & Photography with a larger and larger audience of creative people, please think about how you can help enrich our community with your support through one more of the avenues I mentioned above.
Thank You!
Walk4Hearing Photo Silent Auction
Back in June, I mentioned how I had the pleasure of going on a photowalk with one of my readers, Chris Stern, while attending a conference in Boston. Chris and I had exchanged a few emails and Tweets and I was certainly aware of his photography skills through his contest entries. So, it was great to finally meet him in person.
As we finished up our time together, Chris mentioned to me that he was going to be participating in the Walk4Hearing to help raise awareness about hearing loss. He shared with me the success he had in the past in his fundraising efforts and that he wanted to really step it up and do something special this time around.
Since then Chris, Rob Jones (Towner Jones Photography, LLC) and I put our heads together and have teamed up to organize a silent auction to help raise awareness for this great cause. To help Chris reach his goal for the walk we are auctioning off a number of limited edition 11×14 prints, through a generous donation of printing by our friends over at Mpix.
We have been fortunate enough to gain the support of some extremely talented photographers who have donated prints including: Dave Cross, Ivan Makarov, Jeff Revell, Laurie Excell, Matt Kloskowski, RC Concepcion, Roger Madsen, and Stephen Zeller. Of course Chris, Rob and I have put up a few prints too.
To get a fuller picture of the real heart behind this auction, and the cause as a whole, why don’t we turn to Chris and hear a little of his story:
Hello,
My name is Christopher Stern. I have been hearing impaired all my life and wore hearing aids until I experienced additional loss of hearing in February 2005. After numerous hearing tests, I was approved for my first Cochlear Implant in June 2006. A year later, I received approval for my second implant in July 2007. I am happy to say that both implants were a success and I am hearing more than ever before.
Here is an example of I how privileged I am to receive this technology. Soon after receiving my first cochlear implant, I was on a ride with my in‑laws. We pulled over to the side of the road and my mother‑in‑law asked if I heard the sound outside the vehicle. The sound was of a cricket chirping and it was the first time I had heard one. The power of this technology is amazing and I can only imagine what is in store for the future.
Did you know that over 36 million adults have hearing loss? Chances are you know at least one person who has been affected by hearing loss and that is why I am taking part in the New England Walk4Hearing to be held at Artesani Park in Boston, MA on October 25, 2009. The mission of the walk is to increase awareness about the causes and consequences of hearing loss and to raise funds to provide information and support for people with hearing loss. I was privileged to participate in the New England Walk4Hearing in 2007 and raised over $2100 to support the hearing loss community. Now, I am looking to eclipse that goal and raise even more money for this cause.
Back in 2007, I was introduced to photography by my mother and have been hooked ever since. I can usually be found taking photos on the weekend and editing my photos during weekdays. I share my photos with the online community via Flickr or contests through various photography blogs. Early this year, I participated in the Towner Jones Photography and Jason D. Moore Photography monthly contests. I have been fortunate enough to win a few of the monthly contests, which continues to provide me with inspiration to take even more photos. It was through the communication with Rob and Jason that I was able to connect with them on a personal level and gained their support for the Walk4Hearing.
We are very excited about this opportunity and hope you will join us to help raise money for the Walk4Hearing.
Thank you for your time and remember, “Hear now and always.”
Full details on how to bid on the prints and to support Chris, whether you try for one of the prints or not, can be found on our Walk4Hearing Silent Auction page on the Towner Jones Photography Blog.
*100% of the proceeds from the silent auction will go to the Walk4Hearing.
The World of Stock Photography
I’ve been looking into what it takes to get into the stock photography market lately and have found a good place to start.
Awhile back I came across a post by Photoshop & Photography Blogroll member Scott Eccleston of Weekly Photography Tips about an interview he’d listened to about stock photographer extraordinaire Richard Legg. I haven’t delved deep enough, yet, into the vast collection of posts he has on the subject but I think it’s a great resource, not only for stock but for your photography as a whole.
Richard has a whole section of tips and tutorials as well that shows you his lighting setups and explains the descisions he makes to get the results he’s looking for. It’s really insightful and inspirational. Go check him out!
