Macworld Cover Creation

Click here to watch the video

by peter belanger - http://www.peterbelanger.com/blog

After working on the latest cover for Macworld Magazine I wanted to show what is involved in making a cover. I focused on the three main areas: the photography, photoshop and design. I chose a time lapse format to convey lots of information in a small amount of time. The only drawback of time lapse is that since half a day goes by in 30 seconds, the whole process seam so easy! Lots of details were left out of the design process (like the cover meetings and rounds of layout options). I began to photograph the design process after the layouts had already been narrowed down to just three cover designs.

On the technical side, for the time lapse video, I used the Canon 5D Mark II with a 24mm-70mm zoom. I chose the 5D because of its great image quality with high ISO's. Canon's sRAW1 gave me the flexibility of a RAW file with the file size of a jpeg. The actual Macworld cover was taken with a Phase One P65+ digital back attached to a 4x5 Sinar X camera with a 65mm lens.

Many thanks to Rob Schultz for allowing me to invade his office and literally shoot over his shoulder.

The music was used with permission by The Brokenmusicbox.

Cuba Obscura - Pinhole Photographs

These are a collection of Pinhole Photographs taken in Cuba during December 2006 and January 2007 by Brian Barry. They were printed as Photo Intaglio etchings between September 2007 and January 2008 in Cork Printmakers.
Pinhole photography (or Camera Obscura) is photography stripped back to its rudimentary beginnings. Pinhole Camera consists solely of a light-tight box with a tiny pinhole at the front which acts as a lens, thus dispensing with roughly 150 years of innovation and technological advancement. Read more...

10 Principles of Beautiful Photography

by Trey Ratcliff – note: this article appeared in Smashing Magazine in February of 2009.

A camera does not work like an eye; memory does not work like film.

There is a fine line between a photo that is quite nice and one that is quite breathtaking. At some undefined point, a photo can cross the Rubicon and be forever a piece of beautiful art. That hinterland between a regular photo and evocative art is a moving target from person to person and taste to taste. However, that zone of wonderment can be narrowed a bit once you start to consider about the way the brain stores memories and emotions.

And, yes, it gets a bit touchy-feely here to determine if you have been able to cross that line. With rigorous practice and peer feedback, you can start to appreciate where that zone is and consequently improve your hit ratio.

The good news is that it does not require rune rites of scapulimancy to divine your way to a more beautiful photo. There are some basic things and mantras to keep in mind as you practice and fail then practice and succeed then practice and fail and then rinse and repeat. I’ll detail a few of these below. Read more...

"It's about reacting to what you see, hopefully without preconception. You can find pictures anywhere. It's simply a matter of noticing things and organizing them. You just have to care about what's around you and have a concern with humanity and the human comedy."

Elliott Erwitt joined Magnum Photos in 1953 and became a full Member in 1954.

Photographer Adrian Samson

LIFE.com launched by Getty Images

LIFE and Getty Images have created LIFE.com so you can access millions of breathtaking photographs — for free. LIFE.com lets you wander through the legendary LIFE and Getty archives, and with more than 3,000 new photos added every day, it also gives you the best pictures of people and places shaping our world.

How Flickr Can Make you a Better Photographer

by Guest Contributor
Learning by example

Albert Einstein once said:

“Learning by example isn’t the best way to learn–it’s the only way to learn.”

I must say that I agree with the great Doctor. I remember sitting in all those computer science classes confused when the professor went over the steps of a complex algorithm, but as soon as they stepped through an actual example, I immediately understood.

The same principle applies to photography. Just by constantly being exposed to a variety of photographs, you’ll see the world through the eyes of others and gain new perspectives, new ideas, and new inspirations.

One of my favorite things to do on Flickr is compare my photos of a particular subject or scene with another photographer’s shots. I do it because it often introduces me to new ways of looking at a subject or particular scene. Each one of us sees the world completely differently, and it shows in our photographs.

Other than just looking at the photo itself and thinking about composition, color, and all the other aspects of the photo, you can also learn a lot by clicking the “more properties” link to find out the details of the photograph: focal length, f-stop, exposure, ISO, etc. All of this information is very helpful in learning how the photographer got the photo. Read more...

Where will your lens take you?

Name Your Dream Assignment is a contest for photographers of all backgrounds. We’re looking for the most creative, inspiring photo shoot idea out there. The photographer with the winning idea will win $50,000 to bring his or her dream assignment to life.
What exactly do you win?
The Grand Prize is $50,000 to carry out your dream assignment, plus a digital camcorder and the Lenovo® ThinkPad® W700ds with Microsoft Windows Vista®. Two runners-up will also receive the Lenovo® ThinkPad® W700ds with Microsoft Windows Vista®.
Are there any limitations on the ideas?
Nope. Just keep in mind the $50,000 budget (which will include your travel costs).

The Art Directors Club

Don't miss the professional deadline extension of January 23, 2009 and the January 30, 2009 deadline for Students. It's your chance to win a Gold Cube in the 88th Annual Awards. Enter your Advertising, Design, Interactive, Photography, Illustration and even unpublished work in Playground. There are also breakout categories, ADC Hybrid and ADC Design Sphere, and a sponsored award from Corbis! So go ahead, enter now!

