Subscribe in iTunes
The Wells Point feed
Become a fan
Follow us on TwitterTagged With « resources »
-
Where do you learn to be a photographer (part three of three)
For the last two weeks I have been blogging about the important question of where do you learn how to be a photographer? To date, I have explored my take on the future of commercial photography, called into the question the value of formal schooling and offered some on-line resources that can serve as well as school, if not better (and they are much cheaper.) I want to deconstruct a few of those same resources to suggest how to find value in reading them.
21
Oct 11
-
Where do you learn to be a photographer (part two of three)
In last week’s blog entry I started to explore the question, where do you learn how to be a photographer? Much of that entry was speculating on what the business of photography will be like in the future. I also called into the question the benefit of formal study of photography, at least for those who want to be commercial photographers.
14
Oct 11
-
Where do you learn to be a photographer (part one of three)
Eager young photographers write me often, telling me about what they want to do as photographers and asking for my help. Part of me says to tell them to “…run as fast as you can, away, away from this ever more crowded field.“ Another part of me says, wait, the business continues and is (in some way) growing, doubly so, with the movement of most communications media to the web, which is an ever more image-driven media. So there will be photographers in the future, though not the same kind of photographers as there used to be. I recently blogged about the best college for photographers being the one where you learn how to “think,” not just take pictures. That begs the question, where do you learn how to be a photographer?
07
Oct 11
-
Some thoughts on stock photography
In this podcast, I answer a friend’s query about how she might get start doing stock photography. By keeping my comments a bit open ended as well as talking about my experience in stock, I turn what might have been a one-to-one conversation into something of wider use for other photographers. During the podcast, I use video screen-capture along with my narration to explain and show what I am talking about.
15
Dec 10
-
Thinking points for grant applications
I have been very fortunate to have been honored with a number of grants and fellowships over the years. I will be the first to admit that they have been real milestones in my career. A peer recently wrote me with a question about my experience applying for such grants. In the process of thinking out and then writing down my response, I realized a couple things. The last thing I realized was that her question (and my response) were a blog entry in the making. The other insights that I had are part of the piece below.
10
Sep 10
-
After six fascinating weeks in India I flew home and I plunged right into a workshop in street photography at ICP (International Center for Photography) in New York City. Then I returned to Providence, to complete the sale of my house, move out of that and into a new apartment. Next week I am off to the Maine Media Workshops to teach another workshop. So, I have been busy! I have also been gathering snippets to share as the summer nears its end.
20
Aug 10
-
Even more summer-time snippets
I read a lot about photography every day. (Duh!) I encounter hundreds of links, varying from idiotic Viagra ads to Nigerian bank scams to interesting photography sites. Though I am pretty good at knowing what not to look at, and waste time clicking on, I default to the idea that it is better to look than it is to risk missing something of value. This blog entry explores recent links where I have clicked through and I have been rewarded for my efforts.
06
Aug 10
-
By relocating to Asia for much of the summer, we are undertaking something new to us. Some of the work I am doing here is specific to being here, whether researching an upcoming assignment in India or teaching a class in Singapore. Much of my time is spent on work that I could do anywhere, whether blogging or creating new podcasts. Since my life here is more slow-paced than back “home,” I have been enjoying the opportunity to ponder a few ideas that have been piling up in my “blogs-to-be” folder.
19
Jul 10
-
Covers in music (and photography)
I have often pondered the similarities, differences and connections between music and photography. The former is something I have no talent for, other than the ability to enjoy it. The latter is something that I continually find both challenging and rewarding. I have considered these two media throughout my life, initially, as a toe-tapping teenager and now as a working, creative professional. Some recent reading spurred me to sit down and try to make some sense out of the jumble of ideas that I have about photography and music. Some of what I settled on is more philosophical and some is more practical, resulting in two separate blog entries, of which this is the first.
05
Mar 10
-
November grab bag of resources
November is upon us! With October ending, I have new web resources to share. The way I work is that as I see something on the web that I find interesting, I drop it into a Word document titled “New_In_Process.” When the end of the month rolls around and/or I have enough items to share it becomes a blog entry, like this.
06
Nov 09
-
Autumn’s grab bag of web resources
I am just back from a fast and fun workshop on Cape Cod. The Autumn weather was great for photographing. The many subjects we photographed (beaches at sunrise, cranberry harvesting, etc.) were fascinating. I am about to head off to New York City for the big Photo Plus Expo, the annual trade show “for professionals and advanced amateurs in the photographic and imaging industries.” I expect to leave that show with lots of info to share. Today’s blog is another grab bag of similar information I have been gathering that I hope you find worthwhile.
16
Oct 09
-
Summer time is supposed to be about relaxing and freedom from school/work. With that in mind, this post is going to be a bit more relaxed than some recent entries. I will mostly talk about the free things I have been taking advantage of recently.
07
Aug 09
-
Pricing images for publications: Part Two
In the last blog entry, I explored a scenario where you (or me) would need to calculate the use fee for an image to be used in a publication. I directed readers to a few useful resources for calculating that proposed licensee fee. Now, I want to offer a few thinking points that should be part of your process when pricing images for publication.
10
Jul 09
-
Bits and pieces of photo news on a lazy holiday weekend
Okay, I admit it. I took the weekend off in terms of writing something “deep and meaningful” for the blog. It has been raining almost every day through June, so the recent perfect weather was too much. Thus, I am only posting a brief (but still useful) list of new resources for photographers to check out.
06
Jul 09
-
Pricing images for publications: Part One
A friend/former student wrote me with a great question. He wrote: “I have an opportunity to license some images to a travel company for their brochures. I’ve never done this before and therefore I’d love to get your quick opinion of what the right price range should be. The email below is from the director of communications from the travel company.”
03
Jul 09
-
What’s new: A few new resources….
What’s new? Actually, lots of stuff! This blog entry is a series of blurbs about new things I came across that I think would be of interest to most photographers. Every time I see something new and interesting I cut and paste the URL into an ever-growing list. When that list gets too big I gather the best stuff and share it.
22
Jun 09
-
Resource pages updated on The Wells Point
I just spent a good deal of time updating the resources pages on The Wells Point. I also added a couple new categories. The whole point of the resource pages is to introduce photographers to the world of opportunities and resources available to them. Some enable photographers to show or sell imagery while others suggest ways to fund the production of such work. Some of the resources recently changed their URLs, while others have gone out of business. Those can be found starting at http://thewellspoint.com/about/
01
Jun 09
-
I am writing today about a variety of resources for photographers. Of course, the major one that I am thinking about is The Wells Point web site. Yes, this could easily be interpreted as a shameless self-promotion. I prefer to think of it as an information-advisory about all the valuable things on the site. Read the whole post and then you decide.
24
Apr 09
-
What is new on The Wells Point?
The big news on The Wells Point site is the completion of the photographer’s resource pages. You can start to explore those at: http://www.thewellspoint.com/about/ I have information there (with extensive links,) on artist’s residencies, copyright, fine-art promotional venues, grants, software and stock photography, as well as another twenty-something different categories of information.
10
Apr 09
-
What every photographer should know about model releases
Model releases seem to be the source of more confusion than almost any other aspect of photography for aspiring (and established) professionals. I am asked about them during every class or presentation that I give. The irony is that model releases are remarkably simple.
05
Dec 08
-
Here are a few more great resources on the business of photography for those interested in “doing it for money.”
13
Oct 08
-
26
Sep 08
-
Probably because I make my living as a photographer, I talk a lot about the business side of photography.
01
Sep 08