Another resource Scott shared in a related post about microstock photography was an interview he saw with stock photographer Nicole Young where she talks about her experiences as a contributor to iStock Photo.
Have any of you ventured into the world of stock photography? What have you learned? Have any suggestions/tips/warnings that you can share? Where do you contribute your images? How has it worked out for you?
From Whence Does It Come?
Inspiration is a fickle force.
I go through periods of time when I am driven to make images and do my thing. I can see so clearly and the motivation is so strong and I feel so creatively alive.
Then there are those times when I don’t pick up my camera for weeks other than for the day job. I’ve taken maybe 5 shots in the last couple of weeks. They were employee mug shots so we could check off a box for our PCI compliance that we have all of our employees’ photos posted. And believe me, with the run and gun pace we had to do it, there was certainly no art to it at all.
It’s times like those – times like these – when I don’t really feel all that creative. I can’t find my muse and everything I do either starts looking the same or just doesn’t feel right.
I’m never sure how to get myself out of the rut. I look at other photographers’ work, which often makes me feel inferior. I try to think up little projects for myself – finding circles, or the color yellow, or something like that – but it sometimes feels forced. It’s so frustrating!
What do you do to pull your creative self out of moth balls? Where do you turn to get back into it?
7 Years & Counting!
That’s right. I am now into my 8th year of writing online. Last Saturday marked my 7th anniversary of what started out as a simple way of sharing an amazing semester abroad with my family and friends and has since become the Photoshop & Photography Blog Community that we have today!
It’s been a labor of love, especially over the past 3 years or so that I’ve been focusing almost solely on digital imagery, and I’ve been blessed to develop some great friendships along the way. One such friendship, which I mentioned a few weeks back, has been with Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography. Rob and I share a similar philosophy for our work and I am always inspired and encouraged when I meet other like-minded Photoshop & Photography enthusiasts. In case you missed that post, the guiding principle for me is something along the lines of “pay it forward.” When I learn new things about Photoshop, I love to pass it along. If I see something and wonder how it was done, I am driven to figure it out both for the challenge of it and so I can then show others what I’ve learned.
I’ve been fortunate enough to develop relationships with some notable figures in the larger digital imaging community and have been blessed to receive some notariety myself. It is all a bit surreal for me because I see myself more as a just a guy who loves photography and needs an outlet for it. If my only readers were my mom and a couple of friends – like it was back in the day – I’d be happy, so I keep having to pinch myself that I get to do this everyday and share my thoughts and work with so many of you. (If only I were able to do it full-time!)
Because I never want to let any attention because of the blog go to my head, I do my best to share the spotlight (for lack of a better term) with my readers through projects and contests and other regular series so that others have some opportunities to reach a wider audience just as I’ve had over the last few years. Again, always trying to pay it forward and build community rather than toot my own horn.
There have been a lot of changes since I first began this endeavor, especially in the last year, and there will be more to come. Some of my series have fizzled out – due to lack of traction, time/development constraints, or they were just bad ideas – and others have risen higher than I had ever thought they would. Instead of taking a more nostalgic tack, which would be very tempting and easy to do, I thought that this milestone would serve as an excellent opportunity to look forward so we might do some brainstorming together to see where we might go from here.
First off, I want to lay out a few goals that I’d like to work towards with the blog, in no particular order:
- I’d like to continue to build this site as a place where creative people can share their work, inspire each other, and find unique opportunities to participate in creative projects.
- I’d like this site to be a resource where others can come for help and feedback so they can grow as image makers.
- I’d like this site to be an outlet for my own work with an openness for comments and critiques so I, too, can continue to develop my craft.
- I’d like to have an ongoing dialogue with my readers (through the comments or otherwise) not only so I can have a clearer sense of who they are, what they do, and why they come back, but more so we can all learn from each other and push each other to be better.
- And, if I’m being totally open and honest here, I’d like to see the blog grow in terms of being a source of income so that I can move closer to my dream of doing photography and Photoshop training full-time so that my passion might become my profession.