Please note: Your package needs to be postmarked on or before the deadline. All payment and packages must be received by February 2, 2009 for your work to be judged in the Annual Awards.

Photography - How to Make a Light Tent

The following tutorial on constructing an Inexpensive Light Tent was Submitted by Jeffrey Bail

Michael Thompson - Photography

Michael Thompson was born and raised in Washington state, where he was first introduced to photography at his father's small portrait studio.
He spent his summers working with his father, then, after graduating from high school, he earned a degree from the Brooks Institute of Photography.
After completing his schooling, Michael Thompson moved to New York City and began assisting the legendary photographer, Irving Penn.
Michael Thompson has since photographed models and celebrities for countless prestigious fashion magazines, including W, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Dutch, GQ, Mademoiselle, British Elle, Jane, Town & Country, British Esquire, The New York Times Magazine and The London Sunday Times Magazine.
Advertising clients are equally in demand for Michael Thompson's time.
He has shot campaigns for Emporio Armani, Celine, Coco Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Jones New York, Ellen Tracy and Emanuel Ungaro and beauty and still-life print ads for cosmetic powerhouses such as Clinique, Prescriptives, L'Oreal, Aveda, Revlon, Almay, Chanel, Neutrogena and Oil of Olay.
In addition, he has directed TV commercials for Ellen Beatrix and L'Oreal.
Currently, Michael Thompson lives in New York with his wife Kelly and their two children.

Contest - Ink of the Week

Each week we award a $100 voucher to the CustomInk customer whose photo shows the most group spirit. Help pick this week's competition winner by clicking and rating your favorite photos. Customers submit your photo to enter the contest.

The CustomInk story began in 1999 when three former college classmates got the bug to start a business about a year after graduating. Co-founder and President Marc Katz was hard at work in a Wall Street job that he says "didn’t have a lot of heart" and was itching to do something entrepreneurial and meaningful. Meanwhile, Marc’s former roommate Mike Driscoll (acting on his mom’s suggestion!) had spent the previous summer building the very first version of CustomInk.com, which let people upload graphics onto t-shirts and buy them… at least in theory. Read more...

Photography - ASMP’s Copyright Application Tutorial

Your original images are your legacy. Like many a photographer, you probably expect to retire on the royalties from the photographs you have made over the years. Early planning, especially with proper copyright protection, can facilitate this. Although every original photograph you create is automatically copyrighted the instant the shutter is clicked, you don’t get much legal protection unless you follow through on a few things. Read more...

Jim Goldstein is an independent photographer specializing in landscape, travel, environments, nature and event photography for advertising and editorial use.

A member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Jim produces the highest quality photography for both commercial clients and fine art photography collectors. Jim's photography has been featured in the Washington Post, Sierra Club, Future Snowboarding magazine, Surfmag.com, SFGate.com, and a variety of other publications

solar seven - James Thew images

I am a creative artist who specializes in digital media and photography. I have a background in web development and graphic design. I currently have a library of over 1000 images available as Royalty Free through creative libraries such as Istockphoto and Stockxpert.

I supply my images to all major royalty free stock photography sites including:- Istock, Stockxpert, Shutterstock, Fotolia, Dreamstime, and Crestock.

All my images at these sites are royalty free and can be used for various projects from Advertising to presentations. All images are available with extended licenses and come in a variety of sizes from small to extra large. Illustrations can also normally be downloaded in vector format.

More ...

Jim and Lisa Fiscus - photography

Back in 1995, Jim Fiscus and Lisa Fiscus were unaware that their experimentation with the nascent art of photography combined with digital imaging would result in producing award-winning advertisements. Read more...

Jim Fiscus’ photographs are truly an adventure, from start to finish. The Dallas-born photographer dreams up symbolism-filled scenarios, and to make them come to life, he directs his subjects in ways that even his clients find amusing. 
A shoot he did in London for billboards promoting the hit British TV show Shameless involved an actress playing a highly excitable pregnant woman who loves her martinis (did we mention the show is a dark comedy?). The mild-mannered Fiscus had to direct the actress to have a freak-out of sorts, and the best way to do it was to pretend to be a pregnant woman himself. There he was, in his cowboy boots and jeans, rubbing his belly and rolling his eyes in an exaggerated—and, to the casual observer, quite amusing—fashion. 
“Oh my God, this is certainly not a normal photo shoot,” commented the client’s art director, who would surely have been shocked—and thrilled—if he’d been at the OutKast shoot Fiscus did for HBO. The Grammy-winning hip-hop duo had been filming a movie for 43 days straight when Fiscus arrived to photograph them. Fiscus knew the singers were fatigued, so he did his best to make the shoot fun. And fun it was. “It was a party,” he recalls. “The makeup artists were breakdancing. The client from HBO came up and said, ‘This isn’t a photo shoot—this is a cultural phenomenon.’” 
Actually, what’s phenomenal is the amount of planning Fiscus does for each project. The finished product—the densely layered, almost allegorical images he makes for commercial clients like Adidas and GE and magazines like ESPN—is made up of a series photos that he methodically maps out on a storyboard before each shoot. Later, he composes the multiple images in post-production work that he oversees with a team of digital artists who have been with him for years. (Loyalty is as important to Fiscus as perfection.) 
Why is his process so involved? Because Fiscus is drawn to the conceptual, the symbolic, the hidden story—things that are inherently complicated but truly rewarding, both for the photographer and the viewer (and, of course, the client). When Fiscus makes a photograph, he’s not just documenting what his subjects look like but what they represent. He displays their inner life—and in doing so, he creates photographs that have an inner life themselves. 

Orlando - Calling For all Local Creative Artist

T.i.own Present Caffeine For the Artistic Soul

T.i.OWN Design on April 10th at Full Sail Real World Education is pushing the envelope on expanding the art culture with Pop art, Graffiti, Modern Art, and Digital Art in winter Park and Surrounding Community's.
Come join us @ 5pm at Full Sail Building 3 Back lot for a night of inspiration.
We will be having pieces submitted by local Artist, Live Music and tons of food for the the Soul.
Admission is Free.

For all local artist (students, Staff, Co-workers, everybody) who is interested in submitting work or who wants feed back. Please visit www.tiown.com for more information.

Sponsored By:
www.Full Sail.com
www.tiown.com
The Culture Mart
Sign a Rama Winter Park
Art Systems of Florida
Sink or Swim
www.Bsideartist.blogspot.com
Wpi entertainment
Tatume
Food by:
International Christins Cafe.

Christopher Rodriguez
Bachelor Degree of Digital Art and Design
CEO of TIOWN / TOBARDESIGN

I'LL BE WATCHING YOU:INSIDE THE POLICE 1980-83

An exhibition of photographs by Andy Summers (Police) at the Mirai Gallery in Tokyo.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 13 2008 until Monday, 10 March 2008. Gallery open 7 days a week.

WHERE: Mirai Gallery at 5-10-25 Zelcourt 2F Roppongi Minato-ku Tokyo 106-0032 Japan.

The Art of Photography Show

The Art of Photography Show 2008 is a world-class international exhibition featuring all forms of photographic art -- images shot on film, shot digitally, unaltered shots, alternative process, mixed media, digital manipulations, montages, etc. The Art of Photography Show will be exhibited at the two-level Lyceum Theatre Gallery, a perfect venue for exhibiting a large showcase of awesome photographic art.

The online entry process is very easy, simply filling out a short registration form and then uploading your digital files. Entry deadline is March 1st at 11:59 pm (California Time).

Entry Fee: $25 for the first entry, $10 for each additional entry. There is no limit to the number of entries an artist may enter. Artists who entered work in any previous Art of Photography Show or the Art of Digital Show will receive a $15 discount towards the Art of Photography Show 2008.

Calendar:
March 1, 2008: Deadline for submission of Entries, Registration Form and Entry Fee
March 16, 2008: Announcement of accepted entries
April 11, 2008: Deadline for receipt of framed prints
April 25, 2008: Show opens with the Opening Reception Gala
May 23, 2008: Last day of the Show

Student Ideas - Jerry Martin

"Im from a small town north of Houston on Lake Conroe. I have been into fine arts, mainly sketching all my life. Since coming to Florida I found the ways of photography. when im not taking pictures im usually skating, or playing my guitar. I learned from my roomate on an old Minolta film camera and was given a canon xti for my birthday last year. since then I have basically self taught myself messing with things like tilt/shift, HDR and flash and lighting techniques. recenty I got a Holga 120 and am starting to play aorund with medium format film. When done with Full Sail I plan on moving out to Austin, Texas somewhat near my home on Texas's large scale. oh, and a common misconception is that flickr is a stock photography site...which it is not. it's a site photographers and just normal people use to upload and share their pictures personally."

http://flickr.com/photos/almostred/ <----my flickr page

http://bridge.thegluenetwork.com/TheBridge.aspx?mid=2515 <----Bridge Network

What is the Bridge? Why are there 24,902 miles?
The goal of this website is to build a virtual bridge around the planet connecting people who want to make a difference in the world. The distance around the world is 24,902 miles and we are asking 24,902 people to add miles to create this virtual bridge. For each mile created, funds will be given to the charity selected. The goal is to raise $24,902 for people in need.

Student Ideas - Teddy Pieper

"This last Sunday at The Social there was a great show featuring Another Day Late, Danger Radio, Envy On The Coast, and The Audition. All the bands put on a kick ass show, it was well worth the journey out! None of my pictures of Another Day Late Came out but, let me know what you think of the pictures that I did capture." -----Read more: Ted's blog and portfolio

Sonja Mueller has lived in berlin since 2000. She spent 8 years previously living and working in london and munich. Sonja’s mission is to continue to grow and develop as artist and person, using her photography in all genres - fashion, advertising, portraiture and landscape- as a medium for inspiration and a means to understand the world.
She has no desire for self-aggrandisement. If you want to know more, just ask.