Next comes the more tricky part: How? Here is where I would like to solicit your input and ideas for how to turn the goals into realities. Maybe there’s something you’d like to see by way of a project/series/contest or other program here on the site. Maybe you have ideas about how to improve on what’s been started already. Here’s a few things to get the ball rolling (again, in no particular order):
- The Points of View Photo Project has been quite successful, in my opinion, and those who participate are constantly telling me how much they enjoy the new challenge each time around. I will certainly be continuing the project as long as I have original source images to share. I’m always open to reader-submitted source images, so if you’d like to see how others might interpret one of your shots please send it in to pov@jasondmoore.com.
- Workflow Fridays has fallen off somewhat, mainly due to how tough it’s been this summer to coordinate it. I’d like to see it continue because I think it’s a great way to get a glimpse into the process of someone else so we can pick up tips and tricks we might be able to incorporate into our own work. If you’d like to contribute, please send me an email and I’d be glad to review it for posting.
- Photo Reviews have been a fun way for me to flex my creative muscles and share my thoughts and opinions so others might improve in their work. I’d like to see this continue as well but I just need people to send me their shots. If you’d like your photo reviewed, email me at reviews@jasondmoore.com.
- Ask Jason is along the same lines and is off to a good start with yesterday’s post. If you have questions, send ‘em along to askjason@jasondmoore.com.
- Photoshop Tutorial Videos have been really fun for me to do in the past and it’s been such a crazy year that I haven’t been able to get back to it. There’s a new contest over at NAPP that I’m going to talk about more down the line that will hopefully get me back into it.
- Contests have been going quite well lately, especially with the BIG Photo Contest last month, and they are a great way to highlight some excellent photography. I’ve been approached by a few people with some really unique prizes that you will hopefully be seeing in the coming months.
- Sponsors have been a great support for both the contests and this blog as a whole. I’ve been blessed to receive donations of prizes for the contests as well as monetary donations to help keep this blog going in one form or another. And I am so thankful for those of you who have done that! I’d like to invite all of you to consider either donating via the PayPal button in the sidebar or sponsoring the site or one of the ongoing projects. Find out more by visiting the Become a Sponsor page or by emailing me at sponsors@jasondmoore.com.
- Jason D. Moore Prints are available for purchase through my Zenfolio Store – powered by Mpix. I am adding new shots as often as I can so you can have a fine art print and support the site at the same time. Check out the store for Jason D. Moore Prints.
- The Jason D. Moore Photography Apparel Store has recently opened as well. You can pick up your very own shirts, mugs, stickers, tote bags and more to show your support of the blog as well as the larger community it represents. And I’m adding new items all the time. If you do buy something from the store, be sure to send me a picture of you wearing it so I can post it here.
- Photowalks have been a tremendous source of inspiration for me as well as a great way to meet my fellow photographers. I’m planning on holding more in the future, for sure.
- Photoshop & Photography Workshops have been something I’ve done in the past on a smaller scale and something I’ve been toying with doing again.
- Supporting Causes is a good way to increase your visibility, yes, but more importantly it’s just the right thing to do. There are a couple of things in progress that will be announced in the coming weeks that I think you would all be able to join me in supporting.
- Others? What are your thoughts on all of this? What else can you think of? No matter how far-fetched, off-the-wall, outlandish, mundane, basic, ambitious, or just plain good your ideas might be, I want to hear them! So please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
I really want to make this site more than just another photoblog and I want to make sure that everyone from the hobbyist to the professional feels welcome and able to be a part of it. So please, give me your input and help this community grow!
September Photo Contest
Please forgive the lack of a contest in August. With all of the excitement surrounding the BIG Photo Contest and the cool prize from Mpix for the July Photo Contest, I thought it made sense to take the month off.
Now that the month has begun, I’d like to open up the September Photo Contest! Complete details, as always, can be found on our Photo Contests page and entries may be submitted in the September Photo Contest Flickr Group.
The winner this month will receive something from the Jason D. Moore Photography Apparel Store. The winner will have their choice of one of the following Jason D. Moore Photography Logo items:
- Women’s Light T-Shirt
- Light T-Shirt
- Ringer T
- Women’s T-Shirt
- White T-Shirt
- stein
- mug
- large mug
- or tote bag
Good Luck!
Points of View Photo Project #11
Welcome to the eleventh edition of the “Points of View Project“!
Every other Friday I will post a new, out-of-the-camera image for you to download. You may process, manipulate, composite, experiment, or otherwise alter the photo in any way you wish. The hope is that we will get to see a number of different takes on the same image and/or see it used in unique ways as a part of a new image.
This is not a contest or competition. It’s simply a way of stretching our creative muscles and to get those juices flowing through experimentation and seeing how many different interpretations can be applied to the same starting photo.
Check out our Points of View Gallery showing this week’s source image and how it has been seen from our contributors’ different points of view. I am especially pleased with this week’s contributions.
Thank you to everyone who contributed this week!
Here’s the image for week #12:
Click here to open the full-size version to download as your starting point. Have fun with it! I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
You can do whatever you want to the photo as long as you use the given photo in some way as part of your final image. In fact, I know the potential is there for a number of people to end up processing the image in very similar ways and getting similar results. Because of that, I’d like to encourage you to experiment and/or take things a couple of steps further to really challenge yourself to make it truly unique.
Once you have worked with the image as much as you feel it needs, simply email it back to me at pov@jasondmoore.com by Wednesday September 9th for inclusion in the project. Please be sure to include your name, location, and website/blog URL so I may properly credit you.
If you would like to send in a photo – unprocessed, straight out of the camera – for us to use as our starting image for a future week, please send me an email to the same address listed above.
I’d like to note that the image(s) that will be used in a given week are only offered for use within the confines of the “Points of View Project“. I am not releasing any rights for use beyond creating your submission. I would also express the same for any starting images that may be provided by other participants. Feel free to re-post your version of the image on your site to share your participation in the project. I just ask for a link back here when you do.
The Points of View Photo Project is sponsored by Towner Jones Photography, LLC. Please take a few moments and head over to see some of the great things Rob is doing! If you would like to sponsor this or any other project here at Jason D. Moore Photography, or would like to support the site as a whole, please visit our “Become a Sponsor” page today to learn how!
A Look Through the Archives
I was looking back through my NAPP Portfolio and thought I would pull this shot out of the archives to share it once again. I remember the time I spent creating the masks to get the effect and how good it felt to get a result that was pretty much exactly what I had envisioned. It doesn’t always happen, but it sure is nice when it does!
Letting Google Know Your Photos Are Licensed
One of my coworkers was researching ways in which Google indexes images and how we might better leverage that for SEO purposes. Aside from using really good “alt” tags when inserting your images to your site or making sure you have some copyright info in your metadata, one interesting thing that Google Image Search has recently implemented is a way of refining your searches to images that are licensed – using Creative Commons, etc. – or that are Public Domain, or those that are not tagged at all. It’s an extra step to add in a little piece of code to your images but it’s easy enough that even a novice with HTML can take advantage.
Instead of me trying to explain it, here is Peter Linsley, one of Google’s Product Managers (original article – “Specifying an image’s license using RDFa“):
What do you think? What do you do to help make sure your images are secure?
“A Capitol Idea” via Gordon McGregor
I almost wasn’t going to share this one until I tried it for myself, but it’s just an interesting concept that I had to. This comes from Gordon McGregor of the blog Photo Expressions, a source I will often go to for inspiration and projet ideas.
Gordon shares with us how he was on a recent photowalk around Austin, TX that headed straight for the capitol building (above) – a location he’s shot countless times. In an effort to capture a familiar subject in a new way, Gordon shot about 200 frames at differing EV values – with the same white balance – and used some fairly “non-standard settings, to make it work badly” using Photoshop’s photomerge.
The result is this visually stimulating photo that keeps you in the image longer than if it were just another pano of an old building. Well done, Gordon! I’ll have to try that one sometime!